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albertasunrise · 3 years

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Amateur Heist - Chapter 1

Summary: You know his name is Marcus Pike. You know he works for the FBI. You’ve seen him around the gallery the past week, or so. Thrown him longing looks when his back's turned but he's here for a reason, a tip that the gallery was going to be a robbed. What you don’t know is that you are about to get a lot more acquainted with him as his life will literally be in your hands.

Warnings: Blood and Injury, Hostage situation, Angst.

Relationship: Marcus x Reader

You know his name is Marcus Pike. You know he works for the FBI. You’ve seen him around the gallery the past week, or so. Thrown him longing looks when his back's turned but he's here for a reason, a tip that the gallery was going to be a robbed. What you don’t know is that you are about to get a lot more acquainted with him as his life will literally be in your hands.

The day started out like any other. You opened up the gallery as normal and busied yourself with cleaning and paperwork as you did every day. Your boss usually arrives around 9 with a coffee for you and he in hand, he never fails to bring you your latte with a single shot of Caramel syrup.

‘Good morning Sweet.’ He says with a smile as he hands you your to-go cup, pecking you on the cheek before heading to his office in the back.

Marcus doesn’t have a particular time that he arrives but he usually pops in around mid-morning to scour the CCTV footage and speak to you and your boss about anything suspicious that you may have seen. He’s always dressed down, never looks like an FBI agent and he explained that this was in case they were scoping the place. He didn't want to raise suspicion which was why he always enters from the rear of the gallery also as the alley made anyone spying on the place easier to spot.

‘I have a lunchtime reservation with Fiona today so I will be out until around 2.’ States your boss as he emerges from his office a little while later, iPad in hand ‘You think you’ll be able to hold the fort whilst I'm out?’

‘Oh, I think I’ll be able to handle it.’ You chuckle as you look around at the empty gallery.

‘Perfect!’ He exclaims before returning to tapping away at the tablet in his hand.

You busy yourself again after he leaves, busy typing up emails when the bell above to door dings, alerting you to someone entering.

‘I will be with you in just a moment.’ You say as you finish up a receipt for your latest sale.

‘You’ll deal with me now.’ A voice growls and you look up slowly to see a gun pointing straight at you.

You don’t know where the sudden confidence comes from but you manage to blindly dial Marcus’ number, knowing he was the last person you’d called on your work mobile to confirm something the previous day.

‘Step away from the counter with your hands above your head.’ He spits and you do as you’re told, your eyes fixed on his ‘Lock the door. You run, I shoot you.’

You nod, slowly making your way to the door and turning the key in the lock before turning back to face him. What now?

‘You going to swing by the gallery today boss?’ Asks Matt as Marcus walks into the communal kitchen.

‘I’m not sure yet.’ He replies, shrugging as he pours some coffee into this mug ‘It’s been over a week and there have been no hits on the gallery.’ He pauses to take a sip ‘Maybe we were given a bad tip.’

‘So you’re not even going to pop by just so you can see her?’ Matt asks suggestively as he wiggles his eyebrows at his boss.

‘Don’t Matt.’ He warns as he points at him.

‘Oh come on. I've seen the way you look at her.’ He states ‘Just ask her out. I’m sure she’d say yes.’

‘How would you know. My dealings with her have been nothing but professional.’

‘Because I’ve seen the way she looks at you when your back is turned.’ Matt finishes and Marcus feels a warm feeling wash over him.

Did you like him? He couldn’t deny that he had a rather large crush on you. He found you irresistible. You not only had a vast knowledge about art but you were also just as passionate as he was about it. His phone ringing in his pocket tugs him back to reality and he pulls it out to see your name flashing on the screen.

‘Who is it?’ Asks Matt quizzically.

‘It’s her.’

‘Maybe she’s calling to see where you are?’ He states, giving his boss a wink as Marcus answers.

‘Pike.’

He doesn’t hear anything initially and he wonders if you may have dialled him by mistake but just as he was about to pull his phone away from his ear he heard it.

‘Step away from the counter with your hands above your head’

Marcus’ face drops.

‘Boss, what is it?’ Matt asks upon noticing his bosses change in demeanour.

‘We need to get down to the gallery now.’ He states, hanging up the phone ‘It’s being robbed.’

In less than an hour, the gallery is surrounded, the whole street closed off as FBI and Police vehicles line the street. Marcus jumps out of his car and makes his way to the rest of his team that is eagerly awaiting his instruction and he glances inside to see you curled up against the wall as the assailant paces nervously.

‘We have both the front and rear entrance’s covered.’ States Alice as she nods at her boss in greeting ‘We don’t think he is aware that there is another way into the gallery. I think it’s likely that he’s new to this boss.’

‘Right,’ Marcus starts, looking down at the blueprint spread across the hood of Alice’s car ‘Matt and I are going to enter from the rear. If he isn't aware of it then we should be able to get in and subdue him easily. Alice, I want you and James to stay here and keep the local police instructed on what the plan is. If we aren’t able to get in then he may start making demands.’

‘You got it.’ She replies as she folds up the blueprint and makes her way over to a cluster of officers stood a little further down the street from them.

‘Right. Vest on. We’re going in.’ Orders Marcus and Matt nods.

As soon as they were suited up they were sprinting down the alleyway, Marcus pulling out the key the owner had given him and gingerly turning it in the lock.

‘Stay behind me.’ He says to Matt before opening the door and stepping inside, both of them watching their footing carefully as not to alert the robber to their presence.

Meanwhile, you have been made to move to the other side of the divide that sits proudly at the centre of the gallery and thats when you’d realised that this man wasn’t alone. There is two of them. You’d managed to keep yourself somewhat calm but you were starting to feel the adrenaline wearing off and your body had started to betray you. From the corner of your eye, you notice the storeroom door creaking open, your eyes growing wide when Marcus’s face comes into view and he raises his pointer finger up to his lips. You nod, just enough that he knows that you understand but not enough to rouse suspicion and then your gaze flits to the man across from you, you shut your eyes and pray for it to be over.

‘FBI, HANDS UP.’ Shouts Marcus as he jumps into the room, aiming his weapon at the man behind you, the only one he knows about.

‘MARCUS, WATCH OUT.’ You scream as your eyes shoot open and you see the second man aim his weapon at the agent.

It happens in a flash. Pike turns just quick enough to see his attacker before they pull the trigger, the agent hitting the ground with a loud thud. You look over at him, his face already painted in blood and he's blinking rapidly in what you assume is an attempt to try and clear his mind.

‘BACK UP.’ Shouts the man behind you as he steps closer to Matt ‘Back up or my partner here will shoot him between the eyes.' He spits as he waves his weapon at a dazed Marcus.

Matt did as he was bid, backing up with his hands raised in surrender. He glances at his boss, there's is blood and a lot of it. Marcus is laying there still blinking, desperately trying to make sense of what has just happened but all he could hear is a ringing in his ears as his vision starts to grey around the edges.

‘You tell your colleagues that we’ll have some demands.’ Growls, who you had decided must be in charge ‘If they aren’t met. These two die.’ He states and you lock eyes with Matt in a silent plea to save you ‘Now run along and tell them that we’ll be in touch!’

Matt turns and leaves, sprinting through the back door with Marcus’ attacker hot on his heels.

‘Make sure no one can get through that door!' He yells before turning his attention back to you, and then to the bleeding agent on the floor ‘You best take a look at that.’ He orders as he watches Marcus flop on the floor ‘He don’t look so good.’

You pull off your blazer and scoot over to him, pressing it firmly against his gushing head wound in an attempt to slow the bleeding. Now you were no doctor but you’d watched House. You know head wounds bleed a lot but do they normally bleed this much? You peel your blazer back a moment to get a better look at the damage and you gasp at what you see. This grabs Marcus’ attention.

‘That bad eh?’ He asks, his brown eyes full of fear.

‘No.’ You reply, shaking your head ‘Just grazed you. You’ll be okay.’ You lie, not able to bring yourself to tell him the truth. The bullet had grazed him alright but from the looks of it, it had fractured his skull in the process.

His eyes were starting to droop. You know that people with head injuries need to stay awake and so you shake his shoulder and you speak to him ‘You need to stay awake agent Pike.’ You urge, feeling tears start to sting your eyes ‘Just keep those pretty brown eyes on me.’

‘You think my eyes are pretty?’ He questions, smirking at you and you let out a breathy chuckle.

‘Yes.’ You reply with a nod ‘I think they’re very pretty Agent Pike.’

'Marcus.'

'Hmm?'

'Marcus.' He repeats 'Call me Marcus.'

‘Matt, what the hell is going on?’ Yells James upon seeing the younger agent sprinting across the street ‘Where the hell is Marcus? We heard gunshots!’

‘He’s been shot.’ Matt states as he leans heavily on the car whilst he attempts to catch his breath ‘There's two of them.’ One’s hiding just on the other side of that divide. He caught Pike by surprise, got him in the head.’

‘FUCK!.’ Yells James ‘He alive?’

‘He was when I left.’ Matt replies ‘They’re going to be calling with demands soon so we need to make sure someone's ready to take that call. He was bleeding badly so I’m not sure how long he’s going to hold out.’

‘Right grab Alice.’ James orders, motioning to the female agent ‘She’ll be our best bet at getting them out alive.’

‘How did you get into art.’ He asks, his eyes growing heavier by the minute.

‘Well, it's the only thing I'm any good at.’ You chuckle before noticing how cold his skins gone Shit he’s going into shock ‘I went to school in England where I studied for 6 years. Learned that it’s impossible to make any money selling work no one wants. Then I met Simon and he offered me a job here. What about you?’

‘Pretty much the same.’ He replies, shivering as he looks sideways at the painting on the wall beside you ‘Apart from the studying on England part. Discovered that I was also quite the detective and ended up working for the FBI Art Crimes Division. I hadn’t even known there was one till I joined.’

‘I’ll confess I didn’t either. It almost seems like something out of a movie.’ You say and he smiles warmly at you before his eyes slip closed ‘Hey Marcus no. Keep your eyes open for me.’

You can see he’s trying but he’s failing miserably and so you rack your brain for something, anything you can do to get his attention.

Then it hits you.

You lean down and press your soft lips against his, smiling when he gasps in surprise before kissing you back and letting out a small hum of approval.

‘Normally I like to be wined and dined first.’ He jokes as you pull away, his brown eyes sparkling.

‘Well how about we make a deal? You keep your eyes open for me and stay awake and as a reward, I will take you out to dinner.’ You say and he grins at you.

‘Are you asking me on a date?’

‘Maybe I am.’ You reply, returning his toothy smile with your own.

‘I’m supposed to do that.’ He mumbles, eyes starting to flutter again.

‘Well, you’ve had over a week!’ You exclaim and he chuckles weakly ‘I guess I’ve had to take matters into my own hands.’

He looks up at you through hooded lids, his smile, though weak, still spreading to his eyes.

‘Okay. I will on one con-condition.’ He stutters and you tilt your head in curiosity ‘I pay.’

‘Hmmm, I think I can accept those terms.’ You reply, smiling sweetly at him as one hand presses down your blood-soaked blazer to his head as the other cups his cheek, thumb rubbing circles on the soft skin there.

‘Then it’s a date.’ He chuckles before scrunching his eyes as the pain starts to filter through.

‘What are they demanding?’ Asks Matt, watching as Alice listens to the perps over the phone.

‘They want to walk out of there.’ She states ‘They haven’t taken anything and they won’t if we let them go without charge. They want a car and the promise that when they leave, they won’t be followed.’

‘Are they insane?’ Matt whisper shouts ‘One of them shot a fucking federal agent in the head!’

‘Well, we might have to concede to their demands.’ She states ‘Marcus isn’t doing well according to him.'

‘Headquarters aren’t going to just let them walk out.’ States James and Alice throws the phone down as she lets out an exasperated sigh ‘Well it's that or Pike bleeds to death.’ She growls ‘Which will it be?’

You notice that Marcus’ eyes are starting to slip shut again. His skin is now a scary shade of white and his breathing has become erratic. You know the warning signs for shock and he is definitely ticking those boxes. You also know he didn’t have long before his organs would start to shut down. It would most likely kill him before the blood loss.

‘Where shall we go on our date then?’ You ask, desperate to keep him with you ‘Now I don’t know about you but I live for Pancakes.’

‘I l-love p…pan-cakes.’ Your heart twists at how hard it is for him to speak now.

‘Well, I know this super cute little diner. Does the best pancakes.’ You state as you pull him a little closer to you ‘They do the Canadian special. Thick, fluffy pancakes topped in crispy chicken and maple-cured bacon. Of course, it's then drowned in maple syrup.’

‘S-sounds good.’ He says, his hand grabbing your forearm and giving it a squeeze ‘I think I'd like t-to try th-that.’

‘Well, then that settles it. We’ll go there for dinner and order two Canadian Specials.’ You declare and he gives you a dopey smile.

‘Then what will we do?’ He asks, his eyes a little brighter than before.

‘Then we can go for a walk. There’s a lovely park a little way down from there. They light up the trees at night, it's magical.’ You state and he smiles as he listens to you speak ‘Then you can walk me back to my apartment, I don't live far from there, and you can kiss me goodnight on my doorstep.’

‘I’d like that.’

‘Just a kiss mind.’ You state as you feign a serious expression ‘I don’t do any funny business on the first date.’

‘Noted.’ He replies, his laugh followed by dry coughing that makes him groan in pain.

When the pain settles a little he looks up at you again. That fear you’d first seen has returned and you feel your stomach twisting in knots.

‘I’m so cold.’ He states and you feel your blood turn to ice.

‘You just need to hold on a little longer.’ You plead, shaking him gently as his eyes slip shut for a moment ‘Come on Marcus, let me see those eyes again.’

He graces you with his gaze. Brow knitted together as tears start to leak from the corner of his eyes ‘I’m scared.’ He sobs and you swear your heart shatters.

‘There’s no reason to be scared, Marcus.’ You say softly as you rock him gently in your arms ‘You’re going to be fine.’ You state as you look up and your captors who are busy growling down the phone ‘Everything’s going to be okay. We're going to get out of here. Okay? Marcus?’

