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x0401x · 3 years

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Jeweler Richard Fanbook Short Story #12

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Suit Story

If you went through Ginza’s Main Street from 7-chome to 1-chome, the change in the city’s atmosphere would shock you. Bulgari, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Chanel. Felt like you could play shiritori with these high-class brand names. It was a fun neighborhood to stroll around during Christmas season, as all the stores would come up with elaborate plans for the decorative lights, but it was currently autumn. The store most closely related to me in these vicinities was the long-established stationery store where I went to buy stationery. It was, however...

“Please raise your arms a little more.”

“All right.”

“Pull your chin back a bit. Yeah, that’s great.”

“Haah. Is this really right?”

“Of course. Might be hard, but please do relax.”

For whatever reason, I was across the street from the stationery store, practically in front of it, on the second floor of a branded men’s fashion store originally from England. On the walls of this mysterious-gentleman-themed space, which housed a bar counter and even a huge aquarium, there were clusters of business suits, pants and waistcoats with basting threads attached to them in conspicuous spots.

It was a place for taking measurements for custom-made stuff.

I couldn’t get over the feeling that this was some kind of mistake. Wasn’t this the stationery store? The place where you could buy vanilla-colored envelopes for 30 yen each? Or illustrated writing paper with seasonal vibes, or pens.

“Seigi, you are too nervous.”

“Nakata-san is such an imp, but so are you.”

Leaning against the bar counter, Richard shrugged his shoulders, indicating possibility.

Today was Thursday. Having been called by Richard, who said he wanted to ask me to do some odd job, I went over to the front of Etranger, and then we came to this store in the green jaguar. Just when I thought he was gonna make me hang with him for shopping, the man on the driver seat hastily took out his phone, showing me a video letter from my dad, Nakata-san.

“Seigi, congrats on your graduation. I wanted to go suit shopping with you, but I’m in Jakarta, so I’ll be borrowing Richard-san’s assistance for that. Seems like people are getting them custom-made lately. Make sure to buy a good one. Well, see ya.”

Richard had watched over me in the passenger seat as my eyes got wet, but the tears drew back in when we stepped into the store.

While talking lightheartedly about the difference between English and Italian suits, the young clerk, who wasn’t all too apart from me in age, smoothly took my body measurements with a measuring tape and showed me countless textures.

“You can also choose the lining. What should we do about the pockets?”

When I started getting dizzy, said man, who was like a page of suits, began giving me suggestions from behind. I had nowhere to run. I was really going to have my suit made here. As I picked a charcoal-gray suit with blue lining, Richard quickly told me that tanzanite cuffs would look very nice in it. Of course, I was thinking the exact same thing.

By the moment that the Onii-san finished the measuring and disappeared into the back of the store to take notes, I heaved a deep sigh. “This kinda stuff’s been happening a lot lately. All I ever do is receive.”

When I said that, Richard laughed, giggles ringing up his throat.

Richard had two types of smiles, and whenever he raised his voice while laughing, if I refused to back down, he’d often give me a word of advice of some sort. When it was a silent smile, I’d feel like he was telling me in some way to “reflect about myself”, which would make me a bit anxious, but I liked both.

Walking up next to me as I stood in front of the mirror, Richard grinned. “It is no longer guaranteed that your body will grow out of your clothes. Isn’t it fun to sometimes purchase slightly larger clothes and try to wait for your body’s growth?”

“Feeling like this talk doesn’t have the ‘sleep well and drink milk’ kinda nuance to it.”

The reply was a smile. How strange. Richard’s face was right at my left side, but the smile in the mirror was looking directly at me. Clad in a double-button slender silhouette suit, his figure was perfect no matter from what angle I looked at it, like an extraordinarily fine jewel, so my own figure as I tensed up beside him appeared even weirder.

“Hey, Richard, I kinda have the feeling that suits are like the base metals of jewelry.”

“Are you referring to the foundation parts of rings, earrings and such?”

I nodded. The base metal was the metal part that formed the foundation for attaching gemstones to jewelry. In stores, people would often memorize the materials and call them by their names, such as gold base metal or platinum base metal.

It was a part that never played the leading role in Etranger, which handled accessories with gemstones on them. But it’d be hard to wear jewelry on the body without it, and it was also a part that allowed people to express their particularities regarding the materials, durability and design. Whether they would be prominent or not depended on the basis. Erm, this was probably what a jeweler from Kyoto that I was acquainted with would say. The contrary was also possible.

“Gotta psyche myself up. If I don’t become someone that won’t lose to this suit, I’d feel bad.”

“This is my personal opinion, but there is nothing more tiring to look at than a jewelry in which the gem and base metal are at rivalry with one another. What you should emphasize is the harmony. Just because you use the finest high-grade eggs and milk as ingredients, it does not mean you will create the best pudding – is that not the same thing?”

“Ah...”

When I replied that, indeed, high-end ingredients were often strongly in demand, the beautiful man nodded with an “exactly as you say”. By the looks of it, those were the sweets that he was into lately. I hadn’t been able to take time some for it at all due to being busy, but I decided to make pudding again one of these days and offer to him. Despite having a wallet that enabled him to eat as many high-grade desserts as he wanted, Richard would always be delighted anew no matter how many of them I made, which made me believe that, as one would expect, he had a talent for pleasing people. I was grateful for his existence.

“Both suits and jewelry are goods that exist for the sake of their owners. The initiative is clear from the start. You must handling it skillful and comfortably, not fight against it. That is why it is custom-made.”

“So you’re also ‘skillfully handling’ the clothes you’re wearing right now?”

“Evidently. Enough that I do not know anymore at what point it ends and I begin.” With that said, Richard sleekly patted his suit. I wanted to try saying that too someday.

We exchanged glances not through the mirror but directly.

When the clerk Onii-san came back, the measuring recommenced. I got kind of embarrassed as he praised me, saying I was well-relaxed.

“Seigi-kun, good work! Wow, that suit looks really great on you.”

“Thanks, Tanimoto-san. Uh, this print on your furisode, could it be—”

“I was told it’s a modern type of print, but yep, it’s kinda like...”

“It looks like a bismuth crystal!”

With a face that said, “I know, right”, a dandy crease formed under her eyes, which were just a bit more on-the-mark than usual. Her bob-cut hair was the same as always, her cream-colored hakama paired with a yellow-green and dark blue furisode, which bore a mysterious geometric pattern print. On top of being cute, it was unique. She said it was rented, but I got emotional upon finding out there was a furisode that was so much like her.

As for me, I was wearing a double-button English suit that fit my body extremely well. It was a little embarrassing, but the creatures called college boys were more or less the same kind of individuals as myself, so they weren’t too mindful of their male friends’ clothes. Only one of them, who had found employment in the apparel industry, said that “the suit Nakata’s wearing is so nice”.

It was the graduation ceremony of Kasaba University. We gathered in the excessively large auditorium for all but an instant, and once we had our diplomas in hand, it was the beginning of a rapid shooting party, where we took pictures with our preferred friends in spaces near the auditorium. Tanimoto-san came running over to the spot near the central library, where we had decided to meet up.

“Seigi-kun, really, congrats. Things might get hard from now on, but if it’s you, everything will definitely be okay.”

“Thank you. I’ll do my best. I don’t think I’m that big of a deal, though...”

“That’s not true. I know very well how awesome you are.”

I played around a little and bowed my head, also congratulating Tanimoto-san for her graduation, she laughed with a “huhuhu”, looking happy.

She had passed in teaching and she would officially be a middle school science teacher starting this April. She fulfilled the dream that she had told me about when we were in our second year of undergrad. So cool. She had laughed when I said I wanted to take her classes if it were ever possible, but now I knew her video communication address, so it might be that I could actually get to attend her lectures at least once. Even if I were no longer living in Japan.

“Tanimoto-san, the school you’re assigned to is...”

“In Okayama Prefecture. It’s famous for the Katsuta Group of vicarya fossils. Compared to you, it’s next-door.”

In a few days, my address would change from Japan to Sri Lanka. I was going to be a jeweler apprentice. I had been told that I would often have to move around in rough dress, so sure enough, I was going to dedicate myself to wearing formal stuff for the time being. It was a bit of a waste, but Nakata-san and Richard had probably given me a chance to wear this kind of thing because they knew about that.

I could hear a voice in the distance calling, “Shouko~”. It was apparently a friend of Tanimoto-san’s. She waved at them in response.

“Seigi-kun, y’know... I think I was very lucky to meet you in this university. Literally thank you. Thanks to you, university was always fun.”

“Those are all my lines. But Tanimoto-san, I only ever gave you trouble.”

“If you’re gonna say that, same goes for me. I feel like you’ve granted me many opportunities. Seriously, thank you.”

When she smiled, saying she was going to do her best, she looked really cute. Neither of us had any familiarity with Okayama, but surely, she would actively pave the way with her own strength no matter where she was. And on her days off, she would go out to the Katsuta Group to dig up fossils.

“From now on too, if there’s anything I can help you with, I want you to tell me. I’ll do anything. If you run into any weirdo, I’ll get on a plane and come give them a beating.”

“Me too; if anyone ever messes up with you, Seigi-kun, I’ll take my crack hammer and go finish them off. Look forward to it. Ah, Aki told me that a sniper rifle suits me better, apparently?”

“I-I wonder.”

After that, we talked for a while, seated on an inconspicuous bench, and when it was finally time, she told me to at least take care of my body, offering me her hand. I nodded and squeezed it back. Her hand was small but very strong.

“Take care of your body, at the very least. May the blessings of the stones fall upon you.”

“Thank you. You too.”

We bowed deeply, taking pictures with each other while we were at it, and once we were done with the commemorative photoshoot, in which the two of us kept a moderate distance from one another, we parted ways. Students here and there were hugging intensely and wailing, but neither she nor I were that type, and I didn’t think this would be farewell for a lifetime. We would definitely get to see each other from now on too.

However, this was our last time seeing each other while we were students. After the handshake, my angel waved her hand with a “see you”, even more brightly than an actual angel.

Later on, having finished looking around for the friends that I could call friends and going on a tour to tell them “thank you for everything until now”, lastly, I sent a brief text. Not to Richard. To Nakata-san and Hiromi.

“I was able to graduate from university without problems. Thank you very much, truly. I will be in your care from now on too.”

Rather than a greeting, it turned into a notice to announce my renewed determination. The stylish suit indeed gave off an extraordinary feeling of fittingness, but I couldn’t think I was fully used to it. Obviously. It finished being made just a while ago. It would start from here. If it would take on my shape the more I wore it, then I would make sure to wear it steadily to my own liking.

What mattered was the harmony, he had said.

While smoothly stroking the suit, which I still couldn’t deem as anything other than formal wear, as if I were stroking my favorite gemstone, I seared the contrast of cherry blossom petals against the blue sky into my eyes.

#housekishou richard shi no nazo kantei #housekishou richard #jeweler richard #the case files of jeweler richard #nakata seigi #richard ranashinghe de vulpian #richard ranashinha de vulpian #tanimoto shouko #richard #tsujimura nanako #yukihiro utako #novel #jr short story collection #my translation

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bthump · 3 years

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What do you think about the point in the story we are at now? Would you say you like the direction Miura is going in or not? What are the things you dislike about Berserk as it is now?

lol this is hard to answer because it’s so heavily dependent on what happens next. I think we’re at a point where everything could start coming together in a way that really appeals to me or where everything could just fall apart and I’ll have to accept that this is no longer a story I’m particularly interested in.

Though I am slightly leaning towards the former right now, whether that’s based on real evidence or mostly blind optimism I’m not entirely sure lol.

Basically I think it’ll depend on a) whether Moonlight Boy becomes a major motivational plot point or turns out to be more of a red herring or brief inciting factor in the shift to a new arc, and b) whether Guts and the rpg group overcome the imminent challenge they’ll face thanks to their personal growth and friendship or whether it’ll fuck them up.

But the reasons I’m feeling tentatively optimistic right now are:

all the foreshadowing re Guts losing himself to the armour and wreaking some havok, which has to happen at some point lbr

fetus as the focal point of Casca’s traumatic memories and symbolizing her thorn-covered heart, which to me screams sacrifice material, which would be the only thing that could make it time sharing Griffith’s body interesting to me (ie what happens to Griffith if it’s sacrificed?)

I’m gonna link this post because I’m still mostly feeling the basics of this theory, ie Skull Knight and Elfhelm in cahoots plotting to use the behelit to entrap the godhand, at Guts and Casca’s expense. Plus another possible way for Moonlight Boy to come to nothing is if it’s a manipulation of Danann’s.

I think Guts is purposefully being written as emotionally distanced from the rpg group, which is a good sign for the power of friendship not saving him yet, and there are also aspects of Guts+rpg group that parallel Griffith+Hawks in the golden age (eg Farnese’s feelings for Guts being paralleled to Casca’s feelings for Griffith, Guts gaining followers who compare him to fire, etc) which also gives me hope that tragedy will strike.

Miura’s little bait and switch wrt Guts and Casca’s relationship that honestly felt like gentle mockery of people who wanted them to immediately get together lol. Yk Casca getting sent out in a pretty dress to meet Guts complete with romantic double page spread and having a breakdown, then changing into pants and cutting her hair and saying how much better it is, and not being able to look at Guts now.

