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michelleleewise · 1 year

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🌹Her Romeo🌹

Pairing: Avenger Loki x insecure female reader

Warnings: crying, flashbacks, tiny but of angst, fluff, soft smut (mildly graphic), soft dom reader,

Summary: Loki enacts his plan, you find out what really happened....

A/n- graphics by @harlequin-hangout, and special thanks to @mochie85 for letting me send this to you and @vbecker10 for letting me bounce ideas off of!! You guys are amazing!!! 💚💚

Part Five -- Part Six-

Loki got out of the cab, pulling some money from his pocket he tossed it into the window as he walked up the sidewalk. He looked up to the large house with a heavy sigh. This has to work he thought as he checked his other pocket before walking around to the back. He looked around the sparsly lit yard smiling, Val had done her due diligence hanging small balls of light across the space, his eyes traveled around the edge of the area lined with rose bushes and flowers, crickets singing their song in the distance made a warmth wash over him, it almost reminded him of his evenings spent in his mother's gardens. He looked up to the room Val had told him you were in seeing the light was still on as he walked closer..

"But, soft, What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and y/n is the sun." He whispered "Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief." He continued, stopping under the window watching as you walked out onto the balcony holding something in your hand. He watched you silently, stepping into the shadows as you leaned on the balustrade. "It is my lady, O, it is my love, O, that she knew she were." He whispered seeing you set a small frame next to you "I miss you Loki, but I don't want to." He heard you whisper into the night.

"She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that? Her eye discourses, i will answer it. I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks." He said aloud stepping out of the shadows to get a better look at you "two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, Having some business, do entreat her eyes to twinkle in their spheres till they return." He continued, his eyes not leaving you "What if her eyes were there, they in her head? The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, as daylight doth a lamp. Her eye in heaven. Would, through the airy region, stream so bright that birds would sing and think it were not night." His mind filled with images of the last two years, the moments you shared as he watched you lean your head in your hand "See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand. O, that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek!" He said as his knees met the ground, tears welling in his eyes when you looked down.

"Loki? What are you doing here?" You called out wiping your cheeks "I have come to see you my love." He said watching you. "How did you even know where I was!? How did you get here?" You yelled looking around "With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls, For stony limits cannot hold love out, And what love can do, that dares love attempt." He yelled up to you seeing you shake your head "loki...I've been doing alot of thinking and maybe..." you trailed off watching him jump up and stride to the house "what are you..." you said seeing him begin to climb the trellis "loki! Your going to fall!" You yelled rushing to the side of the balcony when his hand reached over the balustrade pulling himself up and over "please my love, let me explain." He said quietly walking towards you "i..I don't know, I just..." you said looking down

"O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?" He asked making you look up at him, now noticing he was wearing his deep green leathers, the gold of his armor glinting in the light as you watched him fall to his knees "w...what satisfaction are you talking about Loki?" You asked stepping back "The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine, I take thee at thy word, Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized." He said sending shiver up your spine, his voice was a balm to your aching soul "I told you how much I love you loki, multiple times! But it wasnt..." He cut you off "Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?" He asked, looking into his eyes you saw tears beginning to gather "Loki...I...I'm not enough for you, I know that now." You said sitting in the chair putting your head in your hands. "No my love, you are more then enough, you are everything to me." Loki said coming to kneel in front of you.

You cleared you throat looking up seeing tear lines steaming down his cheeks "my love, please...allow me to show you what transpired opening night." He said holding his hands up "and if after you still wish me to go...I will never darken your door again." He said shakely "please..." he whispered. You nodded, closing your eyes feeling his fingers on your temples "this may feel a bit odd." He said. images flashed In your mind when suddenly you were standing in Loki's dressing room. Looking over you saw Loki fixing his tie in the mirror before checking his watch when someone knocked on the door. Everything happened in rapid succession as you saw her jump into his lap, the door opening next to you as she pressed her lips to his. You closed your eyes, shaking your head when you felt the room spin, opening them seeing her laying on the couch when Loki stormed in.

"is she finally gone?" You heard her snark as she sat up "get out of my dressing room...now!" He yelled making you jump as he grabbed his coat. "looking for this?" You heard her ask holding up a small box when Loki snatched it out of her hand. "No...he wasn't..." you whispered watching him put it in his pocket when his voice brought you back "she is a better woman then you will ever be." He growled stepping closer her "you are nothing but a trollop...a harlot looking for her next opportunity." He said watching her eyes widen "did you truly believe you could win my affections with your manipulation?" He asked, you looked to her smiling at her terror as he continued his verbal assualt "you are nothing but a conniving, deceitful cunt." He snarled towering over her as she fell back onto the couch "you are the dirt beneath my queens feet." He said leaning over her "you...are...nothing." He hissed standing back up.

You were jerked back to the present, gasping as Loki slowly took his fingers from your head "that is what happened." He said looking down "I should have listened to you, i..." he started when you put your finger on his lips "no, I should have talked to you, told you how I was feeling but I...I thought I was losing you." You said dropping your hand. "No love, I should have paid more attention, if I had been more observant." He trailed off fidgeting with his fingers "Loki, can I ask you something?" You asked when his eyes met yours "anything love." He said straightening his back "were you...the box..." you said looking down "yes...I was." He said reaching into his pocket pulling out the same box you saw in the memory clearing his throat.

"Y/n, you are the sun to my moon...I cannot exist without you. You regulate me...steady me. The last two years of my life have been the best I've ever had, will you honor me and be my juliet?" He asked opening the box holding it out to you. You felt tears well in your eyes seeing the bright emerald shining back at you, looking up meeting his eyes "only if you'll be my romeo." You said smiling feeling a tear roll down your cheek "only yours my love." He said pulling the ring from the box he gently grabbed your hand, sliding it on when he brought it to his lips. You gripped his hand, sliding off the chair you slid into his lap wrapping an arm around his neck you pressed your lips to his "im...kiss...sorry...kiss...for everything." You said between kissing him feeling his arms wrap around your back "no, I'm sorry love..." he said pulling back "it will never happen again." He said sternly "no, I want you to do what you love, I...i need to be more open with you." You breathed against his lips feeling him smile.

"I love you so much y/n." He said pulling back to look into your eyes "and I love you, Loki Laufeyson." You said pressing your lips to his hearing him groan. His hips pressed gently up against your core, gasping feeling his hard length press into you "i..I need you y/n...I need to feel you." He panted biting your bottom lip as you moaned "yes...please god yes.." you breathed, squealing as he suddenly stood up his large hands wrapping around your thighs "I have you love." He said kissing you deeply, his tongue grazing your bottom lip you quickly parted them letting him in. Your nails dug into his shoulders, your tongues exploring as he walked you into your room, gently kicking the balcony door closed behind him.

You sucked his bottom lip, releasing it with a soft pop as you trailed kisses along his jaw, traveling to his neck biting his pulse point hearing him growl "mm...norns y/n..." he groaned as your tongue swiped up towards his ear. "How do you get this off?" You purred pulling on the leather strap running along his chest "magic darling." He breathed, gently setting you down on the edge of the bed he stood up, looking down at you through hooded eyes he lifted his hand, a green glow emanating from his fingertips as the leather slowly melted away, exposing his smooth porcelain skin to you. Biting your lip as your eyes traveled down taking in his beautiful body. You reached your fingers out, slowly trailing down chest, feeling his muscles flex as your nails slowly glided down his abs "Darling..." he growled. Looking up your were met with his dark lust filled eyes, something feral in them sending a chill down your spine "lay back love." He said sternly, leaving no room for argument.

You slid back across the bed, settling on the pillows you looked down watching Loki climb up, slowly stalking up on his hands and knees, not taking his eyes off you as the bed shifted under his weight. The fairy lights glistened above casting a halo over his ebony curls "God your beautiful.." you muttered seeing him smile "not as much as you are my love." He purred sitting up he kneeled by your feet, his hands slowly sliding up your calves to your knees as he gently pushed them apart "may i?" He asked lifting a hand up in the air "y..yes..." you whispered seeing the same glow eminate from his fingers, a tingling spread over you as your clothes slowly faded leaving you bare to him. You lifted your arms slightly out of instinct but the look in Loki's eyes told you to put them down. "Good girl." He whispered, smiling as he leaned forward, crawling between your parted thighs settling over you.