Nothing.

‘Marcus?’ You glance down and sob.

He’s lost the battle to keep his eyes open.

Chapter 2

#Marcus Pike #Marcus Pike x Reader #Marcus Pike x You #Marcus Pike Fanfiction #Mentalist fanfiction #pedro Pascal character fanfiction #Pedro Pascal fanfiction #Pedro Pascal characters

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pikapeppa · 4 years

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Professor Solas/Lavellan: First Impressions

Chap 1 of Inadvisable (professor Solas AU) is posted! In which Nare Lavellan has a chance run-in, literally.

Beautiful art by Nare’s creator, @elbenherzart!

~2400 words; read on AO3 instead.

- NARE -

Nare swept her hair into a tidy ponytail, then gave her face one last critical look before stepping out of her bedroom. She tapped lightly on the closed bedroom door across from her own. “Tamaris?” she called. “Are you–”

“I’m coming,” Tamaris grunted. “Give me two fucking minutes.”

Nare smirked at Tamaris’s customary early-morning surliness, then padded quietly down the hall to the living room. Athera was waiting pertly on the couch with a half-finished cup of tea in her hands, and she grinned at Nare as she approached.

“She’s awake, at least?” Athera asked.

“Awake enough,” Nare said drolly. She sat next to Athera and tucked her legs up on the couch. “Are you nervous about your first day?”

Athera laughed. “Me? Nervous? Of course not! Just a normal first day doing this job for the first time in the only Ancient Elvhen Studies program in the entire country. What’s to be nervous about?”

Nare sympathetically eyed her friend’s bright smile. She didn’t blame Athera for being nervous. Athera had been looking for a research coordinator position for years. Her new job at the University of Orlais was well-earned, in Nare’s opinion, and it was just a stroke of happy fortune that Athera was starting her job at the same time that Nare was starting her Master’s of fine arts with U of O’s prestigious — and infamous — Ancient Elvhen Studies program.

It was also serendipitous that Tamaris had decided she wanted a change of pace and place, resulting in the three girls splitting the rent on a cozy three-bedroom-plus-studio apartment close to the university.

“Don’t be nervous,” Nare said warmly. “It’s going to be great! By the end of the week, the director will be wondering how they lived without you making the whole lab twice as efficient.”

Athera grimaced and ran a hand through her hair long chestnut hair. “I don’t know. Professor Abelas did not sound that impressed with my lack of experience during the phone interview. I’m still surprised I got the job.”

“He probably thinks he can train you up fresh since you’re so-called ‘inexperienced’,” Nare said knowingly. “He’ll see how good you are in two seconds. I’m sure of it.”

Athera smiled at her. “Aw, you’re sweet. I bet you’re going to impress your new supervisor just as much when you meet with him tomorrow.”

“I hope so,” Nare said. But her belly jolted at the mention of Solas.

Professor Solas, she reminded herself. Just because she had a crush on her new supervisor’s voice didn’t mean she could start thinking of him in an informal way before they’d even met.

Oh, but he had such a gorgeous voice. The majority of her communication with Professor Solas had been via email, but the one time they’d spoken on the phone… Fenedhis, Nare couldn’t get it out of her mind. His voice was smooth and mild like a hot vanilla latte, with a curl of an Elvhen accent that made something shiver in her belly in a very visceral way. She was still surprised that she’d managed to keep her calm and sound like a reasonable and intelligent person after hearing Professor Solas’s first few words floating into her ear through the phone.

And that was just from hearing him talk about the Elvhen art stream of the program and the opportunities for exhibiting her work in the galleries in Val Royeaux. Imagine if he ever spoke to her in that beautiful smooth voice about other, less professional things…

Stop it, she scolded herself silently. She was being so stupid and horny, developing a crush on a man purely for his voice. Well, not just his voice: he was incredibly intelligent and knowledgeable, and strong-willed to the point of stubborn as well, if his academic position papers were anything to go by. But if Nare was being honest, his intelligence wasn’t the main thing that had been keeping her up at night for the past couple of months since she and Solas had last spoken on the phone.

It was stupid to be thinking such carnal things about his voice, though. She didn’t even know what he looked like — not for a lack of trying to find out, if she was perfectly honest. She’d searched online for a photo of her soon-to-be supervisor, but he didn’t have a faculty photo anywhere on the U of O website, and a Google search had been shockingly unhelpful, leaving Nare with only a blank slate to imagine along with that knicker-melting voice.

“Nare, you okay?” Athera said.

Nare jolted slightly, then smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. Just thinking.”

Athera gave her a shrewd look. “Something tells me I’m not the only one who’s nervous.”

“I thought you weren’t nervous,” Nare teased.

Athera grinned, but Tamaris’s grumpy voice interrupted before Athera could reply. “You guys have nothing to be nervous about. You’re going to impress the shit out of everyone. Now let’s go get some coffee already.” She wandered over to the door and started jamming her feet into her scuffed black motorcycle boots.

Nare exchanged a smirk with Athera, then popped up from the couch. “Good morning, lethallan,” she crooned.

Athera giggled and hugged Tamaris’s arm. “Good morning,” she sing-songed.

Tamaris groaned. “Fuck off, both of you. I’m only awake this early because I have a client in an hour.”

“Wait, is it already nine?” Athera said in alarm. She checked her watch, then squeaked. “Oh shoot! Oh shoot, I’m supposed to meet Abelas at the office in fifteen minutes!” She shoved her feet onto a pair of flats and grabbed her bag, then flung open the door. “Bye! Have a good one!” she yelled, and she bolted down the stairs.

Nare smiled at Tamaris. “Looks like it’s just you and me.”

“Lucky you,” Tamaris drawled. “You get to suffer my morning-gremlin attitude all alone.”

Nare chuckled, and they made their way down the stairs at a more measured pace and wandered toward their favourite café at the end of the block.

It was a perfect crisp early-September day. The sun was a lovely warm wash of light, and the air was fresh and cool without being cold. The leaves hadn’t started changing colours yet, but the quality of their verdancy was starting to shift from the lush springlike undertones of blue to the more autumn-like undertones of yellow. When Nare pointed this out to Tamaris, Tamaris huffed in amusement.

“That’s such an artist-y thing to say,” she said.

Nare gave her a chiding look. “You say that like you aren’t an artist yourself.” She pointedly eyed the delicate vallaslin that curled around Tamaris’s left eye — vallaslin that Tamaris had carefully tapped into her own skin, and the same skills which had imbued Nare and Athera with their vallaslin as well.

“I don’t often work with colour, though,” Tamaris said.

“Isn’t your client this morning for a coloured tattoo?”

“Yeah, but that’s different than painting,” Tamaris pointed out.

“Your tattoo work is amazing, though,” Nare said.

Tamaris smirked. “Fine. We’re both amazing artists with mind-blowing skills. Are you going to buy my coffee for me because I’m so awesome?”

“I’m the student here,” Nare said with a grin. “You should be buying me coffee.”

Tamaris tsked. “Fine. Just this once though, you leech.” She pulled open the café door and gestured sarcastically for Nare to enter before her.

Nare chuckled and slid into the café. They placed their orders together, then sat at a sunny table to enjoy their coffee and fresh scones — vegan blueberry for Nare, and lemon-glazed for Tamaris.

Nare took the lid off of her cup and blew on her coffee. “So you’re coming to the start-of-year mixer tonight, right?”

Tamaris slumped in her seat and shoved a hand through her lush midnight curls. “Explain again why you want me to come to this mixer thing. I’m not a student.”

“It doesn’t matter that you’re not a student,” Nare said. In truth, she just wanted to get Tamaris out of the apartment before she started forming roots.

“It kind of does,” Tamaris said flatly. “It’s happening at the campus bar.”

“Lots of non-students go to the campus bar,” Nare pointed out. “It’s a nice bar.”

Tamaris grunted. Nare leaned toward her slightly. “Come on, Tam,” she wheedled. “Come to the mixer. Athera’s coming.”

“She works at the university now,” Tamaris pointed out. “It makes sense for her to go.”

Nare wilted. “What else are you going to do if you stay home?”

Tamaris’s reply was prompt. “I’ll rewatch The Archdemon Rises 3 for the fifth time and paint my nails.”

Nare declined to mention that Tamaris’s eggplant-purple manicure was still intact since she’d last done her nails two days ago. Instead, she widened her eyes pleadingly. “Please come? We’ll make a girls’ night of it. It’ll be fun, I promise.”

Tamaris eyed her stonily for a moment, then sighed. “Ugh, you and your baby blues. Fine, I’ll come.”

Nare beamed at her and took a bite of her scone. A leisurely half-hour later, they stepped out of the café.

Tamaris stretched her arms over her head. “All right, I’m headed home,” she said with a yawn. “You sure you don’t want to wait until tomorrow so we can go to that museum exhibit together?”

Nare shook her head. “I want to see it before my meeting with my supervisor tomorrow.”

Tamaris smirked. “Hoping to impress him with your up-to-date knowledge of the local art scene, huh?”

Nare poked her playfully. “Yes, okay? I want to make a good first impression.”

“You’ll be fine,” Tamaris said. “You always make a good first impression.”

Tamaris’s tone was dry, and Nare gazed fondly at her seemingly standoffish friend. “Thanks,” she said sincerely. “I’ll see you later.”

Tamaris nodded and headed back to the apartment, and Nare turned in the opposite direction toward the modern art museum. She pulled her phone out of her purse and tapped open her browser to check the price of tickets for the special neo-Avvar exhibit; she was fairly sure she’d get a discounted admission with her student ID, but some of the museum’s special exhibits were even free for students, and Nare couldn’t remember if—

She suddenly slammed right into someone.

She stumbled back, then squeaked in alarm as she tripped over an uneven crack in the sidewalk. Her phone dropped from her fingers, and she grabbed for it even as she tried to find her footing, oh no oh shit she was going to fall down–

A strong pair of hands grabbed her arms, and Nare gasped as she regained her balance. “Shit,” she blurted. “I’m so sorry, I – my phone, I was distracted…”

“The fault is mine. I apologize.”

A heated ripple of recognition spilled down her spine. That voice. She knew that voice. She’d been replaying that voice in her head for months and wondering what the person who owned that voice looked like: how tall he was, how big his hands were, what his lips looked like shaped around the liquids vowels of that divine Arlathani accent…

Lightheaded with disbelief, her heart in her throat, Nare lifted her eyes to his face.

Her breath left her in a punch of shock. Gorgeous. He was gorgeous. An impeccably shaven head, a mere hint of crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes which put him somewhere in his late 30s or early 40s, lush lips with a perfect cupid’s bow, a delicate divot in his chin and a jawline sharp enough to cut, and his eyes…

His eyes were perfectly lucid, a perfect quixotic blend of light grey and pale blue that Nare couldn’t quite name, and they were so warm. His eyebrows were creased with a hint of concern, and when the crease in his brow deepened, she realized that she was staring.

“Are you all right?” Professor Solas said.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Which was a good thing, because the only words Nare could think were you are fucking hot.

She nodded dumbly. A tiny hint of a smile curled the left corner of his lips, and he released her arms. “I apologize for the collision,” he said, and he crouched down to pick up his book and her phone. “I should know better than to read and walk at the same time.”

Nare watched stupidly as he rose to his full height. Fenedhis, he was tall.

He held out her phone, and Nare carefully studied his face. There was no recognition there. There was warmth in his handsome face, but no recognition. He didn’t know who she was.

Not that she would necessarily expect him to, since he was a professional and an intellectual, and professional intellectuals probably didn’t online-stalk their new grad students to find out what they looked like.

She took her phone with trembling fingers and swallowed hard. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome,” he said. “You are not hurt, I hope?”

Ugh, he was so good-looking. Why did her supervisor have to be her exact ideal physical type?

She dropped his gaze and tucked a stray strand of hair over her ear. “I — no. I’m fine,” she said in a tiny voice.

“Good,” he said. “And again, I apologize for the collision.”

She shrugged and tried to nod at the same time, then wanted to smack herself for being so fucking awkward.

“Take care,” he said. A moment later, he was walking away from her.

She finally dragged in a breath and watched greedily as Professor Solas walked away. For someone who had such a mild voice and such kind eyes, his gait was certainly confident.

Confident and sexy.

Nare blew out a breath and forced herself to turn away. She was shaking. Why was she shaking? Why was her heart beating so hard, not just in her chest but in her entire body?

Why was her mind completely taken over by the thought of Professor Solas stretching her naked body out on a desk, those warm grey-blue eyes scanning her from head to toe before he taught her all kinds of torrid lessons that she would never forget?

Fuck, she thought desperately. I am in so much trouble.

#solas #solavellan #solas fic #professor solas #professor solas au #pikapeppa writes #elbenherzart

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drjackandmissjo · 3 years

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it’s nice to have a friend

previous chapter --- chapter 7 --- next chapter

feysand masterlist

“Call my bluff, Call you ‘babe’“

It had been a fairly long day for Feyre. She had to organise a new collection for her gallery, dealing with things like catering for the event and security and insurances on the pieces that had to be exposed. Her assistant Ressina was searching for two more artworks, since two of her own paintings that she was supposed to showcase had been just bought.

The website Azriel had built for her gallery had been a complete success since the opening day, through it Feyre had managed to sell almost all of her creations and many of those that she presented through the gallery itself, reaching the proper audience even outside of Prythian. Paying for international shipping was her new most hated activity, but she couldn't complain.

In the few years since she had graduated and started business for herself, she had made a name for herself. Her junior and last year of university had given her the opportunity to internship in one of the best art museums in Velaris, where she learnt the importance of good displays and how to haggle the right price for each piece. During that time she mostly painted for commissions, which she continued to take now, five years later, with the only difference being that now a 'Feyre A.N.' costed much more than in her early days. Even those she created freely, out of her own heart's desires, were being sold at fairly high prices with a surprisingly high rate.

So now she had to look and scout for new artists to display, considering the current shortage of her own artworks. It all brought a whole new sense of responsibility to Feyre and a whole lot of paperwork she wasn't particularly fond of. She was everyday grateful of her choice of hiring an assistant, even if at the beginning she was a bit sceptical.