Also more recently, Guts at a loss now that he’s brought Casca’s sanity back and it didn’t actually solve any of his issues. “The hell do I do now?” “You have reached the end of your journey. It is not always a happy thing.” I’ve been worried for a while that Guts’ complex issues have been dropped and we’re meant to see him taking Casca to Elfhelm as him genuinely growing past them, and that one moment was such a huge relief when I read it lol. It really suggests to me that this sidequest was always about Guts trying to find a distraction to avoid dealing with his actual issues (fear/trauma, insecurity, love/hate feelings for Griffith, regret, etc), and those are going to make a return sooner rather than later.

Miura implying in interviews that we’re not all that close to the end, so there’ll probably be at least one more arc after Elfhelm, which gives me more hope that this whole rpg arc will lead to some amount of narrative-shaking tragedy and we’ll get some interesting stuff after.

this parallel with the climax of the Millenium Falcon arc and my firm belief that it has to come full circle.

other stuff like complex apostle characters, the lost chapter worldbuilding, schierke suggesting that her elemental guardians are holy see angels alongside implications that holy see angels are the godhand. Basically my hopes for worldbuilding that doesn’t boil down to good spirit world vs evil spirit world.

all the little suggestions that NGriff isn’t as emotionless as he’d like to be that have nothing to do with a demon fetus giving a shit about its parents

So I guess my answer is that I do like the direction I hope Miura’s going in, but there’s also enough counter evidence that I may be wrong about that direction.

So some of the things I dislike about Berserk now are:

Moonlight Boy and the Fear that he will derail everything and the plot will soon revolve around, idk, Guts and Casca trying to free their kid’s soul bringing them closer together or some awful shit like that.

Moonlight Boy and the Fear that Miura is actually going to ignore the absolutely incredible foundation he wrote in the Golden Age to support the hints of Griffith’s current capacity for emotion in favour of pinning it all on a magic baby.

I have some lowkey fears that Guts “bleeding” for Casca is gonna be a thing, largely based on me recently re-reading the scene where Farnese gets upset about everything Guts has done for her while bathing her. Like yk, maybe Casca will remember Guts saving her and warm up to him... tho in all honesty I can’t actually think of an example of Guts being the one to save her post-Eclipse lmao, he fucks it up every time. Maybe when he first put on the armour and killed an apostle in front of her or w/e, yk. Some shit like that. Like I can come up with 50 counter arguments but those only work if you accept the basic premise that Berserk will be good, yk?

The fear that we are meant to understand that Guts has overcome most of his flaws throughout the Millenium Falcon/Fantasia arcs and will get a big moment to demonstrate that and overcome the armour or save Casca or whatever.

And less speculatively and more generally, like many people I’m not a fan of the current art style, I think the larger cast on Guts’ side is causing some poor writing and not helping the pacing issues (and tbh I think Berserk is paced fairly well up until the boat stuff), I don’t like the lighter more comedic tone right now bc I got into Berserk for the grimdark vibe and tragedy and characters succumbing to their fatal flaws and making huge mistakes and I miss that a lot. I’m not saying Berserk can’t be light and funny and campy but I prefer that Black Swordsman or Conviction Arc style where it’s offset by a lot of fucked up shit, or Golden Age style where there’s an underlying sense of dread bc we already know shit’s going to go wrong, yk? If shit does get dark soon I might end up being a lot less critical of the current tone on re-read tbf.

So basically to sum up:

hopes: tragedy, character flaws that haven’t been dealt with yet coming home to roost, Moonlight Boy becomes a non-issue.

fears: power of friendship staves off tragedy, slower gtsca romance, moonbaby affects plot and emotions, guts’ flaws get brushed under the rug instead of fucking him over

I can argue that the former makes a lot more sense than the latter, but I’ve been burned a lot in my life and I know a lot of fans would argue the latter makes more sense than the former so yk, everyone has their biases including me and idk how blinded I am by those biases lol.

Anyway ty for asking!

#Anonymous #a #ask #theme: speculation #theme: critique #arc: f #theme: opinion

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m4gp13 · 3 years

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I generally try to keep relationshippy type posts more platonic on my blog but ethabaster shippers (or ethaster, as I’ve seen it referred to) y’all gave me content when there was none, this one’s for you babes <3 Also quick sidenote, this ship has extremely limited content in canon (which is to say, NONE) so a lot of this is based on speculation but bear with me because some of them are actually fairly plausible (or at the very least they aren’t explicitly ruled out by canon). Si tight because this may end up being pretty extensive.

The main reason they are shipped is because they are the only two similarly aged demigods in the titan army that we have any information on (including name) and thus have some small chance of meeting however it would be silly to say this is the only reason and - believe it or not - there are some other interesting reasons on why this is shipped. Keep in mind this is the PJO fandom, a fandom that visibly adores the “the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one” trope (have y’all seen how popular Solangelo is ???) and in that respect Ethan and Alabsters personalities are easily compatible.

I can’t recall a single instance in the books where Ethan is described as smiling; he is usually serious, driven and has very sharp responses to questions or statements he doesn’t like (see: “there is no wrong side”, glaring after being asked about his eye and almost pulling a sword on Percy for questioning his mothers motives and ethics). Alabaster on the other hand, while he is still traumatised from the massacre he recently witnessed, does still make ironic comments, smile and he is described at one point as “happy-go-lucky”. And yes, it is important to note that Ethan was with his enemy and Alabaster was with an ally during pretty much every page we see them in, the fact that Ethan had moments ago been rescued by the people he was snapping at and Alabaster still being somewhat cheery despite the horrors he had only just witnessed suggests it is more of a personality thing rather than a situation thing.

This beloved trope is of course not the only instance of compatibility between the two. For example, Ethan’s story ended with him giving up the notion of getting revenge on the Olympians like kronos wanted and instead giving his life to pursue and fulfill his original goal of balance. On the contrary, Alabasters story is currently in a state in which vengeance helps keep him going; he sites revenge as the only thing that would make him go anywhere near chb. This sort of balances them out and creates and interesting dynamic and it would be a joy to see them interact after this but considering Ethan’s current predicament I don’t think that’s likely except in fics. (although in this Ethans calmer demeanor would make him the sunshine one and Alabaster with his John Wick revenge plot would be the grumpy one).

They also have a lot in common but not so much that they start looking like mirrors. They are both clearly passionate about their cause, both of them are willing to kill and die for what they believe is right. They both openly express how strongly they feel to the conflict and they didn’t get so far in the army by being apathetic to what everyone around them is fighting for. Alabaster was chosen to lead the demigods into battle and Ethan is definitely a person of note in the army from the things we’ve seen him do (meaning they had a very high chance of meeting during their time in the army). However, Alabaster and Ethan view the army in very different ways. Al clearly sees the army as a heroic force from his “hero’s never die, right?” line while Ethan isn’t so black and white with his world view which we know from his “there is no wrong side” line. This means that they are similar enough to have common interests that they can bond over while still being separate people that can act on their own wishes, desires or simple personalities. (because sometimes it’s nice when characters are characters instead of just existing to serve a ship)

They understand each other. As they were both high ranking members of the titan army with similar goals they will have had similar experiences and therefore know things about each other that most people just can’t; as in, they don’t have the experience necessary to understand them like they understand each other. This is very appealing from an observers perspective because a lot of the time people don’t want grand declarations of love and massive bouquets, they just want someone to know them intimately enough to be truly in love.

They also have a lot of story potential both before and after Ethan’s death. Especially if you consider the fact that Al could have saved Ethan or brought him back as a mistform. People like drama and intentionally or not seek out dramatic things. Ethan and Al’s storys are dramatic enough on their own but when you put them together and then imagine all the things they could have done or could do!!! The spice! The flavour! The DRAMA!!! and the intrigue. They are both very interesting characters that can pique one’s curiosity easily. When people are curious about characters they look more into them, think about them more and in some cases this leads to shipping.

Another reason is simple vibes. Sometimes you just look at some characters and go “yeah bro those guys vibe together” and that’s that. Your ship has been chosen by the Vibes ain’t nothing you can do about it.

These aren't the only reasons of course but these are the only ones coming to my mind; if you have others please tell me. Now that we’ve got a couple of reasonings of why they’re shipped it’s time to look at their canon interactions. Since there are none you may expect me to skip this part entirely but you underestimate my devotion to both my favourite (platonic and romantic) ship and ✨obsessing over throwaway lines that only exist to give the readers a clearer image of a scene in their head rather than any plot important reasons✨. That’s right fellas it’s over analysis time (as the old saying goes, “if i cannot find homoerotic subtext, I will create it”) !!!

Before we begin, fear not avid lovers of sticking to things explicitly mentioned in the books, my argument is not “On page 228 of my copy of battle of the labyrinth, Ethan is first mentioned by a demigod holding a torch. Alabasters mother is the goddess Hecate and one of Hecate’s symbols is the torch therefore Alabaster is the person who found Ethan and thus the first times both are mentioned is in conjunction with each other which means boyfriends”, although I will admit my mind did have fun spiraling down to that little tidbit.

We know from the son of magic that Alabaster was able to use his magic to protect himself from the Princess Andromeda exploding but we are never given an explanation on how Ethan survived. I have mentioned this theory before and I’m going to say again the idea that Alabaster used the same magic to save Ethan that he used on himself. Alabaster doesn’t mention Ethan when he tells Claymore how he survived but remember he is still traumatized and it is anything but rare for trauma victims to seriously suppress their trauma (for example: almost watching a close companion being blown up right in front you and knowing that you are the only thing standing between them and breaking their toe on the big bad bucket) Of course there are reasons this might not work such as Ethan leaving the main deck to go to the engine room before the ship blows and Alabaster, being a high commanding officer, was likely on the deck when she blew however, Alabaster could have easily given Ethan some kind of magical protection before hand as they were warned of the anti Andromeda plot and will have prepared for any possible outcome.

Another deadly event that Ethan miraculously survived is the bridge incident. Realistically, do you genuinely believe that an unconscious, minorly wounded kid is going to be able to drag his unconscious body through a massive crowd of tightly packed teenagers, to the other side of a very large bridge and get far enough away from that bridge to be safe from it completely collapsing all by himself ??? We already know Alabaster is powerful enough to survive an explosion of greek fire so a collapsing bridge should be nothing to him, even if he is lugging around his friends limp almost-corpse. Also, if you like the trope of character A lovingly teasing character B then there’s nothing to say Alabaster wasn’t the “nice knowing ya” guy and, If you prefer it when character A ruthlessly defends character B from silly jabs then there’s also nothing to say Alabaster didn’t stomp on the guys foot the second Ethan left.

Another thing, ya know how Al has a bit of a revenge thing that he might need to tone down ever so slightly? Who better to help with that than a kid whose mum is the goddess of that kind of thing?! And yes, I know Ethan was already dead at that point but also, I don’t care; it can sort itself out. Anyway, I feel like with Nemesis kids it’s less of a “constantly seeking revenge for everything” and more of a “having a deeper understanding of revenge and therefore more able to regulate who does or doesn’t need some vengeance in their life”. It would have been interesting if Ethan survived and sorta coached Al on his feelings and how to deal with them in the least destructive way possible.

Also, as I mentioned before they are both high ranking individuals in the titan army. Al is chosen to lead the demigod forces into battle and Ethan seems to get called on by Kronos for a lot of specific tasks i.e. the sword of Hades, capturing Beckendorf, guarding Prometheus and being with Kronos during what he thought would be his final victory. From this we can assume that they probably worked pretty close together as the only high ranking demigods aside from Luke that we know of. All other important people in the army are titans, monsters or gods. As the only two demigods with such importance they probably gravitated towards each other and bonded over their workloads, goals or other things that people talk about before developing more intimate feelings (I assume but anyone who knows how relationships work please correct me if I’m wrong)

Also, a couple of things I noticed is what drives them is, at surface level, the same thing. They both want the Olympians to back up a bit and allow for the minor deity’s to receive some of the respect that has been with held from them for centuries. However, Al is more deeply motivated by his emotions while Ethan is not so much. Al expresses anger at the gods and disdain, he almost immediately latches on to the closest father figure he can get and gets notably excited when it appears he’s about to win and distraught when he thinks he’s lost. Ethan is motivated less by hatred for the gods but by a less emotionally draining thought of the minor gods deserve respect. He never gets emotionally invested in tasks, even life or death ones, unless attacked with something personal (he was generally apathetic during the parley until Percy started insulting him and his mother).

This could be due to Al being allowed to openly express emotion while Ethan has been taught to suppress it. What evidence do I have for this? Their mothers. To Nemesis, Ethan is a tool, a means to an end, a “thing” to use so she can get the desired outcome. To her, taking his eye and telling him to join the army was little different from drilling a hole in a board. She took a part of his body as payment so she clearly doesn’t see him as or care that he is his own person with thoughts, feelings and desires of his own. Hecate on the other hand actively acknowledges that her son has his on interests ideas and she wants to see him happy which is a complete U turn from Nemesis. We know that Al ans Hecate have regular enough conversations through dreams but we don’t know if Ethan ever met Nemesis after the eye thing. So we know that Al has contact with a mother that not only supports him but actively uses her powers to improve his life (see Claymore) and Ethan saw his mother once, was presumably traumatized and never saw her again. Big yikes. (Also the reason that Hecate stopped resisting the Olympians was because they threatened her with Al’s life. If Nemesis was the one who chose to resist and Ethan was still alive would she have stopped to keep him alive? I doubt it)

But yeah that’s pretty much all possible character interactions they could have had, the rest is up to our dear old friend, imagination. have fun kids. Also pretty much everything here can be read as platonic sooo.