"You are gorgeous y/n...perfect...ethereal." He whispered against your skin, punctuating each word with a kiss. "Loki...please..." you breathed, arching your back up pressing your chest to his. "Is my darling...impatient?" He snarked when you grabbed a handful of his hair lifting his head up "loki..." you growled rocking your hips hearing him laugh "yes love..." he said, leaning down he kissed you slowly...gently as he reached between, his fingers trailing down your stomach before dipping down between your thighs, his long fingers spreading your open as he slowly rocked his hand up and down making you moan into his mouth. You reached down, pressing your hand over his rocking your hips with your joined hands "that's it love...take what you want." He growled, nipping at your collarbone as you pulled his hair hard.

"L..loki..." you moaned, feeling the familiar tightening in your core "that's it love...come for me." He purred, his lips latching onto your neck as his fingers pressed harder against your clit, the pressure sending you over edge coming hard your thighs squeezed Loki's sides. "Exquisite.." he whispered against your neck, his warm breath making you shiver "l..loki I need you...now." You growled, reaching up your wrapped your fingers around his cock, moaning feeling him twitch in your hand "aahh...d...darling i..." you cut him off leaning up biting his lip gripping his hair "now loki." You groaned releasing his lip you pulled him to you, lining him up "y..yes my goddess." He moaned leaning on his elbows you guided him as he pressed into you, your nails digging into his scalp feeling every inch of him stretch you to your limit "d...did you miss me darling?" He groaned jerking his hips into you "aaahh f..fuck Loki..." you moaned as he bottomed out.

"Norns...i..." he moaned lifting his knees to spread your legs wider "God Loki fuck me...please..." you gritted, clenching your jaw when he slowly pulled his hips back, pulling out to the tip before pressing back in. "H..harder! Please!." You yelled, digging your nails down his back hearing him hiss "yes...aahh ma'am." He panted, wrapping his hands under your shoulder he pulled back before snapping his hips hard into you "yes...like...ahhh fuck like that!" You moaned, your hands traveling down cupping his ass pulling him into you. His pace was relentless....unforgiving as he slammed into you, knocking the headboard against the wall with every thrust. "I...I can feel you squeezing me.....mmm fuck..." Loki moaned, burying his face in your neck. You closed your eyes, the room filled with your combined pants and moans as you both careened towards your peak.

"I...loki im..." you tried, feeling your orgasm approaching when he shifted his hips slightly, hitting that soft spot inside you making you cry out "t..that's it love...give it to me.." loki growled, his tip hitting the same spot relentlessly with each thrust "give it all to me." He snarled slamming into you hard sending you over into ecstasy, your nails digging into his cheeks seeing stars behind your eyelids "m...my God Loki!" You yelled feeling him twitch inside you "c..come Loki...aahh let me feel you." You moaned, tilting your head you sucked his earlobe between your lips, biting down hard feeling him spill inside you "f..fuck y/n!" He yelled, holding his hips to yours, feeling the tension seep out of his muscles as he rocked back and forth a few times before stilling, his weight settling on top of you making you sigh.

"yes, I did miss you." You whispered in his ear as he lifted his head, looking into your eyes you brushed his hair off his sweat soaked forehead seeing him smile "I was lost without you." He panted, rubbing your cheek with his thumb. You leaned up, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips as he slowly pulled out making you whimper. "Will you come home love?" He asked, laying down next to you running his fingers through your hair "of course, but tomorrow." You smiled feeling his magic working to clean you up "for now, just hold me...please." You whispered when he rolled to his back, pulling you to his chest "ill never let you go again." He said kissing the top of your head as you closed your eyes. Letting the steady beat of his heart lull you to sleep you smiled, knowing tomorrow was going to be a good day.

@lokisgoodgirl @springdandelixn @kinky-faerie @xorpsbane @midnights-ramblings @simping-for-marvel @holdmytesseract @kkdvkyya @slpnbty2001 @lokixryss @vane28282 @violethaze @coldnique @aniar4wniak @nate-ate-hate @buttercupcookies-blog @brattymum96 @dukes2581 @your-taste-on-my-lips @mybabyh @blog-the-lilly @irishhappiness @sinsandguilt @filthyhiddles @lovebyloki @kikster606 @javagirl328 @misunderstoodself @highkeysimpingforloki @eleniblue @commanding-officer @athalialaufeyson @stupidthoughtsinwriting @lokiandbuckysdoll @loopsisloops @joyful-enchantress @jaidenhawke @silverfire475 @kittiowolf210 @slytherclaw1227 @joyfullymassivewhispers @wolfsmom1 @libbybeaz @lokikissesmyforehead @goblingirlsarah @thomase1

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v-thinks-on · 7 months

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At centre stage stands Harlequin patterned in diamonds like panes of glass stained in brilliant hues, a dark mask over his eyes, and baton in hand. His gestures are broad; wave of stick, turn of head, pirouette of legs. Yet, his movement is fleet, dodging and taunting the bumbling Pierrot, and dancing with the lovely Columbine.

With his baton, he transforms the scene from parlour to avenue to sprightly woods, and the players from maids and gentlemen to lords and ladies or even to birds and beasts. He traipses through walls and weaves in and out of sight in impossible leaps and bounds.

Yet, for all his trickery, his face remains impassive, except perhaps a knowing look in his shadowed eyes. Each movement is deliberate without hesitation, each step lighter than air. He is a man of mystery, yet in familiar form. His lips hide countless secrets, yet he will never say a word.

(Read More on AO3)

#v writes #The Mysterious Mr Quin #Agatha Cristie #Mr Harley Quin #Mr Satterthwaite #Quin x Satterthwaite #We Dream Like Fen Exchange #Harlequinade #commedia dell'arte #one of my favorite underappreciated pairs

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naivesilver · 10 months

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Tuning the strings: Pinocchio connections masterpost 2

So as some of you might know, almost two years ago I made a list of performers/voice actors/etc. that had appeared in more than one Pinocchio adaptation. It was well-rounded and comprehensive at that point in time, but since then the franchise has received an impressive amount of additions, and I was therefore duty bound to update this collection with all the information we have now. Which means - pack your bags, back into the Pinocchioverse we go!

(As for the first list, pictures were added where available, but it some cases it was simply not possible. I do hope the captions are clear enough to clarify who is playing what and where LMAO)

Tom Kenny: Mussolini (2022 Guillermo Del Toro movie), Geppetto (Pinocchio: A True Story), Pinocchio (Pinocchio and the Water of Life)

Dmitriy Iosifov: Buratino (1975 Adventures of Buratino film), Modjafocco/Fire-Eater (Pinocchio: A True Story)

Jon Heder: Cat (2012 animated movie, English dub), Tybalt (Pinocchio: A True Story)

Fabrizio Vidale: Auctioneer (2012 animated movie), Priest (2022 Guillermo Del Toro movie, Italian dub)

Oreste Baldini: Cat (Bentornato Pinocchio), Master Cherry (Pinocchio & Friends), Schoolteacher (2022 Disney movie, Italian dub)

Franco Mannella: Fox (2022 Disney movie, Italian dub), Fox (Pinocchio & Friends)

Edoardo Stoppacciaro: Harlequin (2019 movie, English dub), Jiminy Cricket (2022 Disney movie, Italian dub)

Rachele Paolelli: Gardener (Bentornato Pinocchio), Agnese (Pinocchio & Friends)

A special treatment must also be reserved to Luigi Ferraro, already present with two roles in the original post, who has now gained a third as the voice of the Black Rabbits in the Italian dub of the Del Toro movie. In a similar situation is Emanuela Rossi, who instead dubbed the Disney live-action as Sofia the Seagull for her third role. These two raise the number of performers with three adaptations under their belt as well, as do Oreste Baldini and Tom Kenny (whose efforts in favor of the Pinocchio franchise have been enumerated often on this website).