Thankfully, Velaris was the best place in the entire world to be an artist, a safe haven: the city had an entire neighborhood, the Rainbow, fully inhabited by writers and sculptors and poets and painters, with several theatres and galleries and museums. Feyre had chosen to open shop there, in one of the main streets and it had been a glorious success since the inauguration. The artists that made the community had welcomed her warmly and with open arms, helping her get on her own feet at the start with their support, and now she was repaying them in kind, offering opportunities to anyone who might need them.

Her originally rented space now fully belonged to her, having been bought two years after the opening with the money her hard work brought. She had fallen in love with the locale in an heartbeat, as she walked the Rainbow hand in hand with her boyfriend as he helped her carry back to her place bags full of paint and canvases. Feyre had stopped dead in her tracks, as if called by it, declaring it the perfect spot. Rhys had laughed at her and kissed the top of her head, telling her how she should take the number of the owner and contact them to see if she could rent. Being fresh out of college meant she didn't have enough funds to do more, but one day, Rhys had said, it could've been hers.

The old lady who owned the space had been ecstatic with her call and heard her ideas with interest. The rent was decent, given the great metrage and locations, but the place was new and needed little to no modifications, and thus 'Starfall ' gallery was born.

When her clock chimed, telling her the time, she slowly rose from her chair, stretching her sore back. The new tattoo she had gotten three weeks prior on her spine still hadn't healed fully, causing her some wincing that her husband was constantly worried of. The long piece was a masterpiece on its own, the longline depicting the different lunar phases she had drawn herself.

Deciding to call it a day, she gathered her stuff and closed the lights, locking the door on her way out. Despite it being mid-October, the weather was still pleasantly warm even during the evening, and Feyre enjoyed walking alongside of the Sidra quietly as the wind quietly messed her hair. She and Rhys had bought a townhouse on the other side of the river before their wedding, close enough to be able to walk to their respective workplaces, she to the Rainbow while he went back to the university, teaching English poetry and drama, as he had chosen that specific minor on his senior year.

Although they had a similar commute, the different paths had Rhys always beat her to the rush home and he started usually dinner, as she was downright cursed with her cooking inhabilities. Even helping in the kitchen was something she did carefully, her and her husband both weary of the outcomes. The only thing she could do safely from 'scratch' was to heat up soup.

A wicked plan began to outline itself in her mind. It had been awhile since she had humoured her husband, both too focused on their respective works. She moved in the upstair bedroom they shared, removing her proper attire to slip into a severely more comfortable pair of leggings and a worn out t-shirt, covered in blue paint of every shade. " This is gonna be fun" she thought, delighted in the possible turn of events as she rang up his favourite Chinese restaurant to order take-out to be delivered.

And then she set to 'work'.

***

As soon as she felt the front door open, Feyre moved swiftly to rotate the timer on the oven and made it set off immediately. She knew Rhys had heard the little series of noises that signaled the end of a cooking process. He usually would discard his keys on the small table that decorated their tiny foyer as soon as the door closed behind him, but this time he was stalling.

Probably debating whether to retreat back outside in case the kitchen exploded or not.

The problem wasn't that she was a bad cook perse. Feyre never had much time playing around the stove growing up, thankfully for them Elain was the chef of the household. She had learnt the basics, how to boil water for instant cheap ramen noodles and how to heat up frozen pre-cooked stuff in the microwave of the communal kitchen of her dorm on her first month in Velaris, with Alis patiently telling her what to do to survive in case there was an emergency. During the years she had tried a little more, once she moved with Amren and Mor and had a kitchen at her disposal without limitations.

Her first attempt at scrambling eggs for breakfast set the fire alarm off and she had to explain to an exasperated fireman that the house wasn't on fire. That earned her a wary look from her roommates, but considering that neither of them had any luck with cooking, no one spoke of it for the following week.

Her second one brought a weird texture of a pasture looking like brown instead of the expected yellow, completely stuck at the bottom of the pan. Not burnt, simply attached there and impossible to remove. She then went to buy a new set, throwing the mystery pan immediately in the trash.

Cassin was with her for her third trial, to guide her into the mystical art he had mastered, and made her solemnly swear to never, ever , again touch a kitchen utensil if not with the sole purpose to eat with it, and even then he had some serious doubts about letting her anywhere near anything inside a kitchen. She wasn't allowed to be there unsupervised, he had said, scared shitless.

So the problem wasn't inside her cooking abilities, since she made the best sandwiches out of anyone in the Inner Circle, but rather her rotten luck an inability not to burn anything that involved heat or patience to be made.

A smile appeared on Feyre's lips as she suppressed a series of giggles that were threatening to rise up, imagining the face her husband was surely making. The sounds from the foyer told her two things: the door had been closed and remained unlocked, ready to aid in their escape from a fire that Rhysand thought undoubtedly might happen any minute, and her husband was taking his time through his routine, as if a minimal change in the air might've triggered the self destruction of their home.

"Darling?" he called for her as he made his way through the open space of the living room to reach for the kitchen, cautiously stopping before properly entering the room and setting off something.

Feyre immediately turned around, her light brown hair neatly folded in a messy bun swinging to the side and promptly losing some strands that fell into her face. She found him leaning against the doorframe, seemingly relaxed were it not for the fact he was hiding his hands inside the pockets of his black pants. Her genuine smile seemed to ease his stance and Rhys took the opportunity to move towards her. She turned back at the task at hand as he walked past the island, using her knife to cut an apple into tiny slices. His arms came to encircle her, effectively pinning her against the counter, and she leaned back, resting her head on his chest.

"How was work today?" she asked, warmth radiating through her as he bent down to place a soft kiss to the top of her head. For someone who thought the stove might explode at any minute, he was incredibly calm with the whole ordeal.

"The usual" he shrugged "some kid had the audacity to groan when I told them we would soon start with Shakespeare's Sonnets!"

One of the many things she utterly loved about him was how passionate he was for his job, for the curriculum he got to teach each class. Overall, his favourite subject was Shakespeare, on whom he did his dissertation which got him the place at the University. He still kept on writing, publishing mostly the new researches his department did, and he worked with all his heart.

Feyre shook her head slightly, "Kids this day have no respect." Then, in afterthought, she added "Are you going to downplay the whole homoerotic full blown text like our old prof did?"

"Are you crazy? That's the best part!" His grip tightened around her as she set the knife down, wiping her hands on a nearby handchendief. "I'm thinking about letting those freshmans do their winter final paper on who they actually thought Good Ol' Willy was shagging."

"Professor Carver might object." she said, turning in his arms and now facing him, her back against the cold material of the counter.

"Who do you think I got the idea from? That man wants nothing more than to gossip, even if it's 500 years old stuff."

"Remember how he was somehow the first person outside our Inner Circle to know we were dating when we came back?" They both laughed at the memory, noses brushing softly as they were both content to remain there.

"How was your day?" he asked, his breath caressing her neck gently.

"Too much paperwork. But I sold that Springtime painting we both didn't like to probably the most horrible and rude woman ever."

The woman had truly been a demon: she had stormed in as if she owned the place, demanding attention. Ressina had been patient and listened to her raging nonsense as best as she could, but couldn't do much herself. Feyre then went into her aid: she had past experience dealing with bad customers from when she used to be a waitress in high school, yet this woman took the cake. lanthe Spring, as she had proudly introduced herself as if she was the most important person in the world, was looking for a present for her husband, she had told her while raising the most preposterous ring to ever been made. The green gems looked more like a torture device than a wedding ring, but Feyre didn't usually judge. After an entire hour looking at the catalogue, her eyes had set on one of the paintings Feyre had done way back in her freshman year. She had finally gotten the approval from the art department to sell the early works she had done during her period there and the majority had either already been sold or she had gifted to her family and friends. That was the last one to remain in Feyre's possession, probably the laziest work she had ever done: the colours well dull, the motif unclear; despite it showing a green and flowery scenery, it resembled much more a dead nature. She hadn't been in the best mindset when the work had come to life, her constant fights with Tamlin causing an artist block on all her works, yet the woman had been ecstatic, claiming it reminded her of her own husband.

Feyre didn't make the connection until she saw the checkbook, yet no feeling came to her, good nor bad. She would've liked to know his reaction at seeing her painting though, just to get some sick and twisted satisfaction at how she was thriving with only her 'hobby' . "But I got a nice cut from that, so dinner's on me!" she finished lightly, pulling herself from her daydream.

"I know exactly what you're doing, Feyre Darling." he hummed from her neck, as he drew his lips across the skin. Suddenly she was finding it hard to concentrate. "I have no idea of what you're talking about, Rhysand."

He pulled back abruptly, moving their bodies till she was now leaning against the empty and clean kitchen island. "Your attempt at scaring me almost worked, you know?" he whispered against her ear, moving to nibble at the soft flesh, "But next time make a little mess with some flour all around if you want to truly give me a heart attack."

"But you see," she started, trying to sort her foggy thoughts as the world narrowed to where his lips were against her neck once more, "I'd have to take you to the ER then and that's too much work, babe." She was breathless, sick of the attention her neck was getting. Hands plunged in his hair, positioning him flush against her as her lips claimed his, his own hands roaming freely under her T-shirt.

He suddenly pulled away slightly, eyes never leaving hers and not bothering to remove his hands from where they rested on her back, slowly working the clasps of her bra. "Not to mention you don't even know where to find most things that aren't downright edible without preparation in our pantry, am I correct?"

She brought him back down in an instant, "Arrogant prick" she murmured against his lips as she began to undo the button of his shirt, their hips moving in sync as their lips.

He hoisted her up on the island counter in one swift move as she took the shirt off of his shoulders, caressing the inky swirls of his traditional lilynian tattoo that adorned his upper torso. He immediately returned the favour, removing her tee and bra in one swipe, moving his attention fully to the newly exposed skin, biting and nipping there. Her grip on his hair became iron as his hands darthed southward, his own wedding band cold against her feverish skin as his mouth drew circles around her breast. He began to slowly slid off her leggings, never once removing his mouth from her, when the doorbell rang.

A string of colourful profanities that could've rivaled a sailor's entire vocabulary made its way out of Feyre's mouth as her husband merely laughed at their interrupted moment.

"I've ordered Chinese" was the only non-curse Feyre spoke as she jumped of the counter, grabbing her t-shirt to answer the door at least decent.

"I was indeed promised dinner" Rhys said, not bothering to cover himself as his wife paid for the food.

"I still got you there for a second, didn't l?" she asked, walking back to the kitchen carrying two bags.

Rhys kissed her cheek sweetly, "Always, my Darling."

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imitranslates · 4 years

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Fukigen na Mononokean Ch. 78

Thanks so much for the well wishes, guys! I’ve been feeling a lot better, so without further ado: It’s time for Ashiya’s family trip! Maybe there’s a clue to be found during this time of rest, after all...

Please remember to check out the official English release when it comes out, preferably on Crunchyroll if you’re able to!

The newest chapter can be read on the official website by clicking the yellow button labeled 読む!

Fukigen na Mononokean Chapter 78 - Distant Ripples

Page 1

(Ashiya: Aoi-saaan, where are you?!)

[December 31st.]

[There is half of winter break remaining.]

Page 2

Mononokean: I'll open a door close to the Kurage Hot Springs Inn.

Ashiya: Excuse me for leaving first!

Ashiya: I'll be leaving for my family trip!

Page 3

Mononokean: We'll come to get you from the same spot tomorrow morning.

Ashiya: I'll be in your care!

Ashiya: Well, see you tomorrow!

Happy New Year to you all!

Mononokean: Happy New Year to you, too, Hanae~!

Abeno: Happy New Year...

Mononokean: I'll be waiting for my souvenir~!

Page 4

Mononokean: !?

Mononokean: Kyaaah!? Itsuki, what are you doing!?

Abeno: Rolling up your hanging scroll.

Mononokean: Why!?

Abeno: I've been so busy and focused lately that I've neglected my upkeep of the tearoom.

Abeno: A lot of demons will probably visit tomorrow for New Year's greetings. (Like Okina-dono.)

Abeno: I'll be giving you a spring cleaning. (Just stay there for awhile.)

Mononokean: (Wipe the alcove gently, okay...! Gently...!!)

Page 5

Hostess: Ashiya-sama.

We've been awaiting your arrival.

Hostess: Your room is the "Starfish Room."

[Starfish room: Ashiya-sama.]

Hostess: Please consider this a place of relaxation.

Hostess: Your companions have already arrived.

(Hostess: Excuse me.)

Page 6

Nara: Come on in!

Chisaki: Hanae~! Good work coming such a long way!

Ashiya: (Thanks for waiting!) Maaan, it really was a long way to come from the house! (It took an instant with the Mononokean...)

Chisaki: I sent all sorts of messages, but I didn't get any response, so I was worried!

Ashiya: (Huh?!) Sorry...! I was so busy that I totally forgot to check my phone! (There's so many notifications!!)

Ashiya: (The Underworld is out of range so any communications from Japan won't connect...)

Page 7

Nara: At any case, the three of us are all here!

Nara: It's cold outside, so I bet you're feeling a little chilled, huh?

Nara: Why not use the hot spring to warm yourself up before dinner? (Your sister and I have already tried them out, so we'll wait for you.)

Ashiya: That sounds good! Then, I'll go enter the hot springs!

Ashiya: (I'm not cold, but I did get all sweaty from walking around the forests!)

Ashiya: I haven't been to a hot spring since my middle school trip...

Ashiya: (No, wait... Since I accompanied Okina-san on his trip to the Tougen Hot Spring.)

[Ashiya: A geyser...?!]

(Ashiya: My school uniform got totally soaked...)

Page 8

Ashiya: Fu--Huh?!

Chisaki: What's wrong? (Fu...?)

Nara: (You scared me...) Did you forget something?

Ashiya: N... No?

Ashiya: There's just something in my bag that I didn't mean to bring...

Page 9

Ashiya: Fuzzy~~

Ashiya: You shouldn't sneak out without permission~~

Ashiya: I'm going to have to tell Abeno-san~~

(Ashiya: Hey, Abeno-san? Fuzzy ran off again~)

Page 10

Ashiya: There's crab!!