#pjo #percy jackson #ethan nakamura #alabaster torrington #alabaster c torrington #the way i almost misspelled platonic as paltonic #which is arguably better #also why does Rock Boy have such a long ass name i'm tired of typing it #also #hi Chrys how's the content starvation going :)#tw: trauma #this has been in my drafts for months i'm so paranoid about this

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muthur9000 · 6 years

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As part of our creatives series, Wayne Haag answers some questions on Science fiction and fantasy, also giving us some insight into his work.

Clara Fei-Fei: My first encounter with your work was for The Fifth Element (which I LOVE). I always wondered what sort of design requirements did you have to meet for the movie? Did you speak to Luc Besson about what he wanted?

Wayne Haag: As a matte painter I didn’t have to meet any design requirements, that was all taken care of by the concept designers.. who were Jean-Claude Mézières and Moebius, among others. I just had to paint to their designs. Within the scope of the matte painting itself, there are mini design problems or choices and those I discussed with my supervisors and Luc a few times for the various matte painting shots I worked on.

CF: What’s your favourite Scifi movie?

WH: Alien with Empire Strikes Back a very very close second. I know Star Wars isn’t strictly science fiction, more fantasy but for me, it’s about a sense of wonder and they both have it. I still have every Marvel Star Wars comic btw.

CF: Wow awesome! And who is your favourite character from any Scifi movie/comic/game?

Favourite character… I don’t have a favourite actually… If pushed I’d have to say Luke Skywalker, he’s the archetypal hero we all relate to.

CF: If you could enhance your body using robotics, what abilities would you choose?

WH: Eyes… Mine are going! Visibility into a much larger part of the EM spectrum – IR, UV, X-ray etc, zoom capability, heads-up display – data overlay, distance measurement, image capture…

CF: What inspired you to pursue work in concept art? For anyone wanting to pursue the same line of work, where do you suggest they start?

WH: I had always wanted to be an artist, always wanted to make images. It was never an option to not be an artist. This has encompassed professional photography, matte painting, illustration for publishing, concept art, mural painting, oil painting. Start drawing and painting, nothing more to it than that. Learn what you need to be a competent illustrator and the rest will follow.

CF: Could you give me an idea of what it’s like during production? What sort of guidelines you are given and what’s your average turn around time for the work you have done?

WH: That’s a large question. Every production is different, the vibe is different, some are relaxed some are stressful. It’s why I prefer to work from home mostly. Gigs like Alien you have to be there every day in house which is fine, can’t be a hermit all the time! Guidelines are simple – make this scene/shot look awesome – There’s the script, here’s the director’s brief now paint something that fulfils that brief. Don’t care how you do it, just get there.

Turn around time can vary from several (6 to 8) quick paintings in an afternoon to an evolving painting over several weeks. Not continuous of course, but bigger paintings I might have 3 or 4 days, it may sit around for a bit when you finally get feedback and you jump back onto that painting and off it goes into the cycle again. Some finish quickly and get approved just as quickly and you never see it again. Some hang around like bad smells!

CF: What is your favourite piece you ever created?

WH: One of my oil paintings, titled Sky Burial #2. It encapsulated everything I love about sci-fi, sense of wonder, mystery, story, history, spaceship wrecks, the desert.

SKY BURIAL #2

CF: What variant of the Xenomorph is your favourite?

WH: The original.. because you didn’t see much of it. It was the implied cold-blooded violence that was scary, not so much the beast itself – which was scary as hell in its own right, I just preferred the implicit horror.

CF: I really loved Daniels cabin in the Covenant, what work did you do on that?

WH: The design for Daniel’s cabin evolved quite a lot for many months. A couple of concept artists had started the process, set designers etc, all working towards the final. My contribution was to bring the design language in from the other interior sets Steve Burg had designed and made it feel more modular like you would find on a ship. Then it was a matter of painting a couple of frames that illustrated the lighting and mood, which is my main area of interest.

Daniels Cabin on the Covenant

White Room

CF: I read that the white room is inspired by 2001, what aspects of the movie did you consider when creating this set?

WH: Firstly, no one concept artists create ‘the set’, it really is an army of people that have some contribution at some point along the way, from top to bottom. The overall layout was inspired by a physical location in Sydney that they wanted to use but could not, so the decision was made to build the set at Fox. I had plans for the location and built that in 3D to scale. Then as I mentioned above, I paint the scene up for lighting, mood and composition, ie. camera position and lens choice. (which was used by Ridley on the day of the shoot).

No references to 2001 were used, not by me anyway. I approach each painting/set as a real place and try to work out how I would shoot it if I were really there, what kind of lighting situation, time of day, weather, season etc etc. Unless the director specifically references another movie, I go with my own references and ideas that I think to fulfil the script/story.

Before

After

CF: What work did you do on the mothership in The Crossing and Alien: Covenant? What other aspects of the engineer city did you work on?

WH: I didn’t do any design work on the Mother Juggernaut, that was all Steve Messing. As we all have access to the 3D resources, I used the model he built simply as a prop within the greater scene. Again, setting up composition, lighting, mood. Although I did build the city and surrounds in 3D as one big model to scale so that everyone could see how shots would look if you were standing in the plaza. The 3D allows me to place human figures in the correct relative scale to a known real-world camera and the renders provide a basis with which to paint on.

My model of the plaza was based on Steve Messing’s original plaza layout. As the set designers finalised buildings and sets, I would incorporate them into my huge Maya file, kind of like a master file. Then I’d place 3D cameras around matching pov’s Ridley wanted.

Like all film designs, they grow, evolve and change. The final city you see in the film is quite a bit different from the city I built, so the VFX guys had further developed the city layout as per Ridley’s ongoing massaging.

Image converted using ifftoany

CF: What was the inspiration for the shower scene?

WH: T&A as far as I can tell…

CF: (lol)

CF: Do you have a list of the art pieces you infused into the movie?

WH: Not really, when you’re working on a film you don’t have time to immerse yourself in the art references and meaning, least I don’t anyway. All art choices are Ridley’s, I just create the scene as if it were really there and I shot it with a camera. The decision to not use the Francis Bacon triptych in the white room was solely due to licensing costs, nothing more than that. The Bacon estate wanted too much money. The Bugatti chair was also a licensed design and the prop was to be destroyed in front of lawyers once shooting wrapped.

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CF: What pieces of yours made it the final film? Was there anything that didn’t?

WH: What pieces had an influence you should ask, concept art never makes it into the film per se, it is a tool for solving creative visual, technical, financial problems. How will this set look? How big will it be? How much VFX will be needed for that shot, how will the DP light the set etc?

It’s an internal document that hopefully answers the director’s, art director’s and production designer’s questions. If not, try something else, or remove things from the artwork. For example, I had two statues out front of the Cathedral and was asked to remove them from the piece. If that artwork had been disseminated throughout the production, someone may have assumed those statues were to be made and start spending money making them!

There are several paintings I did that you can see as shots in the film, they aren’t exact, but the overall compositions had been faithfully translated.

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CF: What would you say has been your favourite project to work on?

WH: Fifth Element, The Wolverine, Alien Covenant, three best projects of my career.

CF: What is it like working on a large scale production such as Alien compared to smaller scale ones?

WH: Depends on who you’re working with and answering to directly, i.e. production designer. Some large-scale projects are overly corporate and anal, smaller ones are creatively easy going. It can also be the reverse too! Alien was super creative, very easy going (hard work, long hours but no BS!). Great people all around. Some tv commercial gigs can be a giant PITA, some smaller directors can sometimes want to prove themselves by having too much attitude and want to override your ideas, big directors like Ridley don’t have those insecurities and are therefore great to work with.

CF: Congratulations on winning the award for your work on Alien: Covenant.

WH: Thank you!

CF: Is there anything you are working on currently?

WH: I just finished working on a pitch project for Pixar and as I write this, doing concepts for a Chinese comedy film shot here in Australia.

CF: In future what sort of opportunities would you like to be involved in?

WH: Well I currently work freelance, for the most part, I teach part-time (at Production Art Department PAD http://www.productionartdepartment.com ), I’m starting to put out video tutorials of how to paint etc and I need to get my arse into gear and get back to oil painting my own project. As far as the future is concerned, I’d like more time to paint my own work.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, I look forward to having you on Yutani Podcast soon.

Creatives: Wayne Haag As part of our creatives series, Wayne Haag answers some questions on Science fiction and fantasy, also giving us some insight into his work.

#alien prequel #alien: covenant #behind the scenes #big chap #concept art #concept artist #creatives #matte painter #pixar #production art department #production work #wayne haag #weyland yutani #xenomorph

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thelocalshooter · 4 years

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The Local Shooter Vs. Snick Foley

(LS) Hello welcome, and thank you for being part of a great come up, for the people who don’t know can you introduce yourself, what do you do and where are you from?

(SF) OMG thanks for having me guys! Nah all joking aside, I'm happy to be apart of this and appreciate the opportunity. For those who don't know me, I'm SNICK Foley; a rapper out of NYC by way of Far Rockaway in Queens. I've gone by other names in the past so some people know me as Stacks and the like, but we'll be here all day breaking down all the personas.

(LS) Being from New York I’m sure it wasn’t hard for you to find your influences but who were some main artist you grew up listening to?

(SF) Wow it's hard to narrow it down. I listened to alot of different artists from alot of different genres growing up because I always enjoyed looking into different techniques, stories, points of views and just general sounds. I think all of that plays a major role in my music because there's little nods and elements from all over that got embedded over time. Obviously I gravitated mostly towards hip hop and was a huge fan of acts like A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang, Outkast, Eminem, Nas, Kendrick, and DMX. I'm leaving out alot of people because there's just so many talented people I grew up on. For instance I didn't even mention Wayne or DOOM but DMX is definitely the most important musical influence to me. He not only mixed raw energy and emotion with his lyrics so his personality always shined through, but if you listened to one his albums there was so much variety in the styles throughout. You never got bored. There would be the slow bar heavy song, the fast paced party song, the love song, the personal song about what he was going through; it showed me that you don't have to just do one thing as a rapper and you can do whatever you’re feeling.

(LS) One of your tracks from “Sad Villain Noises” was recently played on the Kush America stream, what was the whole process behind that project?

(SF) Yeah that was "Nature Boy". Big shoutout to the whole Kush America family btw. Sad Villain Noises came together as just a quick collaborative effort between me and the homie KMY; incredible producer out in London. We had worked before in the past and had been talking for a while about doing a Madvillainy type of project where he provided all the beats and I provided all the vocals. He has a very distinct and unique style of beat making, as do I with rapping so we felt it provided something different than what you usually hear but isnt pigeonholed into any particular subgenre of hip hop. The whole project is only 7 songs over 15 minutes because it was more of a quick little sample of what we have planned. If you listening closely and in order there's a short story in there but we tried to make it so all the tracks could stand on their own.

(LS) How has being a artist in the New York underground scene been for you? Friendly competition or do you find it hard to interact with other local artist? Do you go out of your borough to seek more talent?

(SF) It's case by case really. NYC has long standing reputation of being cut throat and grimey so I'd be fronting if I said there aren't some difficulties in forming relationships with everyone. There's like 9 million people so it takes alot to stand out in that ocean and it breeds a certain isolationist mentality. That's a fact. That being said, I've still worked with some really talented artists out of NYC and I'm always about helping and growing with people from the city. There might be alot of competition between all of us but at the end of the day it's all love between people tryna make money in an occupation we all have a deep passion for. So I'm always gonna show love to my city and everyone from it. I always try to put on for NYC and represent it proudly whenever possible.

(LS) We see you posted an unofficial video on YouTube for AC-130, when are you thinking of doing an official video or even more visuals at that?

(SF) Yeah that was just a quick little placeholder while the actual video is in the works. I'm planning to do alot of visuals for the stuff that's already out and some things on the way. To bring it back, I know alot of dope videographers and directors based out of NYC and we have stuff either in post, or coming real soon so stay tuned on that.

(LS) As far as music what’s your main goal? Are you looking to to be eventually signed or are hoping to make it as a independent artist?

(SF) Personally I would prefer to stay independent. I was big early punk rock fan so the DIY do it yourself mentality is something I strongly adhere to. That's not to say the idea of getting signed doesn't have its merits and is worth looking into, but I'm more of the mindset to keep full control over the art. The goal is the just to make dope music. I think alot of people in pursuit of the money forget what they get into music for; which at the end of the day is just to express yourself. That's not to say don't get paid and try to maximize your profits cause that's dumb, but the whole joy of art is the fact you can get paid for your thoughts. Something you create. I'd be lying if I said one of my goals wasn't to be remembered as one of the greats tho. I put alot of work into continuously growing as an artist and the same way I was listing influences earlier, I don't know if there would be anything cooler than 20 years from now some kid naming theirs and drop SNICK Foley on their list.

(LS) Being On many major platforms and having a couple projects plus singles what’s the next plan, are you currently working on another tape or are you sitting on your recent drop hoping it gets a bit more buzz?

(SF) Nah I'm never just gonna sit. I try to stay working and evolving so there's always something new as far as music in the works. I'll let the buzz happen organically but I'm focused on continuing to drop music people enjoy listening to and I enjoy making. You're never done growing and there's always a new story to tell.

(LS) are you looking at touring anytime soon, and shows you having coming up where fans can build a personal connection with you?

(SF) Yeah that's definitely in the works. As more music rolls out there's gonna be more on that because as of now I'm keeping alot of that close to the hip. But most definitely there's shows upcoming for everyone to pull up to and come vibe with me. Stay tuned on that as well.

(LS) What’s your take on the NY music scene right now? With influences like Pop, Casanova, and the whole A$AP is there a specific direction you think it’s going in or is it open field?