Some additional notes:

just like the last time, we have our fair share of actors who reprised the same role, or as close as the adaptation allowed: if Franco Mannella was the Fox twice over the course of 2022 alone, Rachele Paolelli dubbed the Fairy's servant in two different cartoons, even if only one of them was a snail, and Emanuela Rossi managed to snag the role of Pinocchio's talking-bird-lady-friend again, albeit another species if compared to the one of ten years ago;

Dmitry Iosifov takes the temporary (and permanent, if nothing new resurfaces soon) crown for the longest gap between Pinocchio performances, with an astonishing 47 years wait between his title character role and the Fire-Eater dub;

in the first post I focused on noticing the amount of times Pinocchio actors showed up in two of the most prominent shows in Italian TV history, but since then I noticed a different, even more worrisome trend, which is that Geppetto producers seemed instead hell bent on casting Star Trek VIPs - I have counted 4 thus far, and I lost my original notes on the topic, so there's no telling how many I forgot because of that LMAO;

(a honorable mention goes out to Geneviève Bujold, who was supposed to play Captain Janeway and show us the final frontier of space but was ultimately rejected, while her role as Leona in the 1996 Adventures of Pinocchio movie cannot possibly be forgotten);

as of the posting of this list, there are only two confirmed voice actors for the upcoming Lies of P game, neither of which has had any previous Pinocchio presence, but there is still a chance this will be amended once the full cast is out, so stay tuned for more ig.

I am certain to have forgotten something, but as this appears to have already turned into a series, I am ready to make my corrections at some point in the future ajfhakjfhajkfh see you next episode, I guess!

#pinocchio #guillermo del toro's pinocchio #the adventures of pinocchio #I left this shit hanging for like a week Idk what got into me exactly #(looking for the star trek list. that's what I was doing)#pinocchio connections

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pwlanier · 1 year

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Jan Sanders van Hemessen (Hemessen c. 1504-1556 Antwerp), Double portrait of a husband and wife, half-length, seated at a table, playing tables.

Oil on panel.

Note: Jan Sanders van Hemessen’s Double portrait of a husband and wife is one of the most exciting Early Netherlandish paintings to appear on the market in years. It is a masterpiece by one of the foremost painters in Antwerp during the second quarter of the 16th Century. This revolutionary double portrait, prominently signed at lower right along the edge of the table “IOHANNES[S] SANDERS/DE HEME[SSE]N PINGEBAT 1532” and executed on an ambitious scale, is the second earliest work known to be dated by Hemessen and was undoubtedly an important commission for the young artist. In a cozy interior bathed in bright sunlight, a couple enjoys a game of chance and strategy known as tables, an ancestor of backgammon. Seated in a leather chair embellished with a colorful geometric design, the woman is handsomely dressed in a black gown with fur trumpet sleeves over full undersleeves of dark rose velvet. A sheer partlet covers her décolletage, while a crisp linen hood conceals her auburn hair. The lady’s waist is cinched by a gold girdle from which hangs a string of rosary beads, their bright coral hue popping against their dark background. The woman’s gaming partner is equally fashionably dressed in a black overgown lined with luxurious lynx fur, a cap jauntily perched on his head. Beneath his dark doublet his pristine linen undershirt peeks through, its collar embroidered in blackwork with a pale blue lozenge pattern. Though the sitters have yet to be identified, their costly and stylish attire suggest that they are a wealthy Flemish burgher and his wife.

The couple’s game board, made of two hinged wooden compartments, occupies the center of the table before them. The disposition of the black and white draughtsmen, as well the cast dice that together number eleven, reveal that their game is underway. Nearby, several other elements, each painted with such care that it could stand as an image on its own, also grace the table’s surface. These include a still-life of ripe fruit, a quince freshly cut with a knife featuring a gilded handle, a glass filled with wine, a bird resembling a blue-fronted Amazon parrot, and a cracked walnut.

There exists in western art a long tradition of representing backgammon and its early variations, the origins of which can be traced back to Mesopotamia. From the medieval period onward, the game was often used as an emblem of vice – following the Gospel of Matthew, soldiers appear in countless crucifixion scenes playing dice at the foot of the cross, and a tables board appears beneath the harlequin figure in Pieter Bruegel’s circa1562 The Triumph of Death (Museo del Prado, Madrid). A tables board is equally present in the background of the Magdalene with a Lute (Gemäldegalerie, Berlin), a painting nearly contemporary to the Stella portrait and formerly attributed to Hemessen himself (see B. Wallen, op. cit., 1983, p. 94, fig. 38, as Brunswick Monogrammist). There, the game rests on a table in the room behind the saint, an allusion to the transience of the earthly pleasures enjoyed by Mary Magdalene in her earlier, sinful life (P.H. Jolly, loc. cit.). A 1529 drawing by Pieter Coecke van Aelst (Museum Boijmans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam) makes this message more explicit, showing a poor and ragged peasant handing over a chicken, his last worldly possession, as payment to the young temptress who has soundly beaten him at tables (see G. Marlier, La Renaissance Flemande: Pierre Coecke d’Alost, Brussels, 1966, pp. 88-90, fig. 27).

Yet during this same period, many artists portrayed the game as a courtly pastime, free from any obvious moralizing overtones. Such is the case, for example, with a circa 1450-1475 marginal illumination framing the Annunciation page from a Northeastern French Book of Hours (fig. 1; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore) and a pen and brown ink drawing of a Seated couple playing trictrac and standing woman playing checkers attributed to Albrecht Dürer, circa 1492-93 (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris; see B. Butts, and L. Hendrix, Painting on Light: Drawings and Stained Glass in the Age of Dürer and Holbein, Los Angeles, 2000, no. 7). Scenes like these, featuring well-to-do members of the opposite sex playing tables, typically possess an amorous connotation. Such is the case in the present painting, although it has the distinction of seemingly being the earliest to show the game being played in the context of a portrait (B. Wallen, op. cit., 1971, p. 75).

Hemessen’s double portrait may have been commissioned to commemorate a wedding. The painter emphasized the strong connection between the couple by portraying the wife resting her hand on her husband’s shoulder as the two gaze intensely at each other. In his 1971 study on the portraits of Jan van Hemessen, Burr Wallen linked the present portrait, then in the Balcarres collection, to the very popular battle of the sexes that continued to rage on in sixteenth-century Europe, although the couple’s affable demeanor suggests that the quarrel’s playful dimension prevails here. Accordingly, Wallen interprets the composition as an expression of the concordia between the husband and wife. “In fact,” he writes, “there may be reason to believe the couple to be united together against a common foe who lies unseen behind the peaceful domestic exterior” (ibid., p. 76). For the scholar, the ominous nature of this opponent could be signaled by the dice, which have landed on five and six, whose combined sum of eleven carried portentous associations in the 16th century. A similar result of a dice roll is seen, as Wallen notes, in the hand of the gambler in Hemessen’s 1536 Parable of the Prodigal Son (Musée Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels), a painting in which life’s temptations are made explicit.

Though Wallen’s interpretation is compelling, one need not necessarily envisage a common foe to read the scene. Rather, it is equally plausible that just a moment ago, the husband and wife were playing opposite one another, as is standard, but he has now come around to be closer to her to discuss a finer point of the game. Indeed, something of note has clearly occurred, as evidenced by the couple’s gesturing toward the black draughtsmen nearest her. Presenting his sitters in this manner, Hemessen shows his awareness of the artistic advances of his Italian contemporaries and Renaissance masters, such as Moretto da Brescia, Romanino and Savoldo, but also Raphael, Bronzino and Parmagianino, whose paintings he would have seen during his Italian sojourn, a few years earlier (ibid., pp. 76-77). As Wallen observes, in this double portrait Hemessen 'achieves a compromise between northern and southern aspirations that is weighted on the side of the north and its tradition of pragmatic realism in portraiture, a compromise that is in many ways similar to the contemporary works of Hans Holbein'. (ibid.). Indeed, Hemessen may have had occasion to meet Holbein, who likely visited Antwerp on his trips between England and Basle in 1528 and 1532.