Nara: There's crab!?

Chisaki: Let's dig in~!

(Ashiya: It's soo good!)

(Nara: Delicious!)

(Chisaki: The meat is so tender!)

Chisaki: Do you want some sake to drink, Mom?

(Chisaki: You've worked so hard this year!)

Nara: I'll indulge! What about you, Chisaki?

Chisaki: Well, maybe I'll just have a little.

Chisaki: What do you want to drink, Hanae?

Ashiya: Orange juice!

Page 11

Ashiya: !?

Page 12

Ashiya: Mom?

Ashiya: If you're tired, you should go to sleep... (Or are you tipsy?)

Nara: I can't sleep yet!

Nara: Not until we do the New Year's Countdown!

Ashiya: (Even if you say that, you fell asleep last year and the year before that... So, probably this year, too...)

(Ashiya: It's because she's used to getting up early for work...)

Nara: Chisaki's gone... (I wonder where she went...)

Ashiya: She told us she was going to relax in the hot spring one more time,

and left a little ago! (You even said, "Have fun," remember?)

Page 13

Nara: Chisaki's always liked baths since she was little...

Nara: The first time we brought her along to an inn, she ended up going to the baths five times in two days and one night.

Ashiya: Was that trip before I was born? (This is the first time I've been to a traditional inn on a family trip...)

Nara: Yeah...

Page 14

Ashiya: Was dad there, too?

Nara: Yeah...

Nara: It was the three of us, me, Chisaki, and Sakae.

Page 15

Nara: Visiting art galleries and historical landmarks... Exploring shrines and eating local delicacies...

Sakae-kun was bad with crowded places, but he seemed so happy to spend time with Chisaki...

(Ashiya: Yeah?)

Nara: We took a family trip around midwinter season back then, too.

Tons of snow had piled up, so we played in the snow...

Nara: That reminds me... When we playing outside the inn,

There was an avalanche nearby, so we heard a thunderous roar.

Ashiya: An avalanche?!

Page 16

Ashiya: There was an avalanche near your destination?!

Nara: We were safe...

The avalanche was somewhere people couldn't easily get to, so no one was buried in it.

Nara: But... Sakae-kun seemed a little strange for a moment.

Page 17

(Chisaki: I finished it!)

(Nara: It's really good!)

(Chisaki: I'll make one more!)

Nara: ?

Page 18

Nara: Sakae-kun? Is something wrong?

Sakae: .....

Nara: ?

Sakae: You didn't hear that voice saying "help" somewhere?

Page 19

Nara: Wha?!

Nara: I didn't notice anything...!

Nara: ?

Nara: I don't hear anything... Can you still hear it, Sakae-kun?

Sakae: Yeah, faintly...

Nara: ...I really can't hear anything. (Just Chisaki's humming.)

Sakae: I see...

Page 20

Sakae: That's fine then.

Sakae: I must have misheard it.

Nara: But, there was that avalanche that happened close by...

It couldn't be...

Sakae: Didn't the people at the inn say it wasn't anywhere people could reach?

Sakae: ...It's cold. We should hurry up and get back to the inn.

Nara: Yeah...

Sakae: You, too, Chisaki...

Chisaki: !

Page 21

Chisaki: Huuuh?

Sakae: ......

Chisaki: Dad!

Sakae: ......

Page 22

Sakae: .....If it wasn't the voice of a girl, then...

I don't have any duty to go save them, and I could just ignore that I'd ever heard it...

Nara: Huh?

Sakae: Nara...

Page 23

Sakae: I'll be back soon, so... Look after Chisaki.

Nara: Sakae-kun! Where are you going?!

Nara: Sakae-kun...!

Page 24

Nara: He said that,

And ran off with his back to us...

Two hours later, he came back, covered in snow...

"I tried going to where I heard the voice, but there was no one there," he said, looking awkward...

Page 25

[A hot spring...

And an avalanche...]

[The voice of a girl calling for help

that no one besides Sakae could hear.]

(Could it be? The owner of the voice was...)

(Tougen-san...?)

Page 26

Ashiya: Mom!

Ashiya: Was the place you went back then----

Nara: .........

Ashiya: Good night...

Page 27

(Ashiya: Now I'm wide awake...)

[When I met Tougen, I couldn't even hear her voice while standing right next to her.]

[But Sakae was able to hear that voice from somewhere totally different.]

Page 28

(Did he have really good ears?)

[If I could make myself listen harder,] [Would I be able to]

[hear the whispering voices of demons somewhere far away?...]

Page 29

Ashiya: The sound of the ocean...?

Page 30

Ashiya: The ocean!

Ashiya: The inn's so close to the coast...! (I got here via the Mononokean, so I didn't realize!)

Page 31

[This sound...]

[The first day we went searching for Aoi,

I thought I heard it in the forest.]

[But, Abeno-san didn't hear anything,

so I ended up thinking that I just misheard it.]

(But if I didn't hear it wrong---)

Page 32

Abeno: Spring cleaning, complete.

Mononokean: (So bright...) It's sparkling like a brand new room.

Page 33

Mononokean: Itsuki? Incidentally...

Mononokean: Fuzzy isn't here... did you end up putting him up somewhere? (The storeroom?)

Abeno: Hairball snuck into Ashiya's bag and ran away, right?

Mononokean: He's a runaway?!

Abeno: You didn't notice either?

Mononokean: Hanae must be in for a shock around now!

Why didn't you tell him?

Abeno: It's his fault for being so bad at sensing demons' auras.

Abeno: Besides, we've been searching for Aoi since the beginning of winter break,

So Ashiya and I haven't had time to spend with Hairball. (He's started to get all restless after having to house-sit without any time to play...)

Page 34

Abeno: Under normal circumstances, I'd catch him red-handed, but...

Abeno: Since it's the New Year, I decided to overlook his boldness. (That's all.)

Mononokean: Well, I don't have to worry if he's with Hanae.

Mononokean: You shouldn't be doing tiresome work like spring cleaning during New Year's, either!

It would have been better if you took a break...

Mononokean: Or is it that,

If you didn't clean to take your mind off things,

Mononokean: You'd end up wanting to secretly look for Aoi on your own, maybe?

Abeno: Ah? Don't accuse me of weird things.

Mononokean: Oh, I hit the mark, huh?

Abeno: .....

Page 35

Abeno: I didn't plan to do anything alone... not this late...

Abeno: But...

Abeno: I'm well aware that I'm agitated.

Abeno: There's only half of winter break remaining, so I'm getting impatient...

Page 36

Abeno: We've come this far without finding a single clue.

Mononokean: Not even one?

Abeno: Yeah...

Mononokean: Nothing small either?

Abeno: The only thing was...

[Ashiya: I heard the sound of waves from that direction just now.]

Page 37

Abeno: ...!

Abeno: ......

Mononokean: ?

Abeno: ......

Abeno: ...Hey.

Page 38

Abeno: The Underworld...

Doesn't have an ocean... right?

#fukigen na mononokean #fukigen na mononokean translation #fukigen na mononokean chapter 78 #fukigen na mononokean 78 #The Morose Mononokean #manga translation

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megwhiteviscom · 3 years

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YCN; Art Fund

For this brief, I have been through many, many different ideas. I found this brief particularly hard to come up with an idea that fully encompasses every problem and challenge outlined in the brief. It was a good challenge for me however, as it forced me to appeal to an audience that I was not familiar with and did not know how to relate to, and therefore had to research extensively.

I begun by doing research into why people did not go to museums. I asked and used lots of surveys, and the two most common problems and issues I discovered by people who do not visit them were:

1. Museums are not interactive enough.

2. A museum is not thought of as somewhere to go in free time.

In order to tackle this brief, I needed to address these two problems. The first idea I came up with was an interactive app, called 'In three words'.

I was inspired by listening to friends recount their experiences in museums using one sentence. The idea behind this was that, in hearing just a sentence of their experience, I was really intrigued and inspired to go. Using the idea of word of mouth, this app would be similar to a social media app and users would post reviews and recounts of their experiences at museums and galleries. The problem with this first idea was that it was accidentally already aimed toward people who already attend museums and galleries; it would heavily rely on users that already go to inspire others to go, and the only people it would really inspire would be those who are already interested in galleries.

I revisited the brief on the YCN website and tried to really take it apart for my next idea. The main tagline of the brief given by YCN were the words “All museums together in a rich tapestry”. My vision for my next response to this brief was to bring this idea to life and come up with an idea that would bring all our museums together, whilst drawing the attention of people who wouldn't normally consider a museum for a day out. Each museum is a puzzle piece, and the pieces fit together to make a picture of history, culture and the arts in Britain.

My research for this project included projects such as the ‘Animals with Attitude’ project which took place across the Gold Coast of Australia. Artists competed for the chance to decorate giant koala sculptures which lined city streets, parks, buildings, and public open spaces, while reacquainting the community with the City's native wildlife. The purpose of the project was to “excite, inspire and encourage public exploration of the city via visiting each of the wonderfully decorated sculptures”.

A similar project I also included in my research was ‘Wallace and Gromit’s The Grand Appeal’, which took place in Bristol. The trail of artwork, named “Gromit Unleashed”, was a collaboration with the Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity and, obviously, Aardman Animations. The project “set out to capture the imagination of the public by adorning Bristol’s streets with 80 giant Gromit sculptures for 10 weeks”, and the pieces were later auctioned to raise money for the charity.

The last piece of research integral to the puzzle piece project is the the ‘Nike Air Max Graffiti Stores’ by AKQA São Paulo. The pieces were inspired when the local government ordered graffiti art to be painted over and erased, and one of the most interactive ad campaigns ever was born as a fight back. Previously erased graffiti characters in the city were repainted, wearing Nike trainers. How it worked was that you could only buy through unlocking the purchase with geolocation activation. “It was what Nike called a ‘phygital’ experience,” said Luiza Baffa, Managing Director at AKQA São Paulo.

The main idea for the puzzle piece project is this; to entice people who would have never previously thought of venturing into a museum using local and striking art, and a fun competition.

Firstly, local artists will be chosen by each museum participating to install a ‘puzzle piece’ into a museum in any way they like; be it a sculpture, painting, larger than life, small enough to have to search for. The ‘piece’ could be personal to them, personal to the location or personal to the museum/exhibit itself. This is a really integral and special part of the project; through Covid times not only have museums been suffering, but local and smaller creators and artists have too. Through this project both can help and uplift each other in the initial stage.

Secondly, using the puzzle piece project website on a smartphone, people who go into the museum and see the piece can scan it with their cameras, unlocking a competition entry with their phones (using geolocation activation, like the Nike Graffiti project, so that entries can’t be forged!). This competition will be very special as the project would be partnered with big brands such as Nandos, Pretty Little Thing, Resturant Choice, National Trust, etc, so there is a chance to win prizes chosen by the enterer that are unique and exciting to them. This is really important as this captures a very wide audience, and those who would not appreciate normally anything a museum could offer them. The brand endorsement is also important as it draws attention to the project and makes it widespread to the target audience who follow those brands.

The more puzzle pieces you scan and collect, the more entries you have into winning vouchers and prizes. This means it is beneficial to visit as many museums as possible, and every museum entry is the same; meaning you can enter by walking to your small local museum on your doorstep, which many might not realise is even there.

After having feedback on this idea I actually realised that, although I included the competition in partnership with the bigger brands, it still doesn't really account for those who would not ever consider visiting a museum as you would have to step into a museum first before being able to participate. I realised also that having something interactive, like an app, competition or game, doesn't directly appeal to the audience I am trying to communicate with.

After scrapping yet another idea, I took it straight back to the beginning again and tried to really strip it back to the very, very basics of trying to solve the problem. I came to the conclusion that an interactive app or competition does not capture the attention of those who would ignore an app or game already about a museum or gallery. I decided on designing an advert campaign - this would immediately capture the attention of people just passing by. Immediately I thought of the idea of collaborating and using the names and images of big brands, as this would also provide a selling point and make the idea of visiting a museum more 'mainstream' and well known. The final idea I came up with was to create billboard adverts comparing every day activities to visiting a museum, for example, 'entertain the kids for less than a happy meal'. I wanted the adverts to really instantly capture the attention of those who would never normally consider a museum as somewhere to go, and put it on their radar.

#ycn #art fund #brief #research

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mychemicalficrecs · 4 years

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Frank/Gerard – Cute and Fluffy

publicity stunts by Trojie, 6k, Teen And Up Audiences. The record company thinks a few plausibly-deniable rumours about Gerard and Frank dating would be good PR, but of course, they're not contractually obligated to sleep together or anything. Ahahah.

Frank the crankiest elf by Gorgeous Nerd (gorgeousnerd), 2k, Explicit. There were two things Frank hated: Christmas, and disappointing his mom. Considering his mom's last name had been Claus ever since she remarried, it was a bit of a fucking problem.

Crackle by MistressKat, 1k, Teen And Up Audiences. "What the fuck, Gee?" Frank asks. "Are you actively trying to drown yourself?"

The Kind They'd Like to Flaunt by elfiepike, 1k, General Audiences. When Frank first meets Gee, officially, it's because Ray saw Frank from across the room and put him into a headlock to get him over to his booth.

A Latte and a Cookie by mistresscurvy, 3k, Explicit. The first half a dozen or so times that Gerard stops by the Starbucks closest to SVA, he's so desperate to get the caffeine into his system he doesn't even notice the guy behind the counter. Nor does he pay much attention to the fact that his cup seems to magically refill itself a couple of times while he's hunched over one of the tables and drawing steadily, his headphones on. He's busy, okay — his winter project is due in less than six weeks, and he is screwed. Royally, completely and without question. The cookies, though. The cookies he notices. He just doesn't know what the fuck they mean.

Subterfuge of Tiny Proportions by J (jaywright), 1k, Explicit. It usually takes Gerard hours to wind down from a show.

Fuck the Snow (Repeat as Necessary) by mistresscurvy, 6k, Explicit. "Remind me why we came to New Jersey in January to practice rather than staying in L.A. where it's warm and not, you know, snowing," Ray says, staring out the front door at the white flakes coming down.