(SF) First and foremost R.I.P Pop. It's crazy how many people we lose in hip hop before they get to fully reach their potential and hit their stride. As far as NY music goes, I think it's an open field. There's alot of really talented artists in the Apple with their own unique sound and I think it's a great look for the city and the culture as a whole. You had guys like Pop doing his own drill type of stuff, Dave East does his own thing, Young MA has her own thing, Beast Coast has their own thing, ASAP does their own thing and etc. I think NY in recent years has got too caught up in rekindling and defining a "NY sound" that they've gotten away from just making their own stuff. I think it's better when there's variety in the content so you have a large pool to choose from. I think everyone can exist in their own lane and collectively that's what the NY sound is.

(LS) Thank you again for being apart of a great come up and until next time is there anything we should be on the look out for this 2020? Any links you wanna add so new and old fans can reach your and listen to your work?

(SF) Again appreciate the opportunity. There's shows, videos, and music on the way this spring and there's BIG plans for this summer. You can listen to "25th and Seagirt" and some throwaways on soundcloud and "*sad villain noises* on Spotify, apple music and all other streaming platforms. All love to everyone that rocks with me and is on this road with me. I'm Snick Foley on all music platforms and on instagram @holdmysnick. I'm on Twitter as @snickfoleybb but I forget I have it most of time.

The Local Shooter Vs. Snick Foley

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shinygoku · 7 years

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CutCat’s Favourite Disney Animated Canon

I’m pretty sure everyone and their grandma has already written something along the lines of “Disney was a big part of my childhood” before divulging into some bigass essay. This won’t be much different lmao

But still, I’m not making an objective list, it’s coloured by my own experiences watching the films. Some old Classics won’t even make the Top Ten because I personally didn’t get particularly into them. My favourite may or may not be the best across the board.

Also yeah, I’m not touching on all Fiftysomething films, I’m actually just gonna start with the Top Ten and whittle them down to the last one standing. I haven’t seen all of them so ones I may really dig, like Moana, hafta wait until I can judge for myself. I’ll try to cover all the things I’ve listed, even if it’s as they’ve been eliminated.

This may even be fun for other people to do, maybe!

We’ll return to our scheduled programming after the Cut! 😺✂

Ok I lied, I’ll list the Top 10 and then mention things that didn’t get quite that far, but it won’t take long.

TOP 10

(In order of release, not preference)

Pinocchio

Alice in Wonderland

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

The Little Mermaid

Beauty and the Beast

Aladdin

The Lion King

Mulan

Frozen

Zootopia

Honourable Mentions: Spider-Man: Homecoming (isn’t Disney Animated Canon even though it’s Marvel and therefore Disney lol), Epic Mickey as the story and gameplay and atmosphere is really great, but it’s a game instead of an animated film, and Sleeping Beauty. SB misses out because while the Animation is gorgeous and the Fairies and Maleficent are fantastic characters, the human leads drag it down.

Anyway, time to half that list! Same ordering rules as before:

TOP 5

Pinocchio

Alice in Wonderland

The Little Mermaid

Beauty and the Beast

Aladdin

Yeah, that’s right! The Lion King is already out! I know, I’m a fraud!!

Ok so like, I’m very much a cat person and I do love the film. Top 10 is still respectable! But hoo boy, I love the first act and the Celestial Mufasa scenes, but the middle and in some ways the climax kinda let it down for me. And I’m not fond of Timon and Pumbaa. Timon most of all. tsk tsk

But anyway, before I crossed off TLK, the CGI films were shed and I’m never going to fully get over the death of traditional animation. Frozen and Zootopia are both hella rad but their success also feel like even more nails in Hand-drawn animation’s coffin. Imagine what those films would be like, drawn...! Woaaah

WtP and Mulan are also not to be sneezed at, accomplishing very different narrative but doing both so well. I just feel that Pooh’s 3-shorts format kinda disqualifies it from being my favourite Disney Story and while Mulan is so great, it just lacks something that keeps the others firmly placed. I dunno, it’s more of a gut feeling than a well reasoned argument, lol

Time for 2 more eliminations! Now we’re left with:

TOP 3

Pinocchio

Beauty and the Beast

Aladdin

Alice in Wonderland may not be the most faithful adaptation, but I don’t care. I’ve read both the original books and the main thing Disney does is to discard Through the Looking Glass while taking a couple of small parts of that and putting it into Wonderland. It’s very pretty, very funny and Alice is a likable protagonist, even as Wonderland’s wackiness tries to wear her down.

The Little Mermaid was always something I liked, but never quite as much as, say, Beauty and the Beast. Even with the gorgeous Underwater Aesthetics, which I’m very fond of, didn’t quite make it. Though actually I like it more now than I did before, knowing Eric is voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes, who did the 90s Spider-Man!! :D

Ok, things are heating the heck up in the list, only two seperate cuts left to make~

The surviving films, for now, are:

TOP 2

Pinocchio

Beauty and the Beast

Yep! Bye-bye, Aladdin, Bye-Bye~

Ok this actually annoys me a bit though lmao

Aladdin would have a really damn good shot as my favourite. It’s colourful, it’s hilarious, it’s compelling! It! It... kinda traumatised me a bit as a young girl and I still feel distinctly uncomfortable about the scene in question even today. It poisons the whole damn film for me as I hafta deal with dread as I watch it. That sucks!!

Objectively, it’s amazing, but as I said, this is my Personal List, so it loses heavy points based on that.

Ok, now the hardest part. Picking between the last two.

I didn’t start this list because I already had a choice picked, I did it because I was curious which I do dig the most.

...

For a long time, if I was asked I’d usually go ‘Uhhhhh Beauty and the Beast, I think!’.

But while B and the B is brilliant and breathtaking and ...uhhh.... bombastic, part of it winning was by default (The two sweetest words in the English Language!)

Y’see, I feel, as a whole, for some curious reason, we forget about Pinocchio.

Ok that’s enough commas for now. But it’s weird! Pinocchio was hot on the heels of Snow White, the big show starter! It’s better than Snow White!! It’s actually rated the highest of all the D.A.C. on Rotten Tomatoes! Critics and normal audience alike love it!

So how come no one talks about it? I can see why it got overlooked in 1940, what with a large and notable war happening, but I literally never come across any Meta or Discussion about it or the themes or the look--

I’m gonna properly talk about it in a sec though, hahaa

So! Beauty and The Beast! An old favourite and nearly top dog in my esteem. It has it all, catchy songs, interesting characters, stunning designs, a whole load of Youtubepoops using footage from it. But it does not have Stockholm Syndrome, you foolish buffoons. Belle only starts to develop feeling for Beast after he becomes less Beastly. THAT’S THE POINT OF THE STORY. BEAST HAS! TO! CHANGE!!

And overall it does a damn good job at this~

Ok, so we already know the winner but it deserves a bit of fanfare for actually doing so well!

NUMBER 1!

TOP DISNEY ANIMATED CANON FILM

(ACCORDING TO CUTCAT) :

PINOCCHIO

I love Pinocchio so, so much!

And not just the film as a whole, the character too! Which is a very important factor here. I’m not saying the rejected films didn’t have strong characters, not at all! But this ties in with the Forgotten sort of vibe I get from the lack of buzz with this film.

Quick! Think of a scene from Pinocchio! Just one, if you can manage it.

Now, I may be way off with my presumption here, but was it the thing about his nose growing when he lies? Or was it maybe his desire to become a Real Boy™?

If you thought of any other moment, my kudos to you. It’s just, I feel that pop culture as a whole likes to harp on those points, which are either one short [but yeah, memorable] scene and the ultimate goal. And not to point fingers, but heck, why not. I blame Shrek a good deal for this, as those are the only memorable traits from their version of him. This may sound unfair, Dreamworks are doing a different take on the same character that Disney didn’t create but instead adapted from a book, but that’s mostly reflected in the vastly different designs (as in Shrek!Pinocchio looks closer to the original book version), but on the other hand Shrek started off by riffing on what Disney did and then kind of mutated into what they were mocking after the second film. Oops.

While mentioning the book, I do not give a rat’s ass that Disney’s version deviates as much as it does, they improved every point adapted. I also really can’t imagine the film doing nearly so well if it had the creepyass vibe for the main character. Marionettes are freaky, dude.

Anyway, that’s another of Pinocchio’s strengths! He looks and sincerely is Adorable! I’m gonna paste in a quote by Milt Kahl about this:

I was quite critical of ... I have a knack for alienating people by being a little bit outspoken, and they were rather obsessed with the idea of this boy being a wooden puppet. My God, they even had this midget who did the voice for "call for Phillip Morris" as the voice for a while, and it was terrible. I was rather outspoken about it. Why didn't they forget that he was a puppet and get a cute little boy, you can always draw the wooden joints and make him a wooden puppet afterwards. And Ham Luske said, "Well, why don't you do something about it, do a scene," and I did one. What I don't remember is whether they had a new voice by then or not. Probably they did have; I don't know. I did a scene of Pinocchio underwater with the jackass ears, knocking on a shell of an oyster, saying, "Pardon me, can you tell me where I can find Monstro the whale?" The shell closed up and caused a swell in the current, which affected Pinocchio. I made kind of a cute little boy out of him, and Walt loved it; this was actually my big chance. It was my move into being one of the top animators.

Pretty cool, huh? Before this, Walt has stopped production as he didn’t like what was being made. They were putting an awful lot into making the lead so loveable! I’m paraphrasing better accounts of this, but if you’re interested I do suggest looking into such!

But maybe I oughta get back on track, lord knows this rambling mess is long enough already ;v;;; I just get interested by some of the behind the scenes workings, y’know~

Like I touched on earlier, I think a problem is that people forget there’s more to Pinoke than his extendo nose and urge to Become Real. He’s very sweet and well meaning, but with the snag of being too trusting and gullible. He’s easy to misread as being Too Dumb To Live, but he’s very curious and does visibly learn and develop as the story goes on.

The other lead, Jiminy Cricket, is really great! He adds charm in the darkest moments and helps prevent the sweet scenes from being too sugary. He’s a great mediator and pretty good Conscience, too, he just happens to be in the wrong place a couple of times, which is the nature of the story’s structure lol

The supporting characters are really good, too! You really feel for Gepetto and damn that dude puts a lotta work into his wares! Figaro and Cleo are really cute and play off each other well.

Special shout out to Figaro for managing to get into shorts as Minnie Mouse’s pet lmao. I’m pretty sure that kitten has influenced the way I draw cats too, pff

And the villains? Holy shit, this film is teeming with bad guys, and the cut we see has none of them getting punishment onscreen.... yikes

Ok, so not to sound like Youtube Clickbait vids made by a talentless hack, but BOY! This film is dark! hahahaa

So like, my favourite Bad Guys from here, Honest John and Gideon are the tamest and most funny, but they sell Pinocchio into slavery twice. Hhhaaaaa...

The way Stromboli alternates from humorous and jovial to screaming and stomping about abruptly is frightening. Dude slams Pinoccino in a bird cage and says how he’s gonna work our boy Pinoke pretty much until our puppet pal perishes

The Coachman....... there’s a theory going around that he’s like an evil counterpart of The Blue Fairy, how he punishes bad boys by having them turn into Donkies he can then sell to mines and circuses. They never come back... AS BOYS!! [shuddering]

And Monstro is the most force-of-nature-y type of Bad Dude in the assortment but still lives up to his name! Sure, I’d be mad if someone lit a fire inside me, but are whales really known for being vengeful to the point of body slamming a cliff? Even before that, do they try to eat literally anything they see?

But yeah, it’s not just how many bad guys there are, nor how karma doesn’t strike them in a satisfying way. The stuff they’re doing and the atmosphere, it’s all legit scary

But wait! You cry!

Jeeze CutCat, why are you talking about how scary Pinocchio is when you docked points off Aladdin for frightening you?

Because, Devil’s Advocate question, the latter film is an abrupt mood whiplash moment that took me by surprise as a young, impressionable thing. I dunno how young I was when watching either film, but not only is Pinocchio consistent with plunging into the depths, but the real horror is easy enough to miss if you’re a young child. It didn’t occur to me that the boys turned into Donkies were gonna be worked to death in back breaking labour!

Anyway, Pinocchio earns the right to be spooky and has enough charm and humour in the right moments.

But ok, yeah, the Donkies. The scene where Lampwick slowly, agonisingly transforms is a damn work of creepy art. We already know the terrible secret of Pleasure Island before it starts, but actually seeing the gradual build up, the way Pinocchio can only watch in horror and then sprout ears himself and Lampwick’s screams turning into braying... it’s sure something.

The Monstro chase scene at the end is also so damn intense I subconsciously hold my breath while watching it. It’s relentless, our heroes are up against a furious gigantic whale and the merciless sea and the fucking end of that always feels like a kick in the guts. The lingering shot and musical sting hits hard.

But still! The movie ain’t all Nightmare Inducing!

I’ve already said I love the characters, and helping that is the impeccable voice work for everyone. The voices and little character tics make them feel so real for such a fantastical setting. I dig how the Blue Fairy is rotoscoped and realistic, which sticks her out from the rest of the cast and enhances the Other Worldliness that fairies deserve.

The animation.... boy, the animation really is something else! It was the late 30′s but they were already creating new and highly expensive techniques to make this beautiful and not only does it work, but I struggle to think of anything that can top it. Multi-plane camera establishing shots than barely last for seconds, the underwater effects with the sways and distortion, each splash and movement done by hand. Honestly this may be the most perfectly drawn movie, I’m not exaggerating. They already came so far since Snow White, it’s almost unbelievable!