Following a pictorial tradition deeply rooted in Flemish art, Hemessen chose to tilt the table upward, and in doing so, defy the laws of perspective, to give the spectator a better view of its contents. Thoughtfully articulated and centrally positioned, the game itself is at the heart of the composition, but the still-life elements too add another layer of meaning to the scene. Placed close to the picture plane, they recall the symbolic objects carefully arranged on foreground tables in representations of the Virgin in Child in early sixteenth-century Flemish painting. In particular, many of the items here relate closely to those found in Joos van Cleve’s Holy Family of circa1512-13 (fig. 2; New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art), thus revealing the enduring appeal of this convention. Especially noteworthy in this respect is the pewter charger piled high with beautifully rendered fruit rich in connotations, such as the apples that signify the Fall of Man, the cherries that evoke paradise and the grapes, which, like the glass of wine on the other side of the table, denote the Eucharist. The walnut, as Saint Augustine tells us, is to be associated with Jesus: its outer hull represents Christ’s flesh, its hard shell, the wood of the cross, and its kernels, his divinity.

Common to both paintings is also the elegant knife set at an angle, whose blade catches the light. In the Stella portrait, however, the knife has been used to cut a quince, which in addition to its religious significance, was associated with love, marriage and fertility. In fact, according to Plutarch, brides were encouraged to eat quince, a tradition that was revived in the Renaissance. Andrea Alciati elucidates the reasoning behind this practice in the Emblematum Liber (first published in Augsburg in 1531), under the illustration for the emblem 'Cotonea' (Quince Tree), writing that the fruit should be given to the newly wed because “it is conductive to good taste and disposition, and also that their breath might be sweet / and a seductive charm might linger on their lips” (see A. Bayer et al., Art and Love in Renaissance Italy, New York, 2008, p. 325). The presence of the cut quince can thus be understood in relation to the painting’s presumed marital theme. In addition to being a marker of wealth and status, the parrot may also be interpreted in symbolic terms, as it is an emblem of the Virgin Mary. By placing the halved walnut and Parrot close together, Hemessen thus evokes the pairing of Jesus and Mary, Adam and Eve, and a virtuous husband and wife.

Recent study of the painting with infrared reflectography did not reveal significant underdrawing. No major changes to the composition were visible, with possibly one notable exception (fig. 3). The artist appears to have expanded the length and shifted the angle of the table's left and right edges. Further study would be required to confirm that oblique lines and shifts in tonality seen in these areas are not artifacts of the ground preparation or subtle effects in the paint film itself, but if these are, in fact, compositional changes, they could suggest that the still life and wine glass at left were not originally planned, but added at a later stage in the design process.

Though conceived according to the conventions of Early Netherlandish painting, Jan van Hemessen’s double portrait is in many ways revolutionary. Independent portraits of married couples were already commonplace in the 15th century, but these were almost exclusively painted on separate panels and designed to be displayed as pendants (see M. Ainsworth, Jan Gossart, p. 276). While a discrete number of Early Netherlandish double portraits painted on single supports that predate Hemessen’s painting are known, their sitters almost always appear to be psychologically isolated from one another. Such is the case with Jan Gossart’s Portrait of an Old Couple (National Gallery, London), painted just a few years earlier than Hemessen’s masterpiece, as well the Double portrait of Dirck Borre van Amerongen and Maria van Snellenberg by the Master of the Amsterdam Death of the Virgin (Musueum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam; ibid.). One of the earliest examples is Hans Memling’s Portrait of an Elderly Couple, which today is divided between the Preussicher Kulurbesitz., Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, and the Musée du Louvre, Paris, although originally the portraits of the man and woman were joined together with dowels to form a single panel. Notably, in the second half of the 15th century, double portraits on single panels began to develop as a popular format in Germany, and it has been proposed that Hans Memling’s Germanic origins inspired him to bring this style to the Netherlands, but some have challenged this idea, arguing that since the genre developed late in the century, Memling’s portrait should be viewed as his own invention (see de Vos, op. cit., no. 10; T-H. Borchert, Memling’s Portraits, Ghent, 2005, pp. 155-56. The German examples also often appear in architectural settings (see, for example, Thoman or Hans Burgkmair the Elder’s 1498 Double portrait of Jakob Fugger and Sybilla Artzt (The Schroder Collection, London), rather than against landscapes.

Strikingly original in its conception, Jan Sanders van Hemessen’s double portrait is best understood as a continuation of a tradition of allegorical double portraits whose origins lie in Jan van Eyck’s astonishing panel of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Bride (fig. 4; National Gallery, London). Painted in 1434, this small panel represents the Italian merchant and his wife, standing in a bedchamber of a Flemish townhouse. It is filled with objects that appear to have symbolic value relating to the sacrament of marriage, although the painting’s precise message and even the identity of the bride have been debated for centuries. Van Eyck’s invention seems not to have been immediately imitated, although there are echoes of it in the following decade, with Petrus Christus’s Goldsmith in his shop (fig. 5; The Lehman Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), which is now believed by some to represent Willem van Vleuten, goldsmith to the Duke of Burgundy, visited by Mary of Gelders and James II, King of Scots, who are in the process of buying a wedding ring. Like Hemessen’s double portrait, Petrus Christus’s painting is filled with symbolic and moralizing imagery, in particular the convex mirror, a traditional symbol of vanity, and the worldly temptations reflected therein. An even closer potential source for Hemessen’s painting is Quentin Metsys’s The Moneylender and his wife(fig. 6; Musée du Louvre, Paris). This signed and dated work was painted in Bruges in 1514. Though not specifically a portrait and not quite life-size, the panel similarly depicts a husband and wife seated at a table in a room filled with carefully described objects. The figures’ outdated attire, however, removes them from their contemporary setting, allowing the painting to be read as an allegory of Christian Virtue and the condemnation of avarice (L. Silver, The Paintings of Quenten Massys with a Catalogue Raisonné, Montclair, 1984, p. 212). Yet the remarkable casualness of the sitters’ interaction in Hemessen’s painting is nowhere to be found in Metsys’s work. Instead, for a closer prototype, one can turn to the Master of Frankfurt’s Self Portrait with his Wife (fig. 7; Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp), which was painted around 1496 in Antwerp. The painting measures 31.1 x 47.2 cm and presents the artist and his wife on a single panel, seated before a non-descript background. The couple’s tender interaction (the artist has his arm around his wife’s waist) as well as the remarkable still life elements on the table seem to anticipate Hemessen’s composition. The younger artist would likely have encountered the painting due to his membership in the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke. Jan Sanders was born in the village of Hemessen (Hemishem) outside Antwerp. In 1519-20, he was apprenticed to Hendrik van Cleve I. Stylistic evidence suggests that he might next have worked with the Master of the Magdalen Legend at the royal court at Mechelen. There, he could have come in contact with court painters Jan Cornelisz. Vermeyen and Jan Gossart. During the 1520s, Hemessen traveled to Italy, as confirmed by his painted copy of Andrea del Sarto’s fresco of Charity in the Chiostro Scalzo, Florence (untraced). In 1524, Jan became a master in the Guild of St. Luke in Antwerp, and soon thereafter established a workshop in that city. In 1545, he married Barbara de Fevere, the daughter of a successful Antwerp cloth merchant. In part due to this felicitous union, but also thanks to flourishing artistic career, he became a man of considerable wealth. In 1548, Hemessen served as dean of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke. He fathered several children, many of whom became artists in their own right, most famously his daughter, Catharina.

Courtesy Alain Truong

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charleyharperid · 1 year

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Giant Malaysian leaf insect

Carpenter ant?

Royal Goliath beetle

Blue Dasher

Polyphemus moth

Goliath stick insect

Two-spot lady bird

Harlequin ladybird

Rhetenor blue morph butterfly

Monarch butterfly chrysalis

Colorado potato beetle?

Luna moth caterpillar?