Hold This Heart and Tie It Tight by dapatty, samanthahirr, 5k, Teen And Up Audiences. Frank hasn't been tied up in months, and it's driving him crazy. So he attends a meeting of the local rope-bondage interest group, hoping to meet someone to play with or at least get a quick fix. Lucky for him, the group organizer knows exactly what Frank needs--and how to give it to him.

Twenty Percent Down by brooklinegirl, 7k, Explicit. For no_tags 2012: "We're rock stars," Frank says firmly. "We're not moving back to live in our parents' basements." (Prompt #54 Frank/Gerard - House-hunting)

Nerd Perfect by shiningartifact, 10k, Explicit. In which Frank and Gerard watch a lot of movies and have a lot of orgasms. (A long-awaited day off on tour.)

Veins Are Red, Veins Are Blue by dear_monday, 8k, Explicit. There's a little button up at the top of the page, marked "gallery", and Gerard clicks on it. It presents him with a handful of different names, presumably the artists in residence, and he skims down the list until he spots it: Frank Iero (horror/gore, traditional American designs). Iero, Gerard thinks, rolling the name around his head like a rosary bead in his palm. Of course the fucker is Italian, because the world is cruel and Gerard's life is hard. With a deep, tortured sigh, he clicks on Frank's name. In which Frank is a tattoo artist and Gerard is a fearsome and terrifying undead creature of the night. Sort of.

Pleathermouth Vegan Cafe by jedusaur, 6k, Mature and Teens And Up Audiences. Pleathermouth Vegan Cafe, says the sign in front of the next place on Gerard's job-seeking list, and he decides that it may be prudent to finish his cheeseburger before entering.

Camp it Up by rivers_bend, 4k, Teen And Up Audiences. The one where Frank doesn't want to go to music camp, Gerard's an art counselor, and teenage libidos find marshmallows pornographic.

Five Times Gerard Pays For It and One Time He Doesn't by RubyTuesday5681, 23k, Explicit. This story is a cliché rentboy fic wherein Gerard (the customer) falls for Frank (the service-provider) and can’t figure out how to go from paying-for-sex to ‘dating’ or if that’s even possible. Added to the mix are Gerard’s perpetually low self-esteem, Frank’s neuroses, and both boys’ epic communication-fails. Will these two ever manage to get out of their own way long enough to see that they’re meant for each other? With a little bit of help from a meddling younger brother, they just might.

Like a Secret in Your Throat by Gorgeous Nerd (gorgeousnerd), 3k, Explicit. There was a time for cuddling. It was not when Frank was trying to have hot sex with his vampire boyfriend.

Hey Mr. DJ by shoemaster, 6k, Mature. Frank is a late night DJ, Gerard is an avid listener.

For The Night by silentdescant, 5k, Explicit. "I'll do anything, within reason. As long as you pay me for it."

The Bigger Picture by dear_monday, 1k, General Audiences. For a man with a mind so sharp he keeps cutting himself on it, Gerard Way does an excellent impression of a particularly vapid goldfish. A silly little ficlet starring Gerard as the detective and Frank as his beleaguered assistant.

Blueprints For Building Better Boys by dear_monday, Frank/Gerard, Frank/Ray/Mikey, 7k, Explicit. "Eight years ago," Amanda begins, "Dr. Monae and myself began work on the ArchAndroid project. By the time they were ready, we'd designed and tested everything, right down to the cybernetics and the synthetic organs. Two months ago, we switched them on for the first time." Frank, Gerard, Ray, and Mikey are the ArchAndroids. Frank's got a faulty personality circuit, Gerard's primary memory chip is kind of temperamental, there's a bug somewhere in Mikey's speech protocol, and Ray's anger response lags like a motherfucker. They're also the world's most potty-mouthed robots, although with any luck there won't be any occasion for the world's press to find out about that. Written for Bandom Reverse Big Bang @ livejournal.

Witch Verse by kyOMG, 3k, Mature and Explicit. Gerard really, really, really hated cats. Yeah, yeah, he knows—He’s a witch. Cats, witches… they are supposed to like each other, right? Well, Gerard really doesn’t like them. Like, at all. They were whiny and boring and rude. If they could talk they’d probably tell Gerard that he stunk and that he was the worst witch they had ever seen. So what if he didn’t like to shower and his spells usually turned his hair (or Mikey’s) green?

A New Design For X and Y by DeadFreddie, 6k, Explicit. Frank Iero is the frontman in a successful band called Leathermouth, and Gerard Way is a comic writer working for DC. When they meet at one of Frank's shows, their mutual respect for the other's work becomes something a lot more personal. Oh and Frank's a trans guy and Gerard's nonbinary because I'm Trans And I Make The Rules.

Love Every Six Weeks by happilyappled, 22k, Explicit and Teens And Up Audiences. Frank is a full-time accountant and Gerard is the frontman of an international band. They spend long amounts of time away from each other, when Gerard is on tour, but when they’re together, nothing can stop them. [AU, Fluff, Explicit Content]

#frank/gerard #frerard #fluff #fic rec list

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songcall · 4 years

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Ishihara Hitomi [KNB OC]

BOOM BAM POW - HERE’S ANOTHER. I wasn’t going to go for Furihata next, but I felt super compelled to draw her, so I ended up kind of accidentally up going forward with her.

;w; I do really like her though, and I hope you guys do too <3

Name: Ishihara Hitomi (Last name, First name)

Age: 16

Birthday: March 2nd || Pisces

Height: 5′ 0

School: Seirin || First Year

Clubs/Committees: Art Club, Showcase Club

Occupation(s): Student || Artist

Personality: Ishihara tends to be a little spacey. She falls into daydreams and idle thoughts, and will sometimes detach from reality, usually mulling over ideas for her artwork and inspiration. She sometimes will go into these states for quite some time, only to suddenly re-emerge with an idea and begin furiously scribbling something down on paper if she can’t immediately go to a canvas or workspace. She is creative and thoughtful, though sometimes her inability to connect with reality leaves her short-spoken with people or quick to leave a conversation. When caught at a good time, she’s kind and willing to converse, though she’s still not particularly good at leading the conversation if it isn’t related to one of her interests, but she will definitely try. She’s soft spoken, and may come off as quiet or timid, and while that isn’t necessarily the case, she can sometimes become timid if the circumstance becomes tense, as she’s actually a touch sensitive.

Her artistic side is her eccentric side. She tries new things and will often end up energized by the thought of creating a piece even better than the last. She becomes much more outspoken, and caught in a certain adrenaline and intense focus. She can occasionally speak very bluntly when trying to get her point regarding her art across, After she winds down, she’s sometimes comically exhausted, and can barely form words, so will only facial expressions and gestures.

Backstory/Story: Ishihara was a young prodigious artist. Her talent was found from an early age, and proudly, her parents encouraged her goals. She’s entered a many of art shows and displays her work in local galleries, occasionally even being paid for pieces for magazines or book covers. She’s still only really well known to people the artistic niche, but has been making strives to improve. Though her parents push for it, Ishihara isn’t very concerned about fame or money, only wanting to create pieces that she is proud of showing off.

She joined the school’s art club, and after gathering up a few members and a sponsor, she organized the Showcase Club. While the initial intention was to push her ability to the next level, she managed to get some other aspiring artists involved, some of which joining to get some advice from her. This club is built on the idea of forming a themed collection that will be judged by the end of the trimester, and organized to be displayed at a school art show.

In the beginning she struggled with the focus of her collection, but after some pacing and marinating, she became inspired by the zero-to-hero story of the basketball team. She decided to make them the focus of her art, and began to watch their practices and their games. Unfortunately knowing that they were being watched for artistic purposes stripped away the organic part of them and.... a lot of them started to pose for the reference pictures, and such, or suggest ideas (which of course she quickly shut down or blocked out)... So getting what she wanted out of them was a little difficult, and would require more time and effort, but she was determined.

Whilst sticking around, she developed somewhat bizarre relationships with the player, ‘bizarre’ mainly due to her weird way of communicating.

Relationships:

Furihata Kouki: Their relationship seemed to sprout without much warning to most, as it usually came from free time spent outside of school and practice. She claimed that she wanted many references of him, as he seemed to be ‘one of the biggest zeroes’ and that fit with her ideal ‘zero to hero’ theme. Though it was a blower, she didn’t mean it in such a harsh way. Either way, the time spent with her gathering her references, but also picking up more ideas for her personal pieces caused the two to spend a little extra time with one another. He gave a few suggestions she actually heeded, able to find a few of the local stores in some pretty scenic areas, and some ideal aesthetic places, like near a few of the old railroad tracks. This became a light routine, and after they managed to start holding fluid conversations, the two really became close nearing into the Winter Cup season.

Kagami Taiga: She at least appreciates that he never tried to strike a pose for her. Now, if only he had much less in the way of suggestions to make regarding her iteration of his form. Just for those suggestions, she felt tempted to swap his body with Kuroko’s, but refrained for the sake of her image. She doesn’t dislike him, but she’s gotten to the point where she actually intends to speak bluntly to him, which typically causes him to get riled up.

Kuroko Tetsuya: She appreciates his appreciation.He calmly and quietly asks his questions, and accepts her answer. He had no problem remaining natural, as half of the time he didn’t even expect her to see him. These two hold conversation regularly, but also respect each other’s need for alone time to think, or just be by themselves. Pretty solid friendship.

Koganei Shinji: She probably verbally attacks him the most. From poses to ridiculous suggestions, and even completely invading her workspace to sneak peeks at her work -which is one of her pet peeves. Although in the long run they get along well, she tends to be used to just calmly directing her frustration onto him.

Mitobe Rinnosuke: Probably the most well-behaved one, and she appreciates it. She seems to have some sort of strange mutual understanding of him, claiming that it comes from attention to detail. They don’t really know if she’s bluffing or not, but she seems to converse with him well enough, despite him saying nothing, so it’s believable.

Kiyoshi Teppei: She had a fascination with him from the start. She consistently was intrigued by the large span of his hands and his ability to grip the basketball. She seems to have a sort of inspiration spanning specifically from his size, similar to Murasakibara.

Hyuuga Junpei: She mainly appreciates he and Riko’s ability to reign in the team. It lets her get back to her work in peace. It’s more of a respect than anything.

Murasakibara Atsushi: She doesn’t much address other teams and their players, but after seeing the sheer intimidating height and size of this male she couldn’t help but approach him for questions and to get a better look. She is completely fascinated by his unnatural body for his age, and seems to light up with curiosity, as she often states that she had no idea someone his height could really exist. She sort of goes out of her way to attempt to befriend him, yielding mixed results. Sometimes he’s fine with it, and other times he doesn’t quite have the patience to listen to her go on for ages. Overall it’s a decent friendship(?), just with questionable levels of depth.

[Maybe more stuffs. ;w; Gotta see what I do with this]

#knboc #knb #kuroko no basket #kuroko no basket oc #kurokos basketball #kurokos basketball oc #seirin #canonxoc #canon x oc #oc #furihata #furihata x oc #furihata kouki

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cacpartmobile · 4 years

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sparc! interviews Teaching Artist, Maddu Huacuja

"I know what's in my heart and what's on my mind and I start creating images and have a conversation with the canvas."

This interview took place on the Zoom platform on June 10, 2020 Ekua: I want to introduce Maddu Huacuja, who is a friend, an esteemed artist, a very passionate involved community member who works with sparc! as a lead artist for our Paint Nights - along with many other things that she does with sparc! She attends and participates in Paint Jazz, she's done community based murals for Paint Salsa, so she's a part of our family.

We thought we would start our series by interviewing her with maybe some questions that I had and maybe some questions that you also had.

So welcome Maddu.

Maddu: Thank you it’s a pleasure to see your face.

Ekua: My first question for you Maddu, was how do you begin a painting?

Maddu: *chuckles* First I take a nap, after my canvas is ready I go to sleep in the studio.

Doesn't matter what time it is, day or night. I just lie down. I guess it’s a meditation but I feel like I’m dreaming the painting first and then I just make a mark anywhere on the canvas, just to break the whiteness of it. I generally have a vague idea of what I am going to paint. I never have a finished sketch or anything like that, it’s a general idea. I know what's in my heart and what's on my mind and I start creating images and have a conversation with the canvas.

Ekua: I think that's very admirable, given the beauty of your work. Another thing that I think is very admirable is how large you are able to work sometimes. Can you tell me, why do you work large, what's important about working large to you?

Maddu: Even though I seem like a very calm person and I am, I need to be moving. So the large canvas - I can move from one end to the other. Sometimes I have to get on a ladder or a step stool, and then I really feel like an artist, but I like the movement. I feel that if I’m moving the image moves. I also always have music playing, often loud and active music. I have a lot of different music. I put it on a roll and the mood of the song or piece moves me in a certain way, so that becomes part of my imagery. I feel like the movement is really important. I don’t want to paint a painting that isn’t moving.

Ekua: So you're not sitting down, you're not standing in one spot, you're moving around that canvas. Do you work in oil or acrylic, what kind of mediums do you use?

Maddu: I often mix acrylic with drawing. I rarely work with oil. I think again because of the movement, acrylic is faster, but I do like oils. Everytime I think about it I'm like, “Oh I want to paint with oils”. But when I get to the studio it’s like I’m in acrylic. I like having a bucket of water near me, maybe that’s all it is.

Ekua: Well It certainly does dry faster, which allows you to move through a very large painting a little bit faster. Do you feel that your subject matter is in a particular area that you don’t really stray from? Is your storytelling about a particular kind of story or do you move around? How would you describe that aspect of your artwork?