Lastly, I’ll mention the music. Fucking Fantastic, is what it is! Is it any surprise that they used the tune for the Disney Vanity Plates, to this day? There’s a few songs with different memorability levels, I know Ultron is fond of the ironic I’ve Got No Strings number. I, for one, love the atmospheric use of Little Wooden Head as a recurring motif.

I really didn’t plan on my Pinocchio talk on being this long, so if you read through it all you have my gratitude. Are you surprised that it’s my favourite? I’m enchanted by it, I certainly have a weakness for sweet hearted protagonists but the film has so many good angles!

I still think it’s dang unfair that the film seems to get overlooked so much, but hopefully my daft musing might remind a couple of people that it’s certainly worth a rewatch!

#Firefly's rambling #CutCat writes essays on Disney films #I feel strongly about some stuff maaan lol #FIXED THE CUT word formatted it out

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mailorderfictionalcharacter · 7 years

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Malcolm Reed, Geordi LaForge, Kes, and Janice Rand

Seven years and two plagues later; I respond. My apologies. Life. Y’know.

1. Sexuality Headcanons:

Malcolm - oh how I wish the powers that be didn't cowardly back off on the original plan, wherein Malcolm was openly gay. Oh well, let's Headcanon him in anyways.

Geordi - bisexual, demisexual(just a vibe, not a very serious headcanon)

Kes - let's say bisexual. For reasons.

Janice - This is probably because I've only seen Janice in a few TOS episodes (I'm only doing a proper start to finish watch of the series now) and thus haven't reached the inevitable het romance, but as far as I'm concerned Janice Rand is a lesbian. If at any point she shows romantic interest in a man it's obviously an elaborate inside joke with Uhura. Janice Rand, very lesbian.

2. OTPS

Malcolm - I don't have one. I don't think Malcolm is the sort of person to want a relationship with a crew member and none of the men on the ship seem like a good romantic match for him. (If Malcolm got a love interest, they should probably be a civilian, more emotionally expressive). If I had to choose an otp Malcolm/Travis might work.

Geordi - I'm not super serious about it but Da Forge is a good ship.

Kes - I don't have any preexisting ideas about Kes' relationships other than "c'mon Neelix be the better person we know you can be," but, to make something up; Kes and B'Elana could be interesting because they're both very passionate and principled people but externally they present themselves very differently: Kes is caring, subtle, and calm whereas B'Elana is expressive, and a bit judgemental. Also Kes's morality is more about caring while B'Elana has a warrior's moral code, resisting injustice. (There's a running theme in these asks because only interesting character foils can get me interested in romantic plots).

Janice - I enjoy the idea of Uhura/Janice Rand. Both are talented and Janice seems more level on and off duty whereas Uhura is a capable woman but an incorrigible flirt.

3. Brotps:

Malcolm - I would enjoy seeing a Malcolm/Hoshi friendship, mostly because Malcolm is very militaristic whereas Hoshi is more of the Civilian Science Nerd Who Got Swept Up In All this Rubbish. On the whole Enterprise forgot to do what tng/ds9 did well and allow their side characters to actually *gasp* interact, so pretty much any platonic relationship is up for grabs. Malcolm is an interesting character to work in contrasts; his disciplined nature compared to Phlox, or his close to the belt nature compared to Travis' comfort with his roots.

Geordi - Also Data and Geordi; they're so affectionate and supportive. I also really enjoy the dynamic between Picard and Geordi in the tng relaunch novels, considering Geordi is one of the remaining original crew members.

Kes - canonically, Kes and the Doctor all the way. So good. Remember when she extended his flu? Good scene. For an au take, I would enjoy a purely platonic Kes and Neelix friendship. They did have some nice dynamics canonically and I'd like to see a relationship without the squicky romantic possessiveness.

Janice - Rand and Spock. No good justification it's just that Spock goes well with everyone.

4. Notps:

Malcolm - Malcolm/Hoshi, Malcolm/T'pol, Malcolm/Archer. Not really established ships but in my mind each of these pairings are a Bad Idea.

Geordi - I don't remember any established canon or fan popular relationships that made me cringe, so here's one: Geordi/Q. Awful idea.

Kes - Kes and possessive!Neelix. So many cringe moments

Janice - Rand and every damn person who falls in love with her and then tries to force her into sexual acts against her will why is this a plot multiple times for goodness' sakes. (Also not big at all on the idea of Kirk/Rand).

5. First Headcanon that Pops to Mind:

Malcolm - So based off the pineapple thing, let's say Malcolm has a ridiculous amount of personal experiences he never talks about. Like he had a steady boyfriend back on earth and never brings it up because it's not relevant. If prompted he has all these prank stories but you basically have to drag the information out of him.

Geordi - Geordi is also friends with Felix, who sent the Chief Engineer on Starfleet's flagship a sample program because he knows just how good he is.

Kes - Since Kes starts canonically developing her telekenetic abilities, let's imagine Kes as an absolute telekenetic prankster.

Also, after she leaves Voyager I like to imagine that some of what she got up to would be protecting the vulnerable, considering her past. (I don't think this directly contradicts canon but I actually try to forget that episode).

Janice - Janice Rand is so professional that no one expects her to have wild musical tastes. Like death metal, weird atonal music, lots of instrumentals, music from non-human planets etc*

*My lack of musical knowledge is showing, isn't it.

6. One Way I Relate:

Malcolm - I would also refuse to marry and copulate with my coworkers if we were stranded on a planet in an alternate timeline. My mom is also largely unaware of my food preferences.

Geordi - often interacts with people with an understated sort of humour. I would also subtly lecture ableist aliens and befriend the local android.

Kes - This example is more about admiration than relating, but I really enjoy Kes's compassionate curiosity and the sense of wonder that comes with her character.

Janice - In the episode Charlie X we see her being mature to someone who is A) probably quite traumatized and B) currently sexually harassing her. I relate to that sense of "oh, this situation is kind of worse for me and I'm still going to handle it fairly and levelly because of moral principles and rational empathy." Also even though she's backed into a corner she still tries to pass emotional labour off to Kirk and that's A+. ("Ask the Captain, he'll explain.") I'm sure lots of women (although not all women and not just women) could relate to that.

7. Something that Gives me Second Hand Embarrassment:

Malcolm - I have a distant memory of an episode where Archer, Trip, and Malcolm were all trapped in a pod, thought they were going to die, and Malcolm got about 10% sentimental? That always makes me unjustifiably embarrassed, but I don't even remember if that episode was real, so.

Geordi - nothing? I think Geordi may be the perfect human being?

Kes - the episode where she came back and tried to hurt all her old friends was pretty embarrassing. Also her relationship with Neelix.

Janice - From what I've actually seen of TOS, nothing beyond those damn impractical uniforms. If we have to see people in dresses at least show me Spock in a dress, c'mon.

8. Cinnamon Roll or Problematic Fave?:

Malcolm - I want to call him the problematic fave because he was somewhat militaristic, but nah, cinnamon roll. Let me see only the best in people like some sort of naive federation citizen. (Also Archer made way more questionable decisions and I don't remember enough about Enterprise to say that Reed ever did anything less than an exemplary job).

Geordi - Clear cinnamon roll

Kes - Clear cinnamon roll. No controversy there.

Janice - Definitely a cinnamon roll. Too good for this world.

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seaninkorea · 6 years

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comfort without complacence

this week, i’ll be exploring the following prompt:

have any assumptions you had about the people or country become apparent to you or surprised you? have any of these assumptions proven to be wrong? what images, stereotypes or preconceived notions have been hard for you to relinquish?

i’m happy to say that i’ve been successful in my goal of getting out more! since last week, i’ve gone to quite a few cool places and met some cool people. at the same time, i’ve been going to the gym nearly every day, keeping up with my studies, and eating healthily and on-budget! in other words, i feel like i’m reaching the point of having adjusted to life here pretty well: there’s a comfortable level of consistency in my life in the way of regular activities and routines, but there’s also plenty of new things to explore and i’ve been refusing to let myself get complacent and lazy.

i think what strikes me as one of the unexpectedly hardest things about life in korea is the emphasis the society puts on doing things together. this is something that i had vague familiarity with from watching korean dramas and what-not, but i didn’t really grasp how significant a part of the culture it was until being here for a longer period of time.

personally, i do a lot of things alone, at least in the usa, like exercising, studying, and eating. that’s not to say i don’t like doing things with people, but often times it’s just hard to coordinate people’s schedules and what-not, or, in the case of studying, for instance, i just find it’s more effective for me when i study alone.

in korea, many activities that i would often do alone in the usa are almost exclusively done with others. for instance, most meals are eaten in a group. the majority of korean restaurants cater to groups of four or more, with dishes only being sold in larger servings and the cost being split among all the group. even more than eating, drinking is a completely social activity--i don’t think i’ve seen even one korean alone at a bar (although i have seen a few foreigners solo). the extent to which this tendency towards group activities permeates through society is hard to pin down. of course, it also varies from person to person. there are a few people who go to the gym i go to (snu posco center) alone, but many go in pairs. our korean teacher talked one day about how seeing someone eating (or even worse, drinking) alone makes koreans concerned that person is quite strange: “why would they eat alone? do they not have friends?”

however, to some extent that view has been changing. there are a lot of restaurants which are catered toward 혼밥 (essentially “eating alone”), and i’ve seen one advertisement for a 혼술 (“drinking alone”) place. for me, these places are great for a few reasons. for one, they still feature the insanely quick service as all other korean restaurants, so it’s easy to get a quick meal (you can even get it for takeout). for another, many allow (or require) customers to order from a touchscreen kiosk. although the menu is still in korean, it takes the pressure off of having to quickly decide and give your order to a waiter or waitress and allows you to thoroughly browse all the options. also, since pictures are included with all the food, it’s a great way to learn vocabulary. lastly, although this is a generalization, i’ve found these restaurants to generally be more cost-effective for one person dining. if you want to splurge a little bit, you should definitely get meals with friends (preferably all-you-can eat meals!), but if you’re looking for the most bang for your buck for $8 or less, eating at a 혼밥 place is definitely better than splitting a meal at a group place, in my experience.

not 혼밥, but i could’ve been! daisha and i have been checking out all the fast food places in korea (including american chains and korean ones). this one, lotteria, has wonderful friend chicken!

speaking of going it alone, i took a nice trip to a nearby park (낙성대공원, nakseongdae park) last sunday. it was wonderful, and now it’s become a personal goal to visit as many seoul parks as possible! the park featured a large empty paved area where kids rode bikes and roller skates as well as a larger traditional-style village (which was unfortunately closed at the time).

the park contained a lot of traditional 한옥 (hanok) style buildings, like this one, which happened to be a library and restroom. if you look closesly on the right side by the windchimes, you’ll see soju bottles with buddhist charms attached hanging from the trees.

a statute of a warrior of yore dominates the view from the center of the park

the park’s entrance

on the next day, a popular kpop band shinee’s new album was set to release in the evening. personally, i don’t really know anything about shinee, but a few of the other light fellows are huge fans, and convinced me to accompany them to starfield coex mall, where shinee’s record label has a giant store, museum, and more. unfortunately, the album didn’t end up being physically released till the next day, but the mall was amazing!

kaori, lilly, and daisha by smtown

enjoying a meal at the mall’s food court~

the highlight of the mall is the library, which i forgot to take a picture of (somehow). it’s two stories of books wrapped around the center of the mall, with tons of comfy seats and cafes nearby. i’m sure i’ll be back, and promise i’ll get a good picture then!

on wednesday, sarah and i went to 덕수궁 (deoksugung palace) and one of three branches of seoul’s mmca (museum of modern and contemporary art). the mmca also has a branch by gyeongbokgung and one in seoul grand park, the latter of which is the biggest (and based on my visit there on spring break, best!). the mmca here was quite small and had mainly older art collections, as the current exhibit is showcasing the museum’s history. the good news was since, by sheer coincidence, we went on the last wednesday of the month, entrance to deoksugung and the museum were both free! usually it would have been 5000 won in total (although i believe students get in to the museum for free, but i’m not sure if that applies to international students like us).

the steps in front of the mmca are a popular photo spot for young people and ahjummas alike

the coolest piece on show (as of when we went) was the last room, which is a digital recreation of the different “stages” of the museum (the floor plan, architecture, then with exhibits, etc.). complete with an ambient soundtrack, the room is quite a cool experience. i took this cool aesthetic photo by complete accident.

the area between deoksugung and the museum gave me major boston/new york vibes. while sitting here, a group of elementary school girls asked me to take a photo with them. they spoke in perfect english too! kids these days

pondering something deep by the palace. the architecture and colors are essentially the same at all of these joseon-era palaces, but i personally preferred deoksugung to gyeongbokgung simply because there were far fewer people there!

after the museum, we took a trip to city hall, where they have a giant “i seoul u” sign. i’m not sure exactly what that’s supposed to mean, but it’s cute! these signs are scattered throughout the city, i believe, at major attractions; for instance, i think there’s one by the han river.

on thursday, i went to another museum with my snu language buddy. as i’m becoming more acquainted with speaking korean regularly and he’s trying to tailor his speech to my level, i feel like we’re becoming actual, well, buddies! we went to the national museum of korea, which was incredibly large and interesting. we were there for around three hours and hardly got through half of the exhibits or so before being kicked out at closing time.

the main hall of the museum

the museum is easily reached on subway line 4 at the 이촌 (ichon) stop. if you follow the signs, there’s an underground passage straight from the subway to the museum’s entrance.