Some kind of katydid?

#charley harper #insect world #insect biodiversity #animal identification #idk folks it's hard to ID a brown ant #insects: not my strong suit

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bess3714 · 1 year

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I watched Birds of Prey and here's my thoughts on it even though this movie has been out for like three years

It wasn't #girlboss

This movie didn't feel like a hyper-feminist capitalism girl power we-will-overcome movie. You know what I mean? Like it was very much a movie about women, but not in the 'watch this movie because hashtag feminism' way that Hollywood likes to give us. Women were the focus and the movie didn't make a big deal about it and it was nice.

2. Gotham was bright

If you watch Batman movies, Gotham is always gloomy and overcast, but in Birds of Prey Gotham has sunlight. Gotham actually looks like a place people could live in which was pretty cool and different.

3. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) was a backwards title.

It might have been called Birds of Prey but it was undeniably about Harley Quinn. It could have more accurately been called The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (and the Birds of Prey). Harley took center stage, which, to be clear, wasn't a bad thing. (To be fair, it's also known as Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, so.)

I think this scene with Harley and Dinah at the club really gets at what this movie is about.

Harley: "How do you spell "mercenary"? Merceninny… Merceran? Singer lady woman! You're really, really good."

Dinah: "Yeah."

Harley: "Know what a harlequin is?"

Dinah: "Janky-ass clown with bad eye makeup?"

Harley: "Oof! Ouch! A harlequin's role is to serve. An audience. A master. You know, a harlequin's nothing without a master. And no one gives two fucks who we are beyond that.

Dinah: "Yeah, I don't know who you think I am, lady, but I'm not her."

It's about Harley breaking with what everyone, including herself, thinks is her role in the world. She's no longer willing to serve the Joker, but she's still performing for an audience, trying to get a reaction out of the people around her through the crazy things she does. Harley, throughout the movie, learns to (somewhat) define herself on her own terms and stand on her own two fee. She's by no means perfect at the end, but she's grown from the sad, pathetic, just-been-dumped Harley at the beginning of the movie.

4. Roman Sionis and Victor Zsasz gave me Gaston and LeFou vibes

Something something hyper masculinity something something queer coding idk idk

5. None of the main characters felt flat

Harley was, of course, the most fleshed out, followed by Dinah and Renee, then Cass and Helena. Helena was, in my opinion, the least developed character, but least-developed is not the same as under-developed. In movies where there's a team of people, there's always going to be characters that get more focus. However, my pet peeve is when teams have useless characters, people who don't do anything and could easily be cut from the movie without really affecting much, and I didn't see that with Birds of Prey.

6. The fight scenes were delightfully violent

I just really liked seeing Harley hitting people. It was fun, and the entire sequence of her fighting at the police station was really entertaining and well choreographed. Additionally, Roman's demise was shockingly and delightfully abrupt.

7. Final Review

3/5 stars, so a pretty solid movie in my book! The plot was pretty basic but was helped by Harley's non-linear narrative, which thankfully did a fairly decent job of keeping things fairly straight on where we were in the plot. The characters were interesting, and I felt like the actors all did an excellent job portraying their roles. The cinematography was beautiful, and though it wouldn't be the first movie I pick, I wouldn't turn down a rewatch if offered.

(This gif is what Batman would have looked like dancing at the club with Harley had he been in this movie, just fyi.)

#harley quinn #birds of prey 2020 #dceu #margot robbie is a treasure #due to inflation my opinion is worth ten cents

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indigomusicdotcom · 2 years

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Million Dollar Contract! Lady Gaga should make a fortune with “Joker: Folie à Deux”

Lady Gaga confirms that she will make “Joker: Folie à Deux”, a sequel to “Joker” with Joaquin Phoenix.

Lady Gaga has signed on to make “Joker: Folie à Deux”, the new “Joker” movie with Joaquin Phoenix. For this, the singer and actress will win a hefty sum. The feature film, which will bet on musical language, is a big bet by DC and Warner Bros. after the success of the first film, which surpassed $1 billion at the box office .

In comparative terms, “A Star Is Born” (2018), Gaga’s biggest hit in theatres to date, made $436.2 million at the box office. The film won her an Oscar for best original song, an album and a No. 1 single on the international charts. According to Forbes, Gaga was paid between $5 million and $10 million to make A Star Is Born.

The picture today is different. The website Variety has already reported that Warner will pay Joaquin Phoenix a fee five times higher than the first film. He will receive $20 million. As a co-protagonist, and also with an Oscar on her account, Lady Gaga must not have received a proposal far below that.

The pop star will play Harley Quinn in the film. Margot Robbie has already played the role in other DC productions. For example, Margot was paid between $9 million and $10 million when she made “Birds of Prey” (2020). And she didn't have to sing on stage.

Facts about Harlequin

The 1994 "Mad Love" comics provide more information about Harley Quinn's origin. She studied psychology and met Joker when he was admitted to Arkham Asylum. She was one of the local psychiatrists. But later, in "Batman: The Animated Series", the two break up and Joker kicks her out of his gang.

This is the cue for the public to know one more aspect of Harlequin: her bisexuality. She makes a new friend, Poison Ivy, who lives at a toxic waste dump site, and the two develop a romantic relationship.

It's worth saying that Harley Quinn doesn't have any superpowers until she meets Poison Ivy. The friend injects her with a serum that increases her strength, agility, and resistance to toxins.

#harlequin #harley quinn #lady gaga #joker: folie à deux #margot robbie #joaquin phoenix

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sweetfirebird · 2 years

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Watching the Harlequin/Birds of Prey movie. It's fine. It's like a comic run done by a writer who hasn't quite figured out how to balance funny, comic book stuff and real heart stuff. But the actors are all having fun, and the lady playing Dinah Lance in particular is really good.

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ambrial-blog · 2 years

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The Corpse Undeath the Hanging Tree

Years ago Striker, a ruthless outlaw takes the seven rings of hell by storm. In a tragic twist of fate the gunslinger was struck down by a Goetic commander and nobleman. As the commander and chief stood over the dying cowboy, the imp spits up into his face: a look of defiance shines in his eyes.

A gruff voice rumbles: like a thunderstorm through the stagnant air. "you may have everyone fooled beast, but you will never fool me" hisses the Serpent Cowboy. As The Goeita Prince stomps on his chest causing the snake imp's body to bounce as he wheezes in pain.

Blood blooms spreading across the wrangler's chest, as Striker coughs up blood on his hands and knees.

His mouth stained red with blood he snarls up at his killer. Striker could feel his consciousness slowly slipping away.

The taste of hot copper curdles at the back of his throat. With shaking arms he levels his guns at the large Goeita.

A look of meaningless pity flashes in the prince's eyes. Hard ruby eyes pierce the cowboy with their chilling gaze. He couldn't have the resistance kindling again: sparks of a revolution. The cowboy needed to be made into an example.

The commander couldn't risk having word get out to the main house. Stolas sneers down at the pale skinned imp watching as light fades from the gunslinger's eyes before smirking coldly down upon him raising up his sword he buries it into the Outlaw's chest. The Owl Prince drags the imp down into the gully, and into the dead woods leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Gripping the cowboy's shoulder he snaps it back until he could hear a sickening pop. Stolas grips Striker by his jaw lifting him up in the air: as a long talon traces his eyes. Striker let's out a blood-curdling scream as the commander digs his long talons into his eyes, ripping them out he places them into a velvet bag. The Owl prince smiles licking the blood from the imps face before dropping the corpse into a shallow grave underneath a hangman's noose. He buries the legendary Cowboy face down in the dirt. Leaving the Cowboy's body to rot.

As the years passed, and the revolution was forgotten, a family of grifters were trotting along in an old gothic style coach. Imps were sold into slavery and Blitzo was set to marry Stolas against his will. Bequeathed to an Overlord of greed upon his mother's deathbed. The crimson imp was at the mercy of the king of greed and his zany son Fizzorolli.

Masters of mind bending illusions this crooked family had the audacity to hoodwink one of the most credible families within the lust Ring.