Maddu: It’s not a decision, it's sort of how it works out. My focus is mostly… well, I do a lot of abstract but also I don’t know if I’m mostly figurative. When I do figurative work I am focused on people that “don’t matter”, either symbolically or specific people. For instance years ago there was a massacre in Mexico and all these men were murdered and the women were left as widows and the children were all orphaned. They were very poor to begin with. So they went to the local city hall to make a statement to try to get help, etcetera. There was a tiny photograph in the magazine of these women with their babies and every single one of them was barefoot, and I decided to paint their portraits. As I was painting I was like, “Why am I doing this, here in the United States no one even heard of this place, let alone cared about it?” I just thought, “Well If I don’t do it nobody is going to do it” and it seemed important to me. So I struggled through all those toes and little baby feet. It was in the show that you saw at the Roxbury Community College gallery many years later. So sometimes an event that touches me is my theme. I think I am very connected to my Mexican roots, so it's not just in the events that happen but in my image making. It really is part of my DNA; the colors, the kind of images I create. I think it is influenced a great deal from my childhood in a city that was thriving: vibrant with public art, murals everywhere, beautiful fresco murals, with the famous three muralists Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros , José Clemente Orozco. And also by Frida Kahlo's work. My mother was a painter, so even though she wasn’t painting I knew she had been a painter and her oils were in the closet. So, you know, it just became part of who I am. I think that still comes through. Sometimes my focus is specifically on women.

Ekua: So we mentioned RCC as the sight of one of your exhibitions. I know recently you’ve been spending some time over at Bunker Hill Community College and you had an opportunity to do some teaching. I am wondering how you feel teaching influences your artwork or has an impact on your artwork. Working with young artists, not just young artists but artists that you are mentoring within a classroom setting or within a community arts setting like sparc! the ArtMobile. How does that seep into your consciousness or into your work?

Maddu: I love teaching. I enjoy teaching spanish or art. I like all ages, so sparc! in particular is perfect for what I love because you have 2 year olds and 82 year olds and everything in between. I think teaching is fun, and as far as what I paint it’s freeing, it just loosens my hands, my mind. At Bunker Hill most of the teaching I did was around the exhibition that was up. It was called Open the Way and it was up from October through the end of February. So it was a long stretch and a lot of classes came in, and I learned a lot about my painting from my teaching these students.It was fascinating because, particularly in Bunker Hill, there's a really international student body. Every time there was a class there were at least 10 countries represented and several continents. It was very interesting because I said in one class that in a previous class people were not speaking up, and a student from the African continent, I don’t remember which country, it might have been Ghana, said “That’s because they are being polite. You don’t just speak in front of your elders.” I was like, “Oh.” I was humbled by that. Also, about my paintings, they saw things and told me things about how the work affected them and what they saw in it. That was wonderful for me to hear, really an eye opener for me.

Ekua: That’s so interesting that you can learn about your art from a viewer.

Maddu: Yes, totally.

Ekua: Revelations about the richness of your own artwork.

Maddu: Yes, I wish that I could have recorded everything that was said. Of course nothing was recorded and I always regret that I didn’t take half an hour afterwards to write down the things that I heard. That’s something that I definitely want to make part of my practice.

Ekua: When you're teaching at an event like Paint Night, and you have this audience from 2 to 92 and everything in between, do you come in with one sort of thing that you want everyone to leave with? You know some people obviously have more skill with painting. Children are interested in mixing all the paints together and sticking their hand in it. Everybody’s entering from a different standpoint, but what do you as an artist hope to impart as a takeaway for each person?

Maddu: You know, the didactic part of me wants them to learn one thing at least. Even if it’s just what blue and red make, or something. I really want them to learn how to use a brush. There's always something that is very gratifying for me that they learn. But mostly, I usually come after my day job to a Paint Night because they are always on a Monday night, and very often I am like, “God, how am I going to make it through this class?” I’m so tired and my mind is mush and I get there and I just get this energy from sparc!. From all the helpers that are amazing, and without it I wouldn't do it, and from the students because they come with their own positive energy. So I hope they leave the class like I leave the class, which is feeling really happy. You know it’s uplifting to me to do the class. I figure if they are happy they are going to like art because it is a happy experience, and so I like them to feel good about what they did, and about themselves. I like to bring each kid up and show his work or her work and introduce themselves, and say something about the painting, which I think is a good thing regardless of what you’re teaching or what they are learning. Just to be able to get up in front of a group of people that they mostly don’t know and introduce themselves and speak up. It leads me to my other piece of my art and being an artist is, in this time - where I feel we are on the brink of many things - I think it’s really important for people to speak up. If they learn to speak up, to say “Hello! I’m over here and I have this much to say!” and to be able to say it. I think if they learned that we have accomplished something

Ekua: I totally agree with that. You know, initially I thought people would be very shy about getting up and talking about their work, but the overall atmosphere of a Paint Night seems like an environment where people feel comfortable, safe and feel welcomed. Little kids or people who have never spoken before a crowd get up and talk about their painting. They receive so much warmth and appreciation. I think it's such a key part of the Paint Night experience and I believe that you are the artist who started doing that, and now it has become a part of our best practices. So thank you.

Maddu: I’m very happy to hear that. I remember one kid in particular - putting her on a chair because she was so tiny. ”You stand over here and show everybody.” It’s like 45-60 people in the room, and it's a wave of “Aww that’s beautiful, that's wonderful!” Clapping. “Congratulations!” And the kid just seems to overcome their shyness. So yeah, I love it.

Ekua: Well I am sure you know we miss being able to do our Paint Nights this semester and we are looking at an uncertain fall. We don’t know if we will be able to be together in that room with 50-60 people. We will have to create something new. If you were speaking to some of the folks at home, sheltering at home during this pandemic, how would you encourage them to bring more creativity into their life - even though they aren't at a Paint Night, or they might not even have paints or supplies. Is there anything you can share with them about your life as a creative maker that they can apply to their lives now?

Maddu: I think the only way anything gets done is if you make room for it, and that goes for everything. So we tend to give prime importance to our job. You have to be there by 9 o’clock no matter what happens there you are. But when it comes to our own personal stuff we tend to give it less importance, like going to your exercise class or going to your studio seems to be less important - but it really isn't. I think the only way, particularly when we are sitting around and no one’s telling us that we have to be anywhere, we have to initiate on our own. “Today at noon I’m going to drop everything and go to my studio.” Or “I’m going to pull out my little art stuff.” Whatever you have at home, put on some music or tapes whatever it is that inspires you and motivates you and just do something. It doesn’t matter how much you get done for an hour - or maybe that’s stretching it.

Ekua: I guess that can even be dancing or singing. I mean it’s not necessarily all visual art but just the idea that each of us has a creative spirit that is longing for expression.

Maddu: Right. Or sit down and write for an hour regardless of if it's your masterpiece or not - or your future novel. I signed up online for an app called Ulysses that is a writing app. I love it because it is very intuitive and you just write. You don’t have to save or anything, whatever you write is saved automatically. You don’t have to format. So it makes it easy. You have to find ways to know yourself enough to make it happen for you, make it easy.

Ekua: Well here is my last question. I was in another zoom meeting the other day and someone said we need to reframe all of our work as social justice work. I thought that was really interesting to think about everything I do in the context of social justice. So as not just an artist but an arts activist, how would you apply that to your life in this sort of immediate time? Being an activist and reframing as a social justice activist?

Maddu: Well the fact that this is a pandemic and we are all locked down - but here we are. We can still influence and speak up through all the media. We all need to be political. There is no option. It's not like, “Oh I’m not into politics.” Everybody has to be into politics. Making art, the decision to create is, in my mind, a political statement. The one thing I would say is, vote at every level, not just for the presidential elections but all your local elections. Find out who your local representatives are, call them up. You can do that, it's not hard. Write letters if that is what you are prone to do. Again it's a matter of everybody has to act and find what it is that you deeply care about and act on that even if it is about saving polar bears. You know if it's about politics or if it's about...

Ekua: Global warming, climate change.

Maddu: Everything is so dire, you know.

Ekua: Mhm feels that way.

Maddu: If you just hold it in you're going to die, so just do something, do anything. And do it with somebody else. Join a group and see what is going on. Meet on zoom and see what people are talking about. Together we rise. I think it’s always been a crucial moment, but this one is really obvious. People are dying everyday, thousands of new people are sick. This is really life and death, and if we allow the current president another 4 years I dont know whats going to happen.

Ekua: Heaven help us.

Maddu: I mean really seriously it’s not even like “Oh I like this candidate or that candidate”. Forget that. I think everything you do to influence the social fabric and what's going is literally saving the world. Saving the world for our children, for our grandchildren, for ourselves. And if we let this moment pass it’s going to be that much harder.

Ekua: And all of the tools at our disposal include painting, poetry and dance - things that touch the heart and soul.

Maddu: Absolutely.

Ekua: So everybody can do something.

Maddu: Everybody! Children can do something. They can write letters.They can study. They can read books and find out their history, find out what's happened before. I also don’t mean everybody has to go around in a panic and freaking out. I think we need beauty, we need to feed our heart and our soul and our mind with poetry and beautiful paintings, or intense paintings. But it’s not just about the intensity, but about the beauty and the love.

Ekua: Love is at the center of everything good, I would say.

Maddu: I think Rumi said “Love is the bridge between you and everything else”.

Ekua: Like that! Well, I want to thank you for taking this time out to be with us. I’m sure you and I could talk for another hour at least but I want to keep it within a framable amount of time that people can squeeze in or listen to while they are painting or whatever. We don’t know what will happen in the fall but whatever we're doing Maddu, we know that you're going to be a part of it, in terms of sparc! the ArtMobile and the Center for Art and Community Partnerships. We thank you so much for being a part of our family, contributing to the beauty in the world, and we will be back in touch with you very, very soon.

Maddu: Thank you for everything you do, especially for this community. And I am a total fan. I think you're a hero.

Ekua: Thank you so much.

#contemporarywomenartists #sparctheartmobile #madduhuacuja

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eternal3d2d · 2 months

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#eternal3d #eternals3d

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stardew-imagines-me · 5 years

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Can you tell us more about the highschool au? I ADORE your work btw

Thank you and of course!

Introduction

Due to rough circumstances, you were unable to keep living with your mother in the city, and had to move onto one of the many properties your late grandfather had owned. Luckily, your grandfather was a smart man and before passing, left you a large amount of savings you could live on for a few years. So that’s how you started your life in Stardew Valley.

Stardew Valley was quite a beautiful town. It wasn’t too big, with only a 100,000 residents, but big enough that it reminded you of certain parts of the city you had come from. Before leaving back to the city, your mother had helped transfer you in Stardew High school, or SDHC where you’d have to call home for the next 3 years.

Stardew high had roughly 2,000 or so students so you hadn’t expected to be noticed transferring in the middle of the year. How wrong were you.

12 special students had taken an interest in you since arriving, and your name became a hot topic around school when you were officially deemed the president of the gardening club the moment you entered. It wouldn’t have been that scary if those 12 students weren’t the most skilled, and popular kids in the school.

Many of them were top in the state, if not the country, for their skills while the others were basically school mascots with overwhelming amounts of school pride. There were only two modest and skilled students who hadn’t a huge part in spreading their name out there like the others and yet, they were still part of the special 12.

These two students were named Penny and Harvey; instead of taking part in clubs, they decided that doing more conventional things like studying medicine or tutoring stuggling students was way more important.

Penny is a very quiet girl; she’s got strong opinions but no voice, which is why she had denied presidency to the debate club her freshman year. Instead, she opted in tutoring students who are a little slower in other subjects — the kids she tutored often excelled after her sessions and wouldn’t need assistance any longer. She would’ve been valedictorian too but again, her voice wasn’t loud enough to earn her the position.

• Penny is a junior

• Penny is often found in the library reading, tutoring or helping the librarians organize shelves

Harvey is a very smart boy; deciding since a very young age that he would become a doctor and help the injured and dying. When Harvey wasn’t studying medicine, he would be in the nurses clinic learning world experiences and medicine measuring. The nurses don’t mind him being in the clinic during classes because he had already learned the material months ahead.

• Harvey is a junior

• He is known around school for skipping a grade and having the brightest future out of the special 12

Then there’s the skilled. The 5 students that had earned that named were naturally gifted kids that often used those to an advantage — they awed everyone when in action.

Shane of the cooking club. Shane is by far, one of the most aggressive and rude people you’ve ever met. But he has a gentle side to him as well. When faced in both cooking and baking competitions, he rises upon all his competitors with dishes that only highest of chefs could succeed in pulling off in such a short amount of time. He’s rude but his peers still adore him nonetheless.

• Shane is a junior

• He raises hundreds for the school when bake sales come around — everyone waits all year just to taste his molasses cookies or triple layer fudge brownies

Alex, star quarterback of the football team. Although Alex isn’t intellectually the most gifted, he is very skilled on the football field when he’s tasked with dodging, swirling and throwing the ball at all costs. He’s very handsome, and a little arrogant, but otherwise, a genuinely kind boy.

• Alex is a junior

• Alex is the high school sweetheart. He wins many games for his school, has been scouted by many different colleges already and has dyslexia

• He gets tutored by Penny when he has the time, Penny always scorns him for being late

Sebastian, the valedictorian. Now, when you think ‘valedictorian’, you see some scrawny nerd that studies constantly and stresses about everything. Well, Sebastian is a little special when it comes to that stereotype. The Stardew valedictorian comes to school in ripped skinny jeans and half combed bed head. He’s got piercings of all kinds, scars and looks that could kill. But he’s very gifted too. Sebastian has never gotten anything below 100%, hasn’t even missed a second of school and actively participates in school events even though he couldn’t give less of a shit about them.

• Sebastian is a junior

• Many kids know that Sebastian and Maru are siblings, but find it quite shocking when they are told that their parents also work at school

Maru, the president of the robotics club. Maru is a very gifted student, a common trait in her family. She’s actually the top student in the country for her engineering projects and robotics creations. She isn’t too fond of going out after school since most of her time is spent making blueprints or organizing competitions for her club, but can’t bare to see Sebastian mope at another pep rally by himself.

• Maru is a junior

• Her and Sebastian had actually created half of the computers in the computer lab. She put them together while he coded them

Leah, the art prodigy. You had actually heard about Leah before coming to a Stardew; her art being displayed in one of the most famous galleries in the world, but were surprised when you found out she had attended a generic high school. Her art is displayed across the banters of the second floor and one of her sculptures is the main piece of the school’s entrance.

* Leah is a junior

* Leah is quite modest about her art, and doesn’t like to talk about it if she isn’t currently working on another piece or really if a conversation doesn’t involve art at all

Then there’s the school pride mascots. The other 5 either deal with special causes, contribute to local communities a lot or are basically just popular.