posing by one of the national treasures of korea, a two-story tall pagoda

after getting kicked out, rain started pouring down. luckily, i brought an umbrella. 상윤 (sangyoon) and i ran to the subway station both crouched under the one umbrella laughing hysterically. moral of the story: always bring an umbrella!!

finally, yesterday i spent the evening with another friend of mine, 윤우 (yunu). she showed me some cool places in 홍대, including an all-you-can-eat pho restaurant (emoi) and a foreigner-friendly bar (“cocky pub”) where they were playing the france vs. argentina world cup match. it was filled with french people! korea is strange because day-to-day i see very few foreigners outside of the classroom. they seem to all be concentrated in little bubbles here and there.

i’m hungry again just looking at this photo

a tequila sunrise for me (shout-out to don henley) and a screwdriver for yunu. not pictured: the kozel darks we had before this--a great beer with cinnamon sugar topping 😭

hanging out with korean friends is definitely the 100% best way to improve your spoken fluency. whether it be a language partner or someone you meet through other means (ahem), they’ll not only be forgiving of your mistakes and willing to help you, but also simply the act of forcing yourself to speak and listen in korean outside of the pre-made sentences in class--to actually naturally use the grammar and vocabulary you’re learning in class in real-life situations--does wonders for speaking and listening ability and, more importantly (in my book, at least), for your confidence!

to that end, to future light fellows/people studying abroad, if you do have/make/meet korean friends, i would encourage you to at least try to have a good deal of your conversations in korean (or whatever language you’re learning)! both sangyoon and yunu speak far better english than i do korean, and so we can certainly have “better” conversations in english. however, when i speak to them in korean, it really feels like a completely different side of them comes out--speaking to someone in their native tongue definitely allows their full personality to come out, even when they have to speak in simpler terms to you!

to close out this week, i asked yunu to write a message:

오늘 똑똑하고 멋있고 정직한 친구랑 홍대를 갔어요. 즐거웠다 :)

“today i went to hongdae with a smart, cool, honest friend. it was really fun!”

see you next soon~

#bars #museums #seoul #travel

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styrac0saurus · 7 years

Text

Get To Know My Hunter

Tagged by @thesaint-jimmy

Bloodborne OC meme courtesy of @princeofmorley

We all know Bloodborne can be a difficult fandom for OCs given the vagueness of the lore, but a lot of us still enjoy coming up with stories for our hunters. I hadn’t seen an OC meme for Bloodborne so I figured I’d make one myself!

These are all the questions I could think of without getting into the nitty gritty of the lore. Of course, all questions are optional. You can remove any question you don’t want to answer, or add questions I might’ve forgotten!

Feel free to use this template as you wish! I’d love to read about other people’s hunter OCs, so be sure to tag it as #bloodborne oc meme so I can read yours!

Put my response under a ReadMore because there were a lot of questions! Please know that I haven’t played Bloodborne yet so some responses may seem a little off because I’m filling in gameplay knowledge based on what I’ve experienced in Dark Souls I and the Bloodborne wiki.

Name: Antares Mai Quyen Nickname(s): Auntie (sometimes Auntie Antares when addressed by their younger charges), Mai-Mai (used only by their parents when they were young) Age: 33 Gender: Non-Binary Agender (they/them pronouns) Sexuality: No strict preference for any gender, they’re currently in a relationship with a woman Height/Build: 6′5″ and fairly thickset (muscular with some fat over everything)

Personality description: A reserved Hunter of Hunters, though those who become close friends with Antares know they are capable of sincere affection. The hunter is usually mindful of their size, choosing to talk quietly and walk slowly so that they don’t intimidate people, but also so that they don’t constantly bump their head into ceiling stuff and startle people with their outbursts of pain. Such gentleness is something that was internalized from being raised as a girl in a Vietnamese household (speaking from personal experience as a AFAB NB Viet). Children adore Antares and Antares adores them back, always willing to give the smaller ones either some sweets or a lift onto their shoulders. Indeed, the hunter seems to have a respectable position in Yharnam. However, Antares heavily dissociates and experiences extreme self-loathing in private because they are actually an Abhorrent Beast finally corrupted by the Old Blood. More to come about those sentiments and how Antares finally (sorta) succumbed to the scourge later.

Physical description: Like most in their covenant, Antares wears the Crowfeather set around Yharnam. A modification of the Vietnamese áo dài is worn underneath all of the set’s heavier layers for casual wear though. During the daytime, they might wear the whole Crowfeather set minus the mask and hat if the weather’s not too warm because they find the overall outfit comfortable, even though most hunters may choose to separate work from daily life so people don’t stare at them. Antares doesn’t really mind such attention because they’re used to rude oglings, having grown up as an Asian (thick black hair, light to medium brown skin, almond eyes, etc. typical of Vietnamese people) in a mostly White European place like Yharnam. The hunter probably gets more stares because they’re relatively large and androgynous so there are plenty of people curious about Antares’s “true gender.” The hunter always replies stoically to gender questions, but replies may leave people more confused because their coherence reaches the shitpost plane of existence.

BACKSTORY

Introduce your hunter and their backstory. Alright this meme got so long that I got super tired of writing responses so maybe I’ll go back and edit this post, but read this other post for some backstory in the meantime.

Which class/origin did you choose for your hunter? Does this tie into their backstory? Lone Survivor, only because I usually start off as a tank character in Dark Souls before I build up my Endurance/Stamina. This origin definitely doesn’t tie into Antares’s backstory because they aren’t from the Fishing Hamlet.

Where is your hunter from? What brought them to Yharnam? Antares was born in Yharnam, but closer to the outskirts of the city where the relatively more common class people live. Their father traveled to Byrgenwerth from Saigon to study and brought their mother to the city later while she was pregnant with Antares. So really, Antares grew up as a Milquetoast with their father eventually working in the Byrgenweth libraries and their mother working in the clinic that would someday belong to Iosefka/Imposter Iosefka.

Did your hunter know any of the characters from the game before they entered the Hunter’s Dream? Yeah, they knew Eileen the Crow and then some of the other Yharnam hunter NPCs by extension. Antares also knows of the Old Hunters, but they haven’t met them. Other NPCs they don’t really know about if they appear outside the actual city streets of Yharnam (Micolash, Yurie, the Madara twins, etc.).

Had they fought beasts before entering the Dream, or is this their first experience as a hunter? Antares has definitely fought beasts before coming to the Dream. They’re a Hunter of Hunters so they’ve killed (and eaten) a few blood-addled hunters as well.

CHARACTER DETAILS

How do they react to first waking up in the Hunter’s Dream? Do they remember anything about their life before the Dream? Hmm… I’m not really sure how to answer this question since I haven’t played Bloodborne and therefore haven’t had much thought about the Hunter’s Dream. I personally think they would be angry that they can’t Properly Die until they discover a way to leave the Dream. Antares honestly wants to die as a (mostly) human being before they become too blood-addled and kill someone else they loved again. That being said, yes, the Hunter remembers everything about their life for sure, even once they’ve come to the Dream.

Do they align themselves with any Covenants or other factions (the Healing Church, the Choir, the Old Hunters, the Unseen Village, etc)? As previously mentioned, Antares is part of the Hunter of Hunters covenant. Other than that, they don’t really align themselves with any of the other, for lack of a better word, more political covenants in Yharnam.

Do they befriend any NPCs in particular? Make enemies of any NPCs? Haven’t really thought about this because I haven’t played Bloodborne yet. Maybe Antares would be friends with Eileen the Crow, but they might know of Gascoigne, Henryk, and Djura through them also being Eileen’s friends. Meanwhile, they probably wouldn’t really have any enemies. They’re not often aggressive towards most people, I imagine.

Are they in a relationship? If so, with whom? Yes, they’re currently in a relationship with another Bloodborne OC of mine (Miriam Hashmi, a Byrgenwerth scholar).

How does your hunter feel about the Healing Church? About blood ministration? Considering that they’re now a fucking bloodthirsty Beast (not all the time fortunately), they’re probably feeling pretty resentful about the Healing Church and how the Church has continued trying to hide the consequences of blood ministration.

Do they fear the scourge? Are they afraid of turning into a beast? Afraid of becoming blood-addled? Of the unknown Cosmos? What are they afraid of? Antares could honestly care less about the Unknown Cosmos. They tend to worry about more visceral and tangible fears such as the Scourge. What happens to a Respected Hunter once they become an Abhorrent Beast after all? Being a Hunter of Hunters doesn’t help much and Antares’s anxieties have multiply tenfold when they realize they hunt others just like themselves. Other than being caught and outed, they also have to worry about staying alive for their friends’ sake as well as about succumbing to the corruption and killing the same friends as a blood-addled monster. Should Antares somehow have some conscience returned to them after going on a rampage, the guilt would be too much to handle.

Does your hunter relish in the Hunt or revile their bloody work? After killing their father while being blood-addled and beastly, I think it’s safe to say that Antares very strongly reviles being a Hunter. Also, it sucks having to eat a blood-addled hunter you once considered a friend just to satisfy your own hunger.

What is your hunter’s attitude towards Gehrman? Do they resent being trapped in the Hunter’s Dream? They don’t really think much of Gehrman after getting over the initial resentment of being trapped in the Hunter’s Dream (see first question of this section for reasoning behind resentment). While perplexed by his presence and the Doll, Antares comes to respect both as the Night goes along. Because they don’t go to the Hunter’s Nightmare to fight Lady Maria, they have no reason to think more negatively of Gehrman otherwise.

Does your hunter sympathize and associate with fellow hunters, or are they more of a loner who avoids other hunters? Do they leave notes for other hunters? Antares will gladly help others in need, but rarely asks for help themselves, especially while hunting a target. The preference for solitude is not based on cockiness, but rather a desire to avoid being outed as a beast if they need to transform to fight a particularly difficult mark and feed on the remains. Messages will be left to warn other hunters to stay away from their hunting territories as a result. However, the warning will be more along the lines of “There’s going to be a dangerous blood-addled hunter here. Don’t come around until I deal with them. - Antares” rather than obviously “There’s going to be a beast a.k.a. me here. Don’t come around if you don’t like seeing excess blood and gore because I need to eat. - Antares.” There might be more messages of a more positive vibe though. Antares might leave cute little sketches for hunters-in-training to find on patrol throughout Yharnam.

Does your hunter worship the Great Ones? Do they worship blood? Or do they have a different belief system? If they’re not devout, what do they value or prioritize in life? Antares certainly has respect for the Great Ones, but they’re not particularly religious otherwise. They prioritize family and close friends more than anything (well… more like just friends at this point in their life since both of their parents have been killed so there are no other really close relatives in Yharnam).

Do they have a special place where they feel safe or “at home”? Is there a place they’re afraid of or that they avoid? Ugh, this will be incredibly sappy, but Antares feels the most at home lying down with their head on Miriam’s thighs. They love having their girlfriend (or wife by the actual game’s timeline I imagine) stroke their hair. As for a place the hunter would be afraid of, it would probably be the Hunter’s Nightmare for reasons already/to be explained. But… it might be an unavoidable fate…

Are there any particular items your hunter holds onto for sentimental reasons, or items that serve to comfort them? A jade necklace and a bracelet made of wooden beads, jewelry that were given to them by their parents when they were a child. The jewelry’s all that’s left of Antares’s happier memories from before their parents were killed.

Do any of the discoveries in the game (about the old blood, the Healing Church, the Great Ones, etc) shock them? How do they react to these revelations? Perhaps the consequences of the Old Blood not so much because Antares is already experiencing their consequences. I guess they would still be shocked by how far back and all-encompassing the Old Blood history goes in terms of the Healing Church and the Great Ones. Some stuff they would feel angry and unsettled about though, especially if they went to the Hunter’s Nightmare as someone trying to figure out what the hell is really happening in Yharnam (but that isn’t really their main questline I suppose).

Does your hunter want to discover the secrets of the Healing Church and the origins of the scourge, or do they just want to kill some beasts and escape the Dream? What motivates them? I mean, they might discover some secrets during the Night, but they ultimately just want to escape the Hunter’s Dream. Honestly, I don’t really know how to answer this question until I actually play Bloodborne.

How does your hunter feel about being effectively immortal? How do the unending deaths affect them over the course of their time in the Dream? See previous questions about Antares’s opinions of the Dream.

COMBAT AND STATS

Which primary stat does your hunter most rely on (Strength, Skill, Bloodtinge, Arcane)? Do they prioritize Vitality or Endurance? Strength and Endurance would be emphasized, with some Skill since Antares does wield the Blades of Mercy. Vitality might also be increased once Antares becomes a beast, but they don’t often prioritize this stat otherwise.

What are your hunter’s trick weapon and firearm of choice? Why? Saw Cleaver and Hunter’s Pistol are the usual combo. However, Antares can also wield the Blades of Mercy if they’re fighting a more skilled enemy such as a blood-addled hunter versus a crowd of corrupted beasts.

Do they make use of any hunter tools? Only the Old Hunter’s Bone for Quickening and the Beast Roar for keeping enemies back so that they can transform if needed.

What type of armor do they wear? Why? Usually the Crowfeather Set for style points. Otherwise, whatever has high defense against mostly physical slash/bite/etc. attacks to make up for the lack in emphasis on Vitality.

Describe their fighting style. Antares is not one who likes crowds, whether they consist of people at a Hunters’ Communion or beasts at some bloody hunting ground. They’re more likely to fight enemies one or two at a time, drawing them away from a crowd with pebbles. With their strength, the hunter would hopefully stagger and dispatch enemies quickly this way with just their hunting weapons. Beast mode only gets used when Antares gets desperate and really needs to up their strength even more either against a multitude of enemies or a really tough enemy. Honestly though, Antares usually doesn’t try to fight everything because it would take so much time and effort away from hunting down either a more serious beast or a covenant target.