Strongly believing that they could bleed out the Goeita bloodline by weaseling in one of their own.

The wedding arrangements were going to be settled on, upon their arrival to the Goeita estate. Who better to marry the ditsy blueblood than their very own loveless Harlequin.

Blitzo stares gloomily out through the painted glass panes of the carriage. Watching as the rain poured down from the skies wearing a dour expression on his face: like he was going to a funeral rather than attending his own wedding.

The plan was a simple one, get the feathered bird brained to fall for his whimsical charms. Then upon the night of their honeymoon, while Stolas was distracted, he'd poison him with untraceable toxins, the plan was flawless.

Fizzorolli would help Blitzo rehearse for months on end: he'd crawl between Blitzo's legs acting drunk, sqeezing Blitzo's thigh. Fizz grips Blitzo's head. Sucking on his tongue. Fizz runs his hands down the harlequin's thighs. As Blitzo hums into the kiss.

"Let's take it from the top" Fizz says taking off his clothes.

Lady Estella Everclaw, was the pivotal Lady in waiting. She was Stolas's childhood sweetheart. She let her jealousy rule her turning her into a cantankerous, vexing harpy.

A blight on the dreary town of Evermore. Estella was smart as a whip and devious too. As her obsession with the young nobleman grew.

Her love for the grim prince would turn fatal.

Fortunately for both Fizzorolli and Blitzo, Lord Mammon had the Goeita King and his lascivious Queen wrapped around his little pinky. King Atlas and Queen Avery wanted to get their greedy claws onto Lord Mammon's vast fortunes. The King of Greed, the Jester of Lewdness: wasn't as poor as he acclaimed to be. He was a greedy man seizing opportunities where he saw fit.

They soon arrived: and was greeted by the King and Queen: Blitzo stood stock still as the King and Queen silently passed judgement upon him. This was the day the Harlequin had dreaded the most, and subsequently it was also the day that Lord Mammon and his son were pushing for, and grooming Blitzo for years.

The scarlet imp groans dragging his feet through the threshold leading into a massive den: A burning hearth: sat ablaze nestled in the corner: the melodic sound of the grand piano filled the room.

The imp was stalling hoping that one, if not both would change their minds. Blitzo couldn't ignore the unsettling feeling: the unbridled dread washing over him: screaming at him to run.

But with one critical eye and a pointed look from his "Father" the young harlequin enters the family den. Coming to stand behind Stolas who had his back poised and turned to the little devil. The owl prince sat at a grand Piano his eyes shut immersed in the music his nimble fingers were flying over the keys. He was appalled at his parents for even considering going through with an arranged marriage.

There was no need, they weren't dirt poor this wasn't the stone-age. But then again try telling that to King Atlas and his Queen who were money hungry aristocrats.

Were they skirting the barrel again? was King Atlas double-dipping he knew his father had a gambling problem and his mother loved the lavished life: full of dictum and poise.

Prince Stolas: was a cold blooded killer, his hands were stain with the blood of a filthy imp and here he was expected to marry one-.

The tiny imp was small 6'5 with crimson flesh: with tiny scars marring his body, his eyes were made of kindling fires: he had a bombastic personatly that threatened to consume the cold hearted prince.

It didn't take long for Blitzo to wheedle his way into the prince's icy heart using his impish charms and wit. -

In his own opinion, it worked a little too well, if you were to ask Blitzo. Infatuation caved way into dark temptation: lust melted away into obsession. Unfortunately for the commanding prince it was all one-sided. Blitzo knew if he didn't partake in the absurdness of this situation than Lord Mammon and Fizzorolli would make his life a living hell. The Harlequin was creeped out but found that he had no choice in the matter between the late night booty calls, the inane baby-talk: he was made to suffer through and the obnoxious random phone calls late at night when everyone else got to sleep: was enough! he'd kill that squawking bird and make it look like an accident if he got one more booty call.

On one cold and blustery night as the frost was creeping in, getting ready to settle for the long season. The fireplace crackled and popped; the floorboards creaked and moaned. Blitzo had spent months cooped up in the Goeita estate under the scrutiny of the King and queen and other unnamed nobles. Between their hushed voices that burns through his ears and the looming wedding that was a catastrophe waiting to happen. Blitzo was getting cold feet. He paced the den, listening to Stolas. As the aristocrat played the piano, ignoring his distraught fiancé.

The scarlet imp couldn't stand it. His thoughts were running rampant. Stolas paused in his playing to give the imp a scathing look. The Harlequin was thinking about running away, abandoning his family. "If you're leaving, I expect you home by five tonight. Don't be late Blitzy," Blitzo pauses, looking at the prince. It was as if Stolas could read his mind. "They all run eventually. Why should you be any different, and once were married little imp, your wings will be the first thing I clip,"

With that, Blitzo darted out of the room: he fled into the Dead Woods But, a pair of insidious eyes leers out from the shadows, watching the imp flee into the woods. Blitzo heard manic footfalls. He peers back in time to see Fizzorolli barreling into him.

Fizz slams into him hard with enough force to knock the wind from his lungs, Slamming Blitzo into the rough bark of a dying tree. He snarls in his face. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Screams Fizzorolli before throwing him onto the ground, littered with fallen leaves. Fizz crawls on top of him, punching Blitzo across the face. Blood splatters across the dead leaves as he captures Blitzo's hands, holding them above his head. He leers menacingly down as Blitzo tries to block against his brother's destructive tirade. His eyes widen: fearful of what his brother was about to do. "Where the fuck do you think you're going? He growls into Blitzo's face. "Were so close, BlitzO stick to the plan," Fizz snarls, nipping his nose, before leaning down to capture Blitzo's mouth in a sinful kiss. "A few more weeks, my little Harlequin, and will leave with a handsome dowry," Blitzo hums into the kiss. His tongue slides into fizz's mouth as the clown coaches him along. Blitzo breaks away, turning his head.

"I can't Fizz," he says. "Don't make me marry him. He's vile, crude and the way he talks to me" Blitzo shudders beneath his brother. Fizzorolli takes Blitzo's thumb into his mouth and suckles. "Enough BlitzO!" Fizz growls, pressing his mouth to Blitzo's, ensnaring Blitzo's tongue with his teeth. "Remember dear brother, he is just a quick cash grab: whatever hideous habits he has you'll have to put up with and don't go falling in love with anyone but me" "Your mine, bequeathed to my father upon your mother's deathbed," Fizz growls. His hot breath coasting along Blitzo's neck. The Harlequin's body shudders as he squirms beneath the jester.

Fizzorolli wedges his knee between Blitzo's legs, resting his kneecap on the Harlequin's abdomen. Trapping the loveless clown beneath him. "Think of the money BlitzO, we'd be set for life, you, me and Mammon and if I wanted to, I could send you away upstate to that college you've been drooling over," Fizz purrs into his ears trying to sweeten the deal.

Fizz licks the shell of his ear before ripping open his jacket. Blitzo watches as his brass buttons fly in every direction. "Mammon would never allow you to do such a thing," Blitzo counters, his eyes hardening on Fizz as he tries to sit up. The dubious clown pushes him back down on a bed of leaves. Tearing open his shirt, watching as Blitzo's nipples hardened from the cold. His hot breath washed over Blitzo's chest, causing the imp to shudder and writhe beneath him.

Fizz captures Blitzo's neck: nipping and gnawing, teasing and taunting. Knowing exact ally what do to cause a reaction. He kisses his neck, leaving little love bites that would turn into welts by the morning. His hand scrapes down the slope of Blitzo's chest. He could feel the imp purring. "You leave daddy dearest to me and don't forget your place. You belong to me, my little Harlequin. It would be a shame if you ended up like your sister. The jester sneers into his ear. Blitzo grits his teeth. "Barbie-Wire," he whispers, his heart plummeting. He had found her splayed out and naked: her thighs were coated in seamen, her chest was littered with Knicks and bite marks. Her womb was evisorated, her face mangled.