Haley, the head cheerleader. Haley is quite popular not only in school, but worldwide too. At a young age, she had been scouted for a modeling agency that sky rocketed her reputation and displayed her beauty on many different products and billboards. It only made sense that she would also become head cheerleader for her winning smile and overbearing personality on the field.

* Haley is a junior

* Haley’s personality isn’t really a surprise once she’s done putting up an act. She’s kind when she feels like she can trust you, but otherwise, she bites harder than Shane at times.

Emily, the president of fashion club. Much like her sister, Emily had been scouted out by the same modeling agency, but quit a year or two into the gig to pursue her own clothes line she had been working on since the start. Often, her club is filled with envious kids who adore her modern works and fancy tailoring. She owns her own company, but chooses to graduate school before working on her career right away.

* Emily is a junior

* Emily and her club often make the costumes for Elliot’s drama club when play season comes around. Her clothes are put on display after being worn

Elliot, president of the drama club. Elliot had always had a passion for writing plays and directing them. He was also quite a phenomenal actor, and often attracted people who weren’t even attending the school to his plays. He was adored by the English teacher, no surprise, and had many people swoon over his looks.

* Elliot is a junior

* He’s a famous modern poet, but uses a pen name because he prefers to stay anonymous until he graduates

Abigail, founder one of the human rights club. Abigail is a strong willed girl who is often found preaching about human rights and leading many of the parades in Stardew Valley. She’s a huge supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and runs a women’s shelter during the summer. Her peers adore her and Sam as one of the most well known duos in the school for running courses about abusive relationships and drug abuse as an elective.

* Abigail is a junior

* When Abigail has free time, she usually makes positivity bracelets that students flash around outside of school for the cool aesthetic4

Sam, founder two of the human rights club. Sam is loud and has such an infectious laugther that it’s hard not to want to be around him 24/7. He participates in quite a bit of funder raisers for certain organizations he’s passionate about and volunteers at a few different preschools to play with the kids and teach basic life skills like stranger danger and saying no. He’s a loud cutie who gets asked out about 6 times a day.

* Sam is a junior

* Sam loves hanging out with Abigail and often helps around school when she’s busy

Farmer:

* You are president of the gardening club because the club had actually been falling apart and only a hand full of students were left since the president had graduated a year prior of you transferring

* What had brought all the attention on you was saving the school’s dying garden in only a week or two. The wilting petals had looked as if they were replaced with luscious, healthy flowers that everyone had stopped to look at at least once a day

* “It was the new kid,” You had heard your garden mates say proudly as they pointed over to you, “The new president, isn’t that neat?”

#sdv highschool au #sdv au #sdv bachelorettes #sdv bacholers #sdv imagines #sdv headcanons #sdv maru #sdv haley #sdv leah #sdv emily #sdv penny #sdv abigail #sdv harvey #sdv elliot #sdv alex #sdv sam #sdv sebastian #sdv shane

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catholicartistsnyc · 5 years

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Meet Ontario-Based Artist Laurie-Lynn McGlynn

LAURIE-LYNN MCGLYNN is a painter (oils and acrylics) living in Caledon, Ontario, Canada. (http://g1313.org/portfolio/laurie-lynn-mcglynn/)

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION (CAC): Where are you from originally, and what brought you to your current city?

LAURIE-LYNN MCGLYNN (LM): I was born in the city of Toronto - have lived all over Canada and parts of the United States when growing up, and later traveled abroad to Scotland, England and France. Both parents are from the Maritime provinces (Nova Scotia and Newfoundland), so I was fortunate to have spent many summers by the sea.

CAC: How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist? Do you call yourself a Catholic artist?

LM: Although I do not claim to be a Catholic Artist per see, I do not hide it either. However, my practice of art making is not confined to being a reflection of my faith. In my opinion, the two go hand in hand, and cannot be separated. This gift I have, to express myself and to communicate my thoughts about the world around me in a visual way, is completely from God. No argument there. But how I choose to use this tool of communication has been left up to me. I can hone this ability in any way I choose.

Some artists will deny the origin of their gift and continue to make work that pleases the world. Others may choose to build their practice upon the premise of their faith and will advertise it in such a way. Personally, I feel that as long as the work I create is true to who I am and conveys what I want to say, then I have been sincere to my craft and to my Lord for giving me this gift in the first place.

I am in awe of artists who can successfully depict a Christian experience. I say successfully because there are artists who can create religious art with technical proficiency that is reminiscent of early Christian art. However, does this reflect the true nature of the artist and their innermost desire to communicate the sacred? Or is it an imitation of religious art from the past?

What excites me the most as a Catholic artist are those moments when I am creating something with my own hands and an inconceivable joy fills my heart, nudging me to continue. To me that is a true expression of faith.

CAC: Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?

LM: Our parish priest, although now retired, has always been a supporter of visual art, especially that which inspires people to open their hearts and be brave...perhaps to share their own talents and gifts with others. There are many people in our communities who have not had the privilege of attending an art school, or any post-secondary institution for that matter. Whenever I am asked to discuss my work or share it for a fundraising activity, I am honored to do so.

CAC: Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?

LM: Now, this can be a tricky question but I am glad you asked! As a Canadian emerging visual artist, I can honestly say that many of my peers have decided to keep their faith separate from their practice. The reason is mostly due to the nature of the public gallery and how the curator or director feel it will be perceived. It really depends on what the context is, and how the artist chose to frame their faith within that context. For example, when Chris Ofili exhibited The Holy Virgin Mary (1996), there was a huge uproar within the gallery scene, with the public and with the Mayor of NYC threatening to cut funding to the gallery. Many considered this work to be blasphemous and saw it as a purposeful stab at the Catholic church. Yet, the artist himself claimed that the work was not meant to be taken that way ... perhaps not to be taken so seriously. Either way, it certainly brought a lot of attention to the artist and his practice, which is fine if you can handle that type of publicity. I feel this is why many emerging artists stay clear of that kind of attention, especially in the early stages of their careers.

CAC: How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?

LM: There was a time when the Church was a patron of the arts, just as the rich and powerful were and still are. In 1999 when Saint Pope John Paul II wrote his Letter to Artists, he brought a lot of attention to the arts and encouraged the faithful to embrace their gifts and talents with the world, for the sake of beauty but also for the glory of God. I feel there is a gap somewhere in how we perceive artists, their status in the Church and what impact the arts can still have on the faithful. Perhaps this needs to begin in the parish, where the simple act of commissioning an artist to create a piece for the Church. The parishioners will all see the work, some will like it, others may not. But the artist will have contributed to parish life, to worship etc. There are plenty of other ways in which the Church could embrace the arts as a vital link in the community, but I fear it will take over the interview!

So far, I have come across a great deal of support from the Orthodox Church in our area. Unfortunately, I have yet to find the same support for the arts in our local parishes.

CAC: How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?

LM: Another brilliant question! It depends on how important this is to the artist and how they perceive their practice. As stated earlier, I do not include my faith as part of the description of my practice. The process of creating is what is sacred to me, and forms a bond between my soul and my God. However, if I were creating work that was meant to be taken in a religious or faith based context (iconography for example), I would most likely work within that paradigm and hope that my parish could help promote my work to other parishes. I would not expect public galleries to be open to accepting my work unless it was within the theme of an exhibition. But that is just my experience, and it could be quite different for others depending on where their art is exhibited and how it is promoted.

CAC: Where do you go to get inspired?

LM: Having formed my own collective, may be an answer here! I was weary of not being able to share my faith with my cohort in art school, so I decided to put a small group together. Our goal is bring together talented artists from a variety of disciplines, and perform together. We are called MOTUS and we are dance, music, choral vocals, libretto, and digital technology...and we all have faith. We come together in a welcoming environment which allows each of us to relax in the knowledge that we are all there because of God. Now where do we go from here?

MOTUS is a great example of how my visual and written tools of communication are also expressions of my love for God, for Christ and for God’s people. The prose I write is sacred and honours our Lord in every way imaginable ... from the tiniest breath of spring to the turmoil we humans face each day. The only way I could do this, or find an audience for it, was just to get a few people together with similar ideals and it went from there. If it is Gods will, nothing will stop it.

CAC: What is your daily spiritual practice? And if you have a spiritual director, how did you find that person? If you go on retreats, where do you like to go?

LM: My retreat experience has been group-based, but I am currently preparing for a monastic contemplative retreat in another province. The abbey is located outside of Montreal, Quebec, and follows the Benedictine rule of monastic life. My spiritual director is a retired parish priest and long time friend of the family. I look forward to engaging in a solo retreat, and speaking with one of the cloistered sisters about a call to be an Oblate. This is something I have been discerning for many years, and I feel now is the time to be proactive.

CAC: What is your daily artistic practice? And what are your recommendations to other artists for practicing their craft daily?

LM: Researching an idea or concept. Writing out my thoughts and feelings. Sketches may or may not come as part of this process. Then the rest will either manifest in the studio or it will phase into something else. Either way, it’s never a lost cause, as everything means something to an artist.

CAC: Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist. What happened, and what brought you the most joy?

Right now! Sitting here writing these thoughts out for you is a reminder of my vocation and how important my contributions are to the world around me. It’s the smallest things that help build the foundation for the big things. There was a time years ago when I was so uncertain about my future as an artist. I worried that unless I studied medicine, became a doctor or nurse, or worked with the marginalized, the poor, children, elderly etc...then how could I possibly be giving back something to God...to His people? But a very good friend reminded me that one does not need to lead a life of service to serve. My gift from God is in many ways a mirror that reflects back the beauty He creates for us. And that is good enough for me.

CAC: How do you afford housing and support yourself as an artist?

LM: My husband is very supportive of my work and we work together to be able to afford what we need in life, and my practice. I receive grants, bursaries, and artist fees from exhibitions. I also work freelance on the side as a content writer.

CAC: What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in your city? LM: Any way to network is a great way to get started! Joining a local gallery and volunteering a few hours...social media...websites. Attending exhibitions, talking to other artists, entering calls for entry, submitting proposals.

CAC: What are your top pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?

LM: Know your audience, which means you first must know what type of work you are creating. I dabbled in printmaking while in art school and I will often combine a few lino-block prints in an exhibition. But my medium is paint and I do not enter printmaking calls for entry.

Know what you are good at, and work on that. If you feel called to create work that is meant to enlighten your viewers within a religious context, then make sure you source out your market. Otherwise, you could become disappointed fast. I find that in the very early stages of building an art practice, it is best to take some time to work on your portfolio...make the stuff you love, now that the assignments are over!

Take time to utilize your new skills and apply them to what feels truly you. If you are honest with yourself, and let the work be a true reflection of what you are called to create, not what the art world insists is the next hottest item, then you cannot go wrong! Praying always helps by the way!

A huge thank you to Catholic Artist Connection for opening up this ongoing discussion for artists. I pray that every artist reading this interview will at least take one small thing from it and apply it to their own practice. God Bless.

#laurie-lynn mcglynn #ontario #canada #caledon #catholic #catholic art #catholic artists #catholic artist #catholic artist connection #visual art #interview #letter to artists #st. john paul ii #MOTUS #benedictine #benedictine oblate

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qdtquietdownthere · 5 years

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Day 11- A day of reflecting in an art gallery and painting, glueing and giggling in the sun.

Day 11

The waking up process, if it can be called a process, is the trickiest part of the residency actually. Waking up in your own bed, in Tottenham, seeing your flatmates, talking about the day ahead. It is a different world. I have to go from that, to the tube, then be in Pimlico. To this new, yet familiar place of comfort. What is the most exhausting is this point of change and transition- waking up in the life you are used to then diving into a day of fresh, exiting, uncertainty. No one really understands whats going on, and no one really wants to listen to me describing every detail of my day. I do not think this is something I would enjoy to do either. It’s lonesome in this sense. A temporary community which no one else is experiencing. That is so special though. I feel useful, like my existence and participation means something.

I am very aware it is ending. Second last day. I am so comfortable now.

I walk around the area following a gentle map. I have walked these streets before. The Thames, the Bridge, the view of brutal Battersea, the tiny parks and the contrasts. There are so many contrasting textures, architecture and people. An area of extreme wealth, and then a definite lack of it. I feel uncomfortable with it at points. In my favourite park which sits just behind Tate Britain I watch a very wealthy man spend half an hour with a puppy trainer and his pedigree puppy. He tells me they have traveled from Devon. There is a visible contrast when you look for it. You can maybe hear it more than you can see it. I hear coffee orders which are 3 minutes long, decaf, soy, skinny milk. At the community centre in Churchill Gardens a cup of tea will always be milk and one sugar. I wonder where I sit in this pool of people, I wonder where other people see me belonging.

CCA is based next to Tate Britain and I try to go in to see the degree show but I am told it ended last week. There aren't many students around, ever. The whole time I have been in Pimlico I haven't noticed anyone who jumped out to me as looking like a student (whatever that means). I guess they have all gone home for summer. Over the past week I have seen a few Chinese students, as I guess flying home at such a high price isn't necessarily an option for international students. I wonder about the loneliness of living in this city when your purpose of being here is to purely be a student. I did my undergraduate at Leeds and it was the loneliest time for me. Sometimes I would walk to town, to the big Boots and back, just to get out, see people and feel like I was a part of what everyone else was doing. I worked all through university but I didn't really hang out with work friends, and with a class size of 10, well, there wasn't much social life going on. I wish I had gone out more, joined societies. Even if they didn't interest me, I should have pushed myself. I was nineteen and maybe I was shy, but I think what kept me being lonely was a reluctancy to say I was lonely to anyone apart from my family and friends who all lived back home in Edinburgh. I think about the mother I met during the babies library session at Victoria Library and how she was frustrated there were no classes on for her thirteen year old son. Kids don't want to look uncool, and I think this can continue for some people into university. There is a pool of opportunity in this pool of young people who are desperate to engage in a world, but scared and uncertain how to. No one whats to stand out from the self conscious crowd of teenagers and there is opportunity in making activities which both work with, and eradicate this.