Which Caryll runes does your hunter keep equipped? Communion to increase the number of blood vials they can hold to make up for a lack in Vitality. Anti-Clockwise Metamorphosis to increase maximum stamina. Hunter to increase stamina recovery so they can quickly restore their Endurance. It is a Covenant rune, though, so it might be replaced by Beast’s Embrace for gameplay mechanic reasons related to Antares’s storyline so that they can transform.

How much Insight does your hunter have? How does this affect them? Not much Insight because Antares care little for the mostly intangible. They still pay close attention to their surroundings nonetheless. However, they can only do so thanks to their heightened beast sense more than anything.

Does your hunter take advantage of Beasthood to fuel their attacks? How does it affect them? Oh my fucking god, all this time, I never knew there was an actual Beast Mode already incorporated into the gameplay. That being said, of course Antare takes advantage of Beasthood to fight. Not all the time though, only when desperate. It really messes with their psyche, though, because they have a hard time reconciling the fact that they’re both human and monster.

Is there a beast or type of enemy your hunter likes to fight? An enemy they avoid? Antares both loves and hates fighting beasts. They feel like they’re fulfilling their duty as a Yharnamite citizen every time they take down a scourge wolf or a blood-addled hunter. But they also feel like they’re succumbing to the scourge more and more because every kill seems to increase their bloodlust. Not to mention looking at every blood-addled hunter keeps reminding Antares of their own possible fate… The more Eldritch looking enemies really just befuddle the hunter in the meantime. Not too much felt when fighting them than some disgust and the previously mentioned confusion at how much creatures could exist.

Do they often summon the Old Hunters or hunters from other worlds to aid them? Not really, Antares is a bit of a lone fighter.

PLOT DECISIONS

Does your hunter’s story deviate from the central plot of Bloodborne? In what ways? I guess so. I’ve mostly filled this meme out for an Antares who exists in @thesaint-jimmy‘s pre-game timeline of the Bloodborne universe. By the game’s time, I would have had Antares become an old hunter who has long left the Dream like Eileen. They would be more like an NPC the Good Hunter encounters.

Does your hunter try to rescue any of the civilians of Yharnam? Are they successful? Of course. Despite their introvertedness, Antares still tries to keep an eye out for others in Yharnam. They are successful only with some, though (namely those NPCs who safely make it to Odeon Chapel except for the crotchety old man and the suspicious beggar). Suspicious beggar dude and Antares immediately sense that they’re both Abhorrent Beasts and fight because they obviously have different thoughts about controlling themselves/endangering people when in Beast Form. Crotchety old man is just a loss Antares grimly but firmly accepts because they’ve gotten so used to losing people over the years of the Hunt. Father Gascoigne’s daughters are another story however because Antares has always been protective of children. To know they indirectly caused the deaths of a former acquaintance’s children brings about a great sense of shame and failure.

Does your hunter kill the Impostor Iosefka or let her continue her work? Thanks to their heightened beast senses, Antares probably smells there being a different Iosefka in the clinic. That certainly raises suspicion so the hunter would check everything out and discover the Celestial Mob experiments, much to their horror. After all, being friends with someone who was once cruelly used for experimentation would make such work leave an incredibly disgusting taste in Antares’s mouth. They’d definitely kill the Imposter Iosefka before mercy-killing all of the Celestial Mobs she’s made for experimentation.

Do they fight Djura or befriend him? What about Eileen the Crow? Befriend both Djura and Eileen. I imagine them both knowing Antares before the game timeline of Bloodborne.

Do they choose to side with Alfred or Queen Annalise? Perhaps Alfred, though they are a little concerned about his trustworthiness given his evident devotion to Master Logarius.

Does your hunter enter the Chalice Dungeons? I personally would enter the Chalice Dungeons because they seem like cool places to explore and practice combat skills. Antares probably wouldn’t be interested in them though.

Does your hunter enter the Hunter’s Nightmare? Do they defeat the Orphan of Kos? Maybe to the first question and no to the second question. I imagine there could be a timeline where Antares dies as a blood-addled beast so they’re sent to suffer eternally in the Hunter’s Nightmare.

What is your hunter’s final choice at the end of the game? They accept Gehrman’s offer so they can leave the dream. But hmm… it would be interesting to consider an Antares who decides to take Gherman’s place if they think forever leaving their friends with their humanity still whole would be a better fate than eventually succumbing to the Scourge like Father Gascoigne.

If they accept Gehrman’s offer, what does your hunter do once they’re free of the Hunter’s Dream? Immediately return home to their loved ones and try to continue living their life as Yharnam continues to descend into Hell. I don’t know to be honest. Antares has never been one to work actively towards the Greater Good, but they’ll provide support as needed.

If applicable, how does your hunter die? I don’t know because I want my Gaysian character to live a wholesome life well into their older years with their loved ones but… I also love Soulsborne style tragedies.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your hunter? I have a Dark Souls AU version of Antares where they’re far more chill as a character because they’re not a monster trapped in an urban hellhole. If people are interested in either version, though, I have a Soulsborne RP blog for them (@knightantares).

#bloodborne oc meme #occo #bloodborne

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silicabeast34-blog · 5 years

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What Happens When a Restaurant’s Toxic Culture Reaches Customers?

The deli had delicious sandwiches. The kind of food you crave suddenly and without warning, the kind that makes you wish you lived close enough to eat it every day. Andrea and her husband loved this deli, and when they found out Andrea was pregnant, it was where they went to celebrate. They were trying to take a photo of themselves with the ultrasound when the owner came over, joking that he didn’t know this “was a photo studio,” Andrea remembers.

It was innocuous at first, just an older man making conversation with them. He turned to Andrea’s husband, asked, “Are you the one who did this?” and it was uncomfortable but they said yes, it’s our baby. The owner gave them unsolicited advice: “You should get a private room so you can get started on number two before you even leave the hospital.”

Andrea was glad her husband was there as a buffer. “It seemed like it would be easier just to laugh along than to say anything,” she says of the drunk-uncle routine from a complete stranger. The owner was an older man, which probably changed her reaction to the increasingly outlandish things he said. “I think his intentions were good in asking [about the ultrasound], but then it went too far in joking around.”

In the midst of the #MeToo movement, restaurants have come under scrutiny for being hotbeds of harassment. Laws like the Equal Employment Opportunity Act make a hostile work environment illegal, but the industry is still clearly figuring out how to live up to the spirit of the law: Guests harass servers who have to put up with pointed comments and requests for dates; managers or owners hire staff based on their appearance, as though their businesses are a setup for a Bachelor spinoff; and of course, prominent chefs and restaurant owners have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct and harassment by their employees. The first wave of #MeToo stories in the restaurant industry has focused on these overt forms of harassment where employees, held hostage by their need for a paycheck, have been bearing it from guests and coworkers for far too long; the type of harassment that festers alongside unequal power structures of tipped and non-tipped workers or the long-stewing “boy’s club” mentality in professional kitchens.

It might be unexpected for, say, a bank teller to hit on his clients, but it’s not out of the ordinary for a bartender.

Yet the conversation has largely side-stepped what happens to guests at restaurants, a grayer area that’s informed (or not) by a lack of legal accountability, the strange dynamic between server and customer, and the fact that the definition of “good hospitality” varies from person to person. We assume not only that the customer is always right but that they always have the power — to walk away, to find a new place to eat, to complain to a manager — so little attention has been paid to how often misconduct happens to guests, too.

“I’ve never heard explicit rules about flirting or hooking up with guests at any of the bars and restaurants where I’ve worked,” Boston bartender and author Frederic Yarm wrote in an email. “I think the restaurant life attracts free spirits, so the culture is more permissive.” It might be unexpected for, say, a bank teller to hit on his clients, but it’s not out of the ordinary for a bartender. This creates a situation in which it can be hard to set boundaries between guests and staff; if those distinctions aren’t properly spelled out, problems can arise.

Hospitality in the U.S. tends toward gregariousness and treating customers “like family,” but the way a staff member may treat a customer, the amount of deference or familiarity between the two parties, ranges wildly. A lot of this is intuitive, the ability to tell if a customer would welcome a friendly conversation or prefer to be left alone to enjoy their drink quietly. Or, as Yarm puts it, “Hospitality is about being an advocate for the guest and looking out for their best interest.” The famous bar creed of “don’t be creepy” just isn’t specific enough.

New Yorker Suzy Exposito still remembers the time that a male barista held her coffee hostage until she smiled. Exposito refused. “It’s uncomfortable to be told to smile for a service I paid for,” Exposito says. “[He] might have thought he was being cute and flirty, but in reality, he was setting up a situation where he had the power to demand something from me because he had something I wanted — and literally bought.”

In college, Exposito used to visit a pizzeria every Wednesday with a boy she babysat. “It was a really fun tradition for us,” she remembers. “We’d sit and eat pizza and talk about our week.” But the store’s manager was an older man who insisted on serving them whenever she stopped in. “Every single time he would ask how old I was, if I had a boyfriend, if I lived alone, if I liked older men. He would make comments about my body in front of the kid,” Exposito says. It got so bad that she had to explain to the boy that they needed to find a new pizzeria. She was only 23 at the time, and there wasn’t a manager she could complain to about the man. “Today,” she says, “I’d totally rip this guy a new one on Yelp!”

When it comes to fighting against sexual misconduct or other behavior by employees or managers of a restaurant, one bad review feels like a puny weapon. But it’s often the only one: There’s little established support or recourse for guests who have encountered behavior ranging from uncomfortable to predatory at a bar, restaurant, or nightclub. They can complain to a manger, never patronize the establishment again, or leave a Yelp review to warn future customers (or all of the above). While there are organizations that protect consumers’ rights, they exist to prevent things like fraud — not to oversee behavior.

According to restaurant and hospitality attorney Kimberly Summers, even in particularly egregious cases involving assault, restaurant owners aren’t liable for the actions of their employees unless it can be proved that an employee committed a crime in the course of performing their job. In the case of a lawsuit filed against Houston restaurant Brennan’s in late January, which alleges that a former (and now deceased) bartender drugged a customer’s drink, over-served her alcohol, then sexually assaulted her, a bartender’s duty is to serve drinks, Summer says — drugging the drink is a criminal action outside that scope. That’s a marked difference from laws preventing harassment in the workplace under the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, which only protect workers.

Relying on a feedback loop between businesses and customers to fix bad behavior isn’t a good model. Customers have complicated reasons for why they patronize one business over another — convenience, price, tradition, the food — and whether they had a bad experience with one employee is just part of the equation. Exposito kept returning to the pizzeria that made her uncomfortable until the manager crossed one line too many.

As for the deli owner with the inappropriate comments, Andrea says the food is good and there aren’t many other options in town at that level. “We’ll go back,” she says, though she adds that she’ll probably try not to make eye contact with the man and to avoid him if she can. “This is an institution that preexisted him and will outlive him. It’s not about this guy,” she says.

In other words, a Yelp review of the place might read, “Best sandwiches in town. Owner might make sex jokes about you. Weird vibes.” Four stars.

Tove Danovich is a freelance journalist and former New Yorker who now lives in Portland, Oregon. Follow her on Twitter @TKDano. Kevin VQ Dam is a Vietnamese-American illustrator currently based in Oakland, CA. Editor: Hillary Dixler Canavan

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Source: https://www.eater.com/2019/3/18/18252080/metoo-restaurants-customers-boundary-setting

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taniasinel · 7 years

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The Aidan Gray #AGwithanedge Winners!!

The big day is here!!!

Today, I am going to announce the winners of the Aidan Gray contest #AGwithanedge.

But first a word about the contest.

Awww, come on!!!

You didn’t think I was just going to say who the winners were – right at first?!?!?

I know it’s NOT fair!!

But, Patience Please!

And NO peeking!!!!!

Ok. Back to the story.

A few months ago I heard from Randal Weeks, the head honcho at Aidan Gray.

He had just finished completely restoring a 1920s house in High Point and he wanted to somehow incorporate the renovation into a contest. After a rash of emails, Randal and his extremely talented group of co-workers came up with the contest that became known as #AGwithanedge.

Randal wanted the contest to merge artistry and design and he came up with this idea:

Contestants would photograph a room of theirs that would look better with an Aidan Gray light fixture. On that photo, they would merge the actual picture with the fixture of their choice using a photoshop app.

Then, they would load the merged photo on Instagram using the hashtag #AGwithanedge.

Simple enough, right?!?!?

In the beginning, the award prizes were going to be all the Aidan Gray fixtures used in Randal’s renovated High Point house. The contestants would chose a fixture used in that house and then they would pick a room or a space in their own house that the fixture would look good in.

That’s what the contest was supposed to be.

But somewhere along the way, that became too complicated and in my heart, I knew that many of you were fans of the more classic Aidan Gray, as opposed to AGwithanedge – the more updated Aidan Gray fixtures. Not everyone is contemporary today, even though it sometimes seems that way.

And I’m glad we didn’t adhere to the rule “only chose a fixture in the renovated house” because I think it freed everyone up to dream about that one Aidan Gray fixture THEY have always wanted to own!

But still, the actual rules of the contest were complicated.

I was a little - well more than a little – I was very concerned that the contest would be problematic. Not everyone is on Instagram and not everyone knows how to navigate Instagram. Then there was the issue of the merged photo – using a photoshop type app to create the entry photograph.

I was also convinced that no one would know how to “merge” photos except for a small handful of computer literate readers.