Fizzorolli grips Blitzo's by the jaw, bringing him up, so that he was staring into his eyes which flickered with animosity. "Never lose sight of your goals, little brother," Fizz warns, licks the tears from his face. "Get your ass back there before those overgrown vultures start to congress around. "You blow our cover, little brother. A late night booty call will be the least of your worries, Fizz orders, running his fingers down Blitzo's chest. "Now I have to go fuck a Goeita's brains out. She's snooping around and getting a little too close for my comfort." "

"Don't blow this for me little one, or you'll end up in the hospital again" Fizz warns, his steeling green eyes raking over Blitzo's lithe form. He unbuckles his belt reaching out he grips Blitzo by the shirt and drags him along the hollow ground: deeper and deeper he takes the Harlequin, who is kicking and screaming into the forest. Shredding his brother's clothing and strewing it through the forest. As Blitzo scrambles, He lays him underneath the Hangman's noose, spreading his legs. Blitzo peers up at the swinging noose as Fizz's arm wraps around him. He could feel the tip of Fizz's member penetrate him. The imp cries out in pain, twisting in his brother's mechanical arms. Faster and faster, Fizz drives into him, unrelenting. His stomach curdles as Blitzo tries to get away. Fizzorolli pulls out only to thrust back in: Blitzo screams, his cries muffled by dead leaves. It felt like hours beneath the hangman's tree where his brother continuous violented him. There was greed and poeession in every thrust. Splitting pain erupts, causing the Harlequin to curl up into himself.

Fizz bit savagely into the crevice of his neck, feeling the warm blood pool in his mouth as he rode out his omasum. Leaving Blitzo cold and wet, his hands tied with a chord of rope behind his back. Hanging from the noose of the Hangman's tree. Poised on his toes, he was left to think by the malicious clown.

Blitzo works his hands feverishly, while trying to maintain his balance. His could feel his hands growing numb as blood trickles down his neck. His heart was pulsating in his chest. He stood previously on a rotting log, the same log he was fucked over. Blitzo closes his eyes, feeling an icy chill go through his naked body. "Come back when you're ready to apologize to the prince," Fizzorolli's voice echoes in his head.

Working his wrists, Blitzo wipes the blood dribbling out from his mouth on his arm. "Oh God, that was close," he thought as the rope fell to the ground, pulling his head from the noose before the rotting log collapsed into itself, sending them flailing into the dead leaves. Blitzo's eyes darken as he went about retrieving his clothes. The imp winces in pain, pulling on his pants. Bending down, he picks up a little black box: Tilla's wedding rings, gleams brightly in the grim forest. Blitzo took a shuddering breath. He didn't want to face anyone right now. Not is his current condition, he doubted Stolas would care; he knew Mammon would just narrow his eyes at him and make him run a gauntlet of aerials when they got back to Loo-Loo-land.

Blitzo hisses as he looks around for a ravine to wash himself in. Since he was left to his own devices, he made the best of it by rehearsing his vows. Hollow, meaningless vows.

He pictures Stolas, standing in the window peering out into the dead woods: a haughty expression on his face. "nothing warm and fuzzy there" Blitzo mutters to himself. As he fumbles across his lines.

The thought of his sister left a sour taste in his mouth. She didn't deserve that. But Mammon just brushed her away. He didn't care about the siblings. Just what they could provide for him. And, when he realized which twin had talent: it was all downhill for Blitzo. Luckily, Mammon saw Barbie-Wire as a lady of the night.

He was quick to pair his son up with the remaining twin. "now if he wanted to go to college to get away from the psycho circus of a family, he'd have to play by their rules. He envisioned the university lead by Charlie Morningstar. His freedom was days away, so with determination he tosses the ring up and catches it. Moonlight shone above him, and he could see the King and Queen reflected in the stumps, ahead of him: a gnarled root sticking up out of the dirt, near the old gully.

"With this hand, I shall lift your sorrows." "Your cup will never empty, for I shall be your wine." "With this candle I shall light your way in darkness," "And, with this ring, I ask you to be mine.

#Hellvua Boss/Corpse Bride AU. Stolas/Blitzo #Fizzorolli/Blitzo #Instructor Striker/Blitzo #Dark AU.#part 2 coming soon.

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starbound-prince · 11 months

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[ embrace ] for your muse to pull my muse into a tight embrace .

Seeing a Craftworld was not an experience gifted to everyone. There was only a small fraction of the galactic population that could ever claim the privilege, smaller still those who were not Aeldari. And yet as the Limelight broke from the Webway and back into real space, Alethea got her first look at one.

Craftworld Dan'diia. The Amethyst Host. Protector of the Crown. So vast was the wraithbone construct that it was impossible to view in its entirety without turning one way or the other. Domes and spires rose from its elongated hull, and squadrons of escort craft flitted between them like murmurations of birds.

One such squadron came out to great the harlequin vessel, effortlessly lining up beside it to escort it to its designated docking spire. As they approached, a holographic projection of an Aeldari woman with flame-red hair and piercing green eyes came to life in front of Acturiel. They shared pleasantries, or perhaps introductions, in their shared tongue before the projection dissipated again.

When Limelight finally docked, and the harlequins with their inquisitor in tow disembarked, the woman from the hologram- a farseer, Acturiel had called her- was waiting for them at the bottom of the boarding ramp.

"Lady Lythowyn," Acturiel said, bowing deeply at the waist.

"Master M'Uthylaine," the farseer replied, inclining her head but otherwise keeping her greeting far more reserved. Her emerald gaze quickly turned to Alethea. "Is this her?"

"Yes, Farseer," Acturiel replied. Surprisingly, the harlequin left out his sardonic wit. Of course this was her. There was only one human traveling with the troupe. Only one human that needed to be conveyed to safety. But the farseer needed the confirmation, so it was given. "You will be able to connect her with her chosen companions?" Acturiel continued.

"Yes. I am well acquainted with Gabriel Radcliffe and his staff. This Inquisitor King you requested will not be difficult to contact." The farseer smiled, warming what had initially been a relatively cold appearance. "We will see her to safety."

"You have my thanks, Farseer."

Lythowyn nodded, and beckoned for the group to follow. Acturiel turned and looked down at Alethea. "Well, this is goodbye for now, my dear," he said. His tone carried a smile to match his grinning mask but there was a note of melancholy underneath. "You will be in good hands."

Acturiel did not know what to expect from Alethea. Before, he might have expected a parting joke or a roll of her eyes as he left her with a terrible pun before slipping away into the shadows. But after everything that had transpired to get them to this point, nothing was certain and much had changed. So when she turned and simply wrapped her arms around his waist to squeeze him tight, he was initially thrown off.

Acturiel chuckled, placing his hands on Alethea's shoulders. "None of that now, my dear. Parting is such sweet sorrow, but we will meet again. I promise." The harlequin pushed her away far enough so that he could kneel down and bring himself more in line with her height, hands still in place on her shoulders. "And I think I have proven I am good at keeping my promises, yes?"

#wayward40k #[laughter in twilight: the masque]

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libidomechanica · 1 year

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Stoop, Hermes, “by my soul can choose”

Stoop, Hermes, “by my soul can choose. A pleasant things to haste, or force, something withoutė lye, god bad us for to be

temporary, and raise a kind of praises, and palms together while we stood, in erthe I wolde he me how language

came, the fierce disdain’d its brothers, sweet bird’s troublen al this wreaths: how soon she shifts and melt with him to his brain, for his

wyf, he show’d them both, and peace, this dream hath come to Sidyngborne that ilk man that moaned as if in a world there was

Strongenoff, and while thise meschances. As far away, what she was, I trowe thou art! If I had drunk her begg’d that poor rude

lines my part, it were used his rays from thee, gave eyes glow like fog smothering up like spotlesse Ermine, ly safe in my

mind, enough to part it be! Upon his transistor to Long John Nebel arguing from off each Cossacque, o’er what

poor soldier put on your horseman came, the Banquet of my wealthy issue out, and will yet be well! Upon a time

of al thy lyf; keep thyn housbonde is fro the wind through a Naiad of the foe’s. And yet in bacon hadde of her chamberere

within she fell, and in the duck pond, rappings of love. Draw in thy lady stood an avenue of trees, each in

his Almageste, and diamonds, never should have sinn’d! That I waking the though thou art twice as strong sweets dost thou shalt hear

her wizard stream that they, who that same gaudy show, her gay- furred cats a painted inside yon spring. Did I lean

from above; and aye, by shine? From careless steps or wandered much of thine, like cliffs which not a meteor in the charge

of miracle. Mourned away, and in its breast discharge her thou hast y-had fyve housbonde hadde I been said; but the wind

than she there waits with one torture fix’d, and our three score of dread, and han a sweet mistress, Harlequin in uniform.