I walk across the courtyard from CCA and find a different art show; “Observer: John Latham and the Distant Perspective”. Latham’s body of work explores derelict land outside of Edinburgh and was developed from an artist placement with the Scottish Development Agency. The three month long artist residences took place in different locations, from industrial settings such as fishing villages to a residency exploring the mental health care service (https://mapmagazine.co.uk/john-latham-incidental-person). What was the desired outcome of these residencies? Well, the hope was that by involving an artist, “his creative intelligence or imagination can spark off ideas, possibilities and actions” ultimately benefiting development projects in Scotland (Lyddon, 2007). When the committee introducing Latham to the project asked if the artist was going to solve problems, Lyddon replied “No, the artist is going to show us problems we didn't know were there”. In the end, if there is ever an end to a body of work, Latham decided to explore the area in Midlothian from an areal perspective, or ‘from the distance’. It was from this, and through interacting intensely with archival aerial photography from the area, he was able to map out distinctive land features from the shale industry and turn these into a piece of re-conceived monumental, or sculptural work. The act of doing this changes how the public interact with the local landscape. I find the work fascinating and oh so funny to have stumbled into work made in this context during my time doing the residency in Churchill Gardens. I haven't continued to read into the work of Latham, but it has brought up interesting ideas as to how perspectives of place, how history, and fresh eyes can have an impact on how individuals engage with space. I think of how my view of the streets have changed since I began engaging in the area. How the image of a street morphs the more you walk down it. How the build up of memories connected to place erode and evolve as you step away then interact with them again. I am lucky to know these streets now and I get an overwhelming sense to draw them. Once again I'm excited by the power of naming, of bringing into the spotlight, places or people to create a transformative effect on how we engage with them. As I have been unable to draw or make during my time on the residency, I have taken up naming and writing lists of names instead. My diary has one section which includes as many names I can remember from all the people I have interacted with since my time in and around Pimlico and Churchill Gardens. Drawing cements and validates a memory or idea through the act of mark making, and I believe the power of naming and writing these names validates all the connections I have had to people over the course of the two weeks. I have found this at least itches my little creative scratch. Or rather, it scratches my creative itch.

In the afternoon I return to the Thamesbank Centre to volunteer with Shambush as part of the South west festival. With children from the surrounding housing estates, Shambush are holding creative making events in local community centres to try and create a way for children to engage with art and their neighbouring communities. We work to a brief which is to design, paint and glue onto paper ‘solar panels’ these of space, which will later be put together and secured to a huge metal structure and presented as a space shuttle in the gardens of Tate Britain. For each making event a child attends in their local area, they receive a stamp on their ‘space engineer passport’. It is a fantastic idea and I find it so exciting to hear that there is an activity in place to connect these very separate housing estates which tend to never really mix. When speaking to both Shambush and the local children who come to do the making session, it is apparent that Tate Britain is another world to this community. Im not surprised. It is a twenty minute walk away, yet completely inaccessible as a cultural engagement. This is sad but a very real reality. Fine art is most easily digested by those with the confidence to enter into the gallery space and those with the education to understand how to interact with it.

The kids are wonderful and messy and giggly and I laugh a lot with two girls in particular. We are silly and happy and I feel in my element. I feel so lucky to be in this space making with such interesting and wonderful kids. A group of boys come over and make maths themed solar panels. One boy manages to name every dwarf planet in our solar system and I feel very stupid when I talk about the ‘fire hurricanes on Venus’ (he probably knows the scientific latin name for them). Its so great how the space works. We are outside, the sun is shining, kids come and go and there is a real sense that we are in the heart of the community. We are on Peabody estate on Tachbrook Avenue so the street is lined by beautiful tall flats. In its centre is the park which is connected to the community centre, so every flat can watch down on us. I speak to one boy who is in year 5 and he says because of the park he has lots of friends who are older and younger than him. It is a place for all ages.

Throughout the day only two parents come and talk to us and engage with the activities. Its a shame because so often it is the parents who are cautious and scared to venture out and try new things, and go new places which ultimately gets passed down to the kids. When we age we tend to view creativity as something that we have or we don't have. The older we get the more we become aware that we can or cannot draw. The older we get the more we isolate ourselves from activities and places we don't feel comfortable, or that accentuate the fact we cant draw, or paint or act. The kids seem to want to come to Tate when we tell them their work will be shown there, but unfortunately that isn't enough, it is about the parents. Pimlico toy library was great for this, and Shelia was really passionate that she was creating a space which was confidence building for parents. This is vital.

The children power through the activities and start getting a little bored. I suggest making some space themed origami fortune tellers. Im worried that maybe I should have asked before doing this but Shambush are lovely and energetic about getting stuck in and keeping busy. The kids seem to love it and I get a real sense of right. I don't really know how to describe it. I feel in my element. This is huge for me and something which means the world when you're at the start of a career as a young artist who is still trying to find her feet. I wouldn't have had the means to experience bringing ideas to a children's art session before this and I feel so lucky that I am in this position. I feel validated that it is met with so much enthusiasm.

The afternoon wizzes past. The father of the two girls who I had spent a lot of time with is brought down by his carer to go to the park. From the top floor flat their mother calls them up to go and help with caring for the neighbours. They give me lots of cuddles goodbye and run off with hands covered in glue and crisps. I cant help but think about what a potentially tricky life they must have, but how wonderful and giggly they are. I wish I could meet their mother and tell her how great they have been. How great all the kids have been. I leave and have a little cry down the phone to my friend because I'm so sad it has ended. It felt pivotal for me as just me, as someone who is unsure of my next steps, of what areas of work I would like to pursue. It is because of this afternoon, and because of this residency that I have been given this opportunity and this space to gain confidence and experience in wonderful exciting and giggle fuelled roles.

Today is one of the best days I have had. Volunteering gives the residency a whole new level as i feel I'm working as part of a service which is effecting change. This is something I have a growing need to do. Its a wonderful thing that these two great volunteering opportunities with Shambush and the food distribution with Mike happened on my last few days. I feel I am more ready for them at this stage. I think about the residency ending, but on a larger scale, I think about goodbyes. I am not very good at them. I am home and I'm writing lots, I will have vegetable ratatouille for tea and I am going to have a gin and tonic too, because the sun is shining and I am happy. Big day tomorrow. Sad day. Big day. Last day.

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lostinaseaoffictionalbliss · 6 years

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Wait You're a Hunter

Part 2 of Blood, Guts, & Lust...Love?

Summary: Rachelle makes it to the town in which her vampire case lies, but a certain other hunter is there as well. Will the cross paths or will they miss each other completely

Pairing: Dean X OC

Warnings: Language, some gore

Word count: 1732

As soon as I made it to my motel in Saint Cloud I decided to start checking out the place. The sooner I found the vampire nest, the better. I didn't want anymore pretty college girls dropping dead. I mean I didn't want anyone being killed, but the vamps were after pretty college girls. So I was going to stop them before they could feed from anyone else. I went to the bar which the girls were being picked up from and ordered a drink; blending in was the best way to catch the vampire.

Sitting at a table in a dark corner, completely hidden by shadows I sipped my drink and waited. Luckily for me it wasn't a long wait. I could tell the vampire for what she was as soon as she walked into the bar. Interesting a female vamp picking up female vics. Wonder if they're for her or if she's just the hot piece of ass to lure the pretty girls to the alleyway. I kept my eyes on her as she began flirting with one of the college girls. A giggle escaped the young girl as she was completely oblivious to what was about to happen. As the pair made their way outside I followed. Hiding in the shadows I snuck outside behind them.

Turns out the female vamp was just bait. Some guy was just about to turn the sweet innocent girl into dinner. “Hey asshat let her go.” The two vampires turned to me and hissed as the girl made a run for it. I charged forward and tackled the girl shooting her up with dead man's blood before turning to her lover, boyfriend, mate, whatever the hell he was. He shoved me and I slammed against the wall with a grunt as the air was knocked from my lungs. “Not cool bro.” I twirled my machete and went at him. He swung and I ducked, spun and cut his head off. One down, who knows how many more to deal with.

Since it was night and the vampires had the upper hand I decided to wait to go after the nest, which meant waiting on the girl to wake up. I went back to my bike and kept out of sight. When she finally woke and left the alley I followed her to an abandoned barn. How original, I thought to myself. Now that I knew where they were nesting I would return during the day. Heading back to the hotel I pulled into my previous parking spot. As I turned the engine off I noticed a sleek, black ‘67 Chevy Impala. She was gorgeous and I couldn't help admiring her. I walked around the car checking it out, but something about it screamed hunter. Most likely it was the duffle bag in the bag with a few weapons peeking out.

Well that was that. I wasn't sticking around to deal with other hunters. We typically didn't get on too well. I was more ‘come up with a plan, make sure I knew everything before going in’ while a lot of hunters I had met went running in half-cocked. I went into my room wrote down the address for where they could find the vampires and walked back to the car. I slid the little note inside the cracked window letting it fall on the driver’s seat, decided to get some sleep and head home the next day. I woke up late that evening and when I left the Impala was still sitting there, so I assumed whoever the car belonged to had handled the nest as my note was no longer on the seat. With a smile I got on my bike and headed home.

A month later

I had just gotten back home from dealing with a vengeful ghost. Plopping down on my couch I turned the TV on and turned to Netflix. I figured I would catch up on some Orange is The New Black and enjoy a drink or two before heading to bed. I was tired and wanted nothing more than to relax and then head to dreamland. Between hunting and working as a freelance artist I didn't really get much downtime, but hey it paid the bills and saved lives. Couldn't get better than that. Just as I was getting into the show I heard Bragi start barking, something he didn't do very often. I picked up my pistol and went through the kitchen to the sliding glass door that led to the back yard.

As soon as I opened it, the female vampire that should have been dealt with a month ago shoved me back forcing me to drop my gun. “Son of a...what the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be dead?” She kicked out at me causing me to jump back. My hands landed behind me on the island in the middle of the kitchen. “You killed my mate. Now I'm going to kill you,” the vampire replied just as another set of footsteps entered my kitchen. I looked up seeing Dean, machete in hand and smirked. “Well good luck doing that from the grave.” I jumped up and, using the island to balance myself, kicked her in the chest sending her backwards toward Dean who promptly cut her head off.

I landed back on the ground and crossed my arms as I looked down at the now headless vampire. “What was she talking about you killed her mate?” Dean asked coming closer to me. I huffed and looked up at him. “I killed her mate back in Saint Cloud. Followed her to the nest. Was gonna clear it myself, but found out there were other hunters there, gave them the address and left,” I explained.

“What I just said wasn't it?” I answered, placing my left hand on my hip and cocking it out.

“How come we didn't see you..like at all? You were clearly staying at the same motel.” Dean kept questioning, crossing his arms.

“Wait that was you?” Dean asked, surprised.

"Well apparently you were too busy prematurely celebrating a 'successful hunt ' and let one get away!" I said using air quotes.

"I was not!" Dean clammors.

"Well wanna explain why there is a beheaded vamp in my kitchen then big boy?” I looked at him with raised brows. Dean opened and closed his mouth multiple times before finally spitting out, “She must have already been hunting you when Sam and I got to the nest.” Hmm, he actually had a good point. I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh. “Fair enough. Now help me clean this up.” I pointed at the body. Having a monster come into my home was not something I was happy about and I wanted it dealt with sooner instead of later.

Dean and I carefully moved the body and the head into his car where he could haul it off. As he disposed of the body I cleaned up my kitchen. I finished and walked into the living room, plopped back down on the couch and waited on him to show back up. I knew he would have more questions and I would answer them. Simply because I was hoping he would stick around long enough for us to have sex again. What could I say the man was addictive and I had only been with him once.

I heard a car door close and then my front door opened. Dean joined me on the couch with a beer in his hand. “So I guess your a hunter then?” I nodded my head and took a sip of my drink. “Yep,” I said popping the ‘p’ as I did so. Dean looked around my house. “Okay then tell me how you afford this. And how we haven't ran into each other sooner.” I turned and sat on the couch facing him, one leg on the floor the other underneath me. “The house belonged to my gran. When she passed it was given to me. As for how I afford my bills I'm more than a hunter,” I explained, running my fingers through my hair. “People commission me for artwork and it pays decent enough I also sell pieces I make on my own. Normally when I hunt, it’s local. I don't leave the state,” I finished.

Dean watched me trying to see if I was lying or not. He realized I was telling the truth and nodded his head. “Alright, but how did you get into hunting in the first place?” Every hunter had a reason. They either were born into a family that hunted or something tragic happened that introduced them to the world of the supernatural but I was different. I described the details of how I came to be aware of the things that go bump in the night. “When I was sixteen, my parents and I were on the way back from an art gallery where I had my first showing. We, and I'm still not sure how, but we hit a werewolf. My dad got out of the car; it tore his arm to shreds. Almost killed him before some hunter showed up. We all managed to survive but after that I dove headfirst into the lore. Found out everything I could.”

I was one of the few that didn't have a horribly tragic background.

I tilted my glass toward Dean in a way of saying your turn. I was then told the story of his mother being killed by a demon, how his father became obsessed with hunting it and brought his two sons up in the life. As soon as he told me his last name, I knew. The Winchesters were well known in the hunting community. I had heard the name a few times in my dealings with Jean. She would always keep me apprised of the stories that flowed down the hunter grapevine. Dean continues to tell me about the deal his father made to save him, his deal to save his brother, going to hell and coming back, and now trying to stop the apocalypse. I realized all those crazy stories Jean told me weren’t just rumors. “Damn, Dean Winchester. Sounds to me like you could use a bit of a break.”

Dean let out a chuckle. “Yeah, tell me about.”

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@mirandaaustin93 @thatfanficstuff

#supernatural #dean winchester #supernatural fanfiction #dean winchester x oc #dean x oc #supernatural fandom #dean #spn fandom #spn fanfiction #dean fanfiction

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longwoodstudents · 6 years

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Student Spotlight: Kaitlyn Coleman, Guest Engagement Intern

Hello! My name is Kaitlyn Coleman and I am the year-long Guest Engagement Intern here at Longwood Gardens. I am from Williamstown, Pennsylvania and started here in August 2017 after graduating from Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, PA