In the end…all my fears were for naught.

We had almost 100 entrants in the contest, which is fabulous.

I offered to create entries for those who weren’t on Instagram or who couldn’t do the picture stitching – so hopefully, no one was left out of entering.

Basically, #AGwithanedge began with a house, a 1929 Tudor house in High Point:

Randal had seen this fabulous Tudor for sale and he thought it would be perfect to stay in while he was at market and it would also make a perfect vacation house for his three teenaged sons. The Emerywood house is located at 210 Hillcrest near the High Point Country Club. It had been custom built for W.C. Idol and his wife, who entertained in the house, hosting parties and garden club meetings.

The Idols sold the house to John and Mary Diffendal who lived in the Tudor, with their many children, during their 60 years of marriage. After John passed away, Mary continued to live in the house alone, visited by her doctor who made house calls and the hairdresser and manicurist who both came weekly. Later, when Mary could not walk upstairs, she moved into the dining room, making it her bedroom.

When Randal bought the house, he took it down to the studs, completely renovating every inch of the house. He painted the exterior a soft gray and white which immediately updated the house. This detail was much debated in the Cote de Texas comment section with some of you preferring the dark red brick over the gray paint. My vote is for the painted version!

In the end, the dream of a Weeks vacation house was not to be. Perhaps this house was just too close to work to make it relaxing for the Weeks. Randal sold the house before it was even completely finished: the winter weather did not allow the landscaping to be installed and the garage apartment was left to be renovated by the new owners.

The Weeks ending up buying another property they are currently renovating that is far, far away from the pressures of work and it will be a vacation home for the Weeks.

Despite quickly selling the house, Randal was still able to furnish it with all the latest contemporary light fixtures, furniture and accessories from Aidan Gray. The photos will live on for a long time – and are a wonderful way to show off many of Randal’s newest designs.

Before: Randal took the house down to the studs. It was this beautiful, iconic banister that sold Randal on the house.

After: The wood floors that were once mostly covered by carpet are now stained very dark brown/black.

The view from the entry to the living room on the left and the family room/kitchen past the staircase.

Before: The library was carpeted and had some wood paneling on the walls, along with faux PAPER paneling!!!!!! I asked Randal why he had removed some of the paneling and he said, “Joni, it wasn’t wood. It was brown PAPER glued to the walls!!!”

After: The library is now very dark gray/black and is a mix of old and new.

The dining room was once where the former owner lived out her twilight years. Now, it is a contemporary space, with the custom light fixture that Randal created out of an antique altar that once held holy water. Other pieces of the altar were used in the living room.

Before: The family room. Randal kept the charming corner cabinets, but he removed the wall on the right side, between the kitchen/breakfast room, to create a large open space.

After: The large family room and kitchen, with the wall now removed.

Randall made this window, between the two corner cabinets, a focal point of the family room.

Before: The kitchen. Randal extended the galley kitchen into the breakfast room, making one extra large space.

AFTER: The galley kitchen is now one large space with a table at the end. Several different pendants from AG were used in this space.

The kitchen has an amazing mirrored hood, while the entire back wall is covered in white subway tile. I think the kitchen is my favorite space in the house.

Upstairs. The new stairs to the attic are contemporary to juxtapose them against the original stairs with the banister that first attracted Randal to the house.

The room that was once the “sewing room” is now a cute guest room with light pink walls.

We didn’t see this in the original story – the master bathroom with marble tile walls. Love!

Another view of the master bathroom.

This bathroom is particularly beautiful with the marble walls.

My favorite bedroom is this attic room. Be sure to look at the original story to see all the photos HERE.

And so…..are you ready for the winners??????

Winner #1:

Winner #1: azrenee4 aka Renee Hoffman

Renee wrote: “How amazing would this Crown & Glory Chandelier by Aidan Gray set the tone for our home's entryway!

The foyer would go from so-so to Hello Gorgeous!”

Renee won Aidan Gray’s #L860 Crown & Glory

Aidan Gray says: The Crown and Glory is backordered and will not be available until next month.

Renee can either wait for the fixture or choose the L839 Globe in Gold.

Winner #2:

Winner #2: elevengables aka Emily

Emily wrote: “Browsing @aidangrayhome for new chandys all over my house!

I think this one is perfect for the formal living! Don't you agree? @jonibwebb Cote de Texas is hosting a giveaway! Pick me! Pick me!”

Aidan Gray says “We agree with Emily's choice: L504 WHITE CHAN Pommard Chandelier, Distressed White.

Note: The L504S CHAN WHT Pommard Chandelier- Small will not be available till July. Emily needs to verify which size she needs.”

Joni says: “This is one of my favorite Aidan Gray chandeliers (of course it is!) Emily is a favorite of décor bloggers and I was so thrilled to see that she had won!”

Winner #3:

Winner #3: KIMMTAFF aka Kim Marrow Taff

KIMMTAFF chose two Aidan Gray Burges table lamps for her living room.

Aidan Gray said: “We agree with Kim's choice: L34 Bruges Table Lamps –the pair.”

Kim chose the light colored shade.

Winner #4:

Winner #4: sdpotts619 aka Brenda Potts

Brenda chose a pair of Aidan Gray Marshal floor lamps.

Aidan Gray said: “We agree with Brenda's choice: L450 Marshal Floor Lamp (pair)”

Joni says: “This floor lamp, the L450 Marshal, is so beautiful. I especially love the base of the lamp and the gilt detailing.”

Winner #5:

Winner #5: thegreydovecottage aka Andi Cox

Andi says “This Aidan Gray Dinard Table lamp would work perfectly in our foyer,

with our chandelier, which we made from a vintage wire basket.”

Aidan Gray says: “We agree with Andi's choice: L616 Dinard Table Lamp in Gold (pair.)”

Aidan Gray says: “Second Choice: Andi can also choose this lamp from the original giveaway: L804 GOLD Sandra Lamp (pair.)”

Winner #6:

Winner #6: blossomsinbatesville aka Blossoms

Blossoms said: “I would love 2 rosebud floor lamps from Aidan Gray in nickel to go at each end of the buffet! Love the blue and white too!”

Aidan Gray said “We agree with Blossoms’ choice: L870 NKL (Pair.)”

Joni says “Randal used two pairs of these floor lamps in the living room of the High Point House.”

Winner #7:

Winner #7: mysweetsavannah aka Melanie Thompson

Melanie said: “Dreaming of winning this solitude chandelier from @aidangrayhome and @jonibwebb 's contest!

Thinking it would add a funky vibe to our newly painted dining room!”

Joni says: I LOVE Melanie’s dining room and LOVE this modern chandelier (I know! Surprise, but I love it!)

Here is what Melanie’s dining room looks like – won’t this fixture be fabulous in her house???

And Aidan Gray says “We agree with Melanie's choice: L547 CHAN HOM Solitude Chandelier, Black.

Her choice of clear or frosted rods will need to be verified.”

“We would give Melanie a choice of the nickel or brass base as well.”

Winner #8:

Winner #8: crystalconner aka Crystal Conner

Crystal says “I love these Aidan Gray Hourglass Gold chandeliers for my kitchen peninsula.

Can you say "Too many pot lights!?"

Aidan Gray said “We agree with Crystal's choice: L838 CHAN GLD (pair)” AND they also said:

“Crystal may choose any shape from the beaded collection (above) if she prefers!”

Winner #9:

Winner #9 entered photos of her kitchen AND her living room:

Kitchen

Living Room

Winner #9 eileenbarlow aka Eileen Barlow

Eileen said: “Browsing @aidangrayhome for new chandys all over my house!

I think this one is perfect for the formal living!

Don't you agree?”

Aidan Gray says “Since we see that these 2 rooms flow together and we agree with all of Eileen’s choices,

she gets her choice of: L839 CHAN SIL Globe Silver;

L830 CHAN SIL Flared Bell Silver (Gray & White also available); or L855 PEND Eureka Bell Pendant:

L839 Chan Globe Silver OR…

L830 Chan Flared Bell Silver (or gray or white) OR…

L855 Eureka Bell Pendant

Aidan Gray says “This will be either a pair of the smaller pendants or a single of the larger chandelier choice.”

Winner #10:

Winner #10: MLZook

Aidan Gray said: “We agree with MLZook’s choice: L532L AB CHAN HOM Large Organic Globe

in Antique Brass, out of stock until July.”

“Since, the first choice is out of stock now, MLZook may wait for her first choice or we can offer a pair of the small version:

L532 AB CHAN HOM Organic Globe- Antique Brass – A PAIR”

Joni says “Hmm…. Actually, I think I prefer two smaller pendants to one larger one!”

Winner #11

Winner #11 paulamarietaylor64 entered two choices – the kitchen and…

…her living room.

Paula said: “My newly repainted kitchen would LOVE to have a beautiful chandelier to replace the ugly ceiling fan that is currently marring the new, bright look. And my newly repainted living room needs the Naples Chandelier to replace the circa 1980's faux wood ceiling fan!”

Aidan Gray: “We agree with Paula's choice of either room: L837 CHAN GW Torch, Gray & White

or L430 CHAN Naples Chandelier, beaded.

If Paula chooses the kitchen fixture, she may choose from the whole beaded collection.

If Paula choose her living room, she may choose from any of the 3 sizes of the Naples Chandelier.

Joni says: “I would choose the Large Naples Chandelier – in nickel! - What a great gift!!!”

Winner #12

Winner #12: atxladybug

Atxladybug says “How could laundry feel like a chore when you're under this gorgeous Aidan Grey Lotus pendant?”

Aidan Gray says “The winning chandelier is the L916 PEND Lotus Pendant.”

“OR TxLadybug can choose our choice from the original giveaway: L523 AB CHAN HOM Modern Basket Weave Chandelier.”

Joni says “Here is the fixture seen in the High Point House’s laundry room! This is a hard choice. If TxLadyBug’s laundry room has gold in it – go with the original choice. If there is silver or chrome, like the laundry room in the High Point house, go with the second choice.”

Winner #13:

Winner #13: conluc98

Conluc98 says: “While I love the lamps on my bedside table, I would love a pair of the Fallon Wall Sconces

to add extra light and depth to the focal wall of the bedroom!”

Aidan Gray: “We agree with contestant's choice: WL305 Fallon Wall Sconce (pair.)”

Joni says: “I LOVE this bedroom! This is one of my favorite entrants!! Love the art work and the two flanking wallpaper panels and the Mary McDonald lamps. Just beautiful. The sconces will be the crowning touch. Congrats!!!”

Winner #14:

Winner #14: elizabethrobson3750 aka Elizabeth Robson

Aidan Gray says “We agree with Elizabeth's choice: L522 G CHAN HOM Chan Geo Collection Look #2 Small Chandelier, Gold

OR we would suggest any shape from our beaded collection if Elizabeth would like to choose from these:

Joni says “The beaded collection seen in the kitchen at the High Point house.”

Winner #15:

Winner #15: clrbham aka Cheryl Reitz

Cheryl said: “For the Aidan Gray Contest...our new house 2nd floor sitting area overlooks the park. We plan to put our plum settee in front of this window. This chandelier would look awesome from the inside and even better from outside. Thank you!!!

Aidan Gray said: “We agree with Cheryl's choice: L860 CHAN Crown & Glory.”

NOTE: Crown & Glory is not in stock and will not be available until next month. You can either wait for your fixture OR you can choose from the original giveaway: L733 CHAN Brianne Lantern:

Joni said: “Below is the lantern seen in the High Point living room. This is a tough choice Cheryl! It depends how quickly you want your winning prize!”

The living room at High Point.

Winner #16:

Winner #16 is [email protected] aka Debra.

Debra chose Two AG Fergus sconces for her bathroom.

Aidan Gray: “Agree with Debra’s choice AG Fergus sconces (pair.)”

Joni says: “Debra had written that she needed me to create her photo for Instagram, which I did. I loved her powder room with the antique marble sink and the new Aidan Gray Fergus sconces. I actually had to create a few of the photos, but this is the only one that won a prize! Congrats!!!!”

AND…

This marks the end of the Aidan Gray #AGwithanedge Contest!!!

I hope you all agree with the choice of winners.

Thank you to all who that entered and created photographs using your favorite Aidan Gray fixtures.

I want to also give a huge thank you to Randal Weeks, the creator and master mind behind Aidan Gray and the designer of the High Point House AND this contest! Whew!

A huge thank you also to Randal’s crew of co-workers who helped develop the contest rules and saw it through to the end. A special shout out to Travis Nix and Kady Olson whom I bothered so much during the course of the past few months!

I loved this contest so much – I loved the creativity it brought out and all the discussions it spurned. And I love how HAPPY the winners will be!!! I wish you all could have been winners!!

A FEW IMPORTANT NOTES:

TO THE WINNERS – READ THIS CAREFULLY TO REDEEM YOUR FIXTURE:

1. All the winners need to first email Kady Olson at Aidan Gray.

Her email address is:

[email protected]

2. In the subject line – be SURE to say:

“COTE DE TEXAS CONTEST WINNER”

3. In the email, first list the Instagram User Name you used in the contest.

4. Next, give your full name and address and phone number.

5. Then, list your winning fixture.

If you have a choice of fixtures, list your first choice, then your second choice.

If you have ANY questions about the fixture- email Kady and she will be able to help you.

AND FINALLY, to all winners. Once you receive your fixture and it is installed, please send me a photo of the fixture hanging! I would love to see it and so would Randal!!! This isn’t mandatory, but we would love to see your fixture in place, if possible.

And…that’s all folks!

from COTE DE TEXAS http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/2017/06/testing.html

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