#poetry #automatically generated text #Patrick Mooney #Markov chains #Markov chain length: 7 #128 texts #ballad

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letamreviews · 2 years

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Le Theme - Birds of Prey (2020): Empowering Emancipation (part 3)

(part 1) (part 2) (part 4)

MODERATE SPOILERS

Black Canary

Yet again, the lyrics line up damn well with the story as Black Canary sings (her actor) Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s version of James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” at the Black Mask Club.

This is a man's world This is a man's world But it wouldn't be nothing Nothing without a woman or a girl

After Sionis’ attempt to bring Mr. Keo and the Golden Lions into his fold failed, Black Canary’s singing takes the forefront while the scene jumps between her performance on stage and Sionis’ attempts to pretend he isn’t losing his shit.

This is a man's world It wouldn't be nothing Without a woman or a girl He's lost in the wilderness He's lost in bitterness He's lost in loneliness He's lost This is a man's world It wouldn't be nothing Without a woman or a girl

Now, let’s address the song. On third viewing (yep), I realized the message the movie’s sending. While the world is designed for males, it simply would be significantly less if females opted out (we’ll get back to this). That’s the first point. The second point is that males (Sionis especially) are lost. Very lost. Why that is? ‘Eh, the song doesn’t seem to cover it and the movie doesn’t either (directly atleast). Not like it’s important to the movie, though. So let’s carry on.

After she finishes, we get the following.

Harley (V.O.): Canary's been singing at Roman's club for years. Sionis: *clapping* Come on! *looks at crowd* Harley (V.O.): He calls her his little bird, Black Canary: *puts the mic away uncomfortably and forces appreciative smiles* Harley (V.O.): and he's got her wrapped right around his fancy little finger.

Yeah, we’ll get back to this.

Harlequin Joins the Club

The very next thing is an exchange between Black Canary and Harley.

Black Canary: *walks up to bar* Bartender: Here you go, Canary. *gives her a drink* Black Canary: *sounding tired* Thank you. (…) Harley: *drunkenly* Singer lady woman! *points and smiles* Black Canary: *looking bothered* Harley: You’re really, really good. Black Canary: *exhaling* Yeah. *sighs before sipping drink* Harley: *slides up in her space* Know what a harlequin is? Black Canary: *looking frustrated* Janky-ass clown with bad eye makeup? Harley: Oof! …Ouch! Black Canary: *smiles playfully* Harley: *looking down, smiling* A Harlequin's role is to serve. An audience. A master. *looks away for a bit* You know, a harlequin's nothing without a master. Black Canary: *looks at her* Harley: And no one gives two fucks who we are beyond that. *drinks her shot and turns her back to bar, looking at Sionis laughing with a group* Black Canary: *looks her over and looks over at Sionis chattering* Yeah, I don't know who you think I am, lady, but I'm not her. *drinks* Harley: Puddin' and I broke up. Black Canary: *gives long look* Harley: *makes brief eye contact* I haven’t that to anyone. Yeah. For good this time. And for the first time in a long time, *looks at her with a smile* I’m all on my lonesome. *holds back tears* It’s great. Black Canary: *proceeds to leave the bar* Welcome to the club. Harley: *sadly* Thanks.

Immediately after, some dude at the bar who clearly heard everything tries to cheer butter her up with drinks. Next shot is him holding her up against a wall in the alley while she’s mostly unconscious. Black Canary walks out, he puts on an act saying “We’re all good here”, and she continues on to her car only looking back once. We then see Harley drunkenly say “I don’t wanna go home” before a van backs into the alley, which Black Canary notices in her rear view mirror. Just before they put her in the van (and totally rape and/or kidnap her), the second guy asks “Isn’t that [redacted]’s girl?” To which the first answers with a smile, “Not anymore.”

Enter Black Canary and Marva Whitney’s “Unwind Yourself”. The two get a beatdown (with no help from drunk Harley) and Sionis witnesses it from a window above. Before we even get to that part, let’s focus on the lyrics for a sec.

Unwind yourself Come on and turn that soul loose Come on baby Unwind yourself Turn your soul, soul loose Well, if you can't groove And you can't move Well then baby Well then baby That's no groove No, no Find yourself (…) Oh don't be scared It won't break Turn her loose And let it shake Let it shake now

Yeah, this is definitely a track Black Canary needed to hear after a stressful day at work. Remember her conversation with Harley earlier? Remember how tired she seemed? Remember her song before that? Remember how uncomfortable she seemed after finishing? Somebody doesn’t like their work situation. And thanks to Harley and two fuckheads, she gets to relieve some stress.

Also thanks to Harley and two fuckheads, “Songbird” gets unwillingly promoted to the more dangerous servitudinal position of Sionis’ new driver. Why? Because Sionis has an “amazing idea” after saying “All these years, I thought she was just a pretty face and a fine set of lungs.” ...And a certain Harlequin broke the previous driver’s legs. >.>

During the after scene of her strolling to her apartment building, the lyrics of The Three Degrees’ “Collage” lets us into Black Canary’s head.

Red for the light, gotta stop this thing Find a song to sing that is everything That I meant to say, I meant to say

Simply put, things started moving too fast in a direction she didn’t want it to and she wanted to hit dem breaks but they didn’t work. 🤷🏿‍♂️

Black Canary & Cassandra

While making way to her apartment, Black Canary stumbles on Cassandra sitting on the steps just past her own while her foster parents are arguing loudly in it.

Cassandra’s Foster Father: You’re the one who wanted the kid! Black Canary: *looks in general direction* Cassandra’s Foster Mother: I never wanted her! Black Canary: *scoffs; approaching Cassandra* Let me guess. Parents? Cassandra: *head down* Foster parents. *briefly looks away* Black Canary: Right. *briefly looks away* Black Canary: Sorry, kid. *touches arm casket* Cassandra: *recoils arm* Sorry about your face. *looks at her* Shit, *both smile* you do have something on your face. *looks ahead* Black Canary: *laughs* You should've seen the other guy. Cassandra’s Foster Parents: *still arguing* Black Canary: *stares in general direction again; exhaling* Uh… *looks at Cassandra: *walks away* Cassandra’s Foster Father: I want that kid Black Canary: *stops, turns around* Cassandra’s Foster Father: out of my fucking house! Black Canary: You know, kid, not every day is gonna be like this. Cassandra: *looking in general direction; looks at Black Canary* Black Canary: You just gotta hang in there. *pulls out wallet and approaches; puts dollar bill on staircase pillar* Get something to eat. *backing up and looking in general direction* Stay outta that. It's not worth it. *walks away* Cassandra: *sits up and leans forward carefully before snatching dollar bill; opens and nods with smile of approval; quickly refolds and hides in arm casket* Cassandra’s Foster Father: Don't talk to me like that.

So Cassandra turns out to have a rather shitty living situation with foster parents who clearly don’t want her around and argue very loudly. She also hides things in her casket instead of putting them in her pockets like a safe-feeling kid would. Why’s her arm in a casket again?

Black Canary turns out to be even more caring than we thought. With comforting Cassandra and all. But wait,… only upon third viewing did I realize something. Black Canary’s been in a similar boat. We’ll get back to this.

#Essay #Le Theme #Birds of Prey #2020 #i really like it #9.75/10 #Watched: April 2021 #HBO Max #split essay #Moderate Spoilers #running tests at the end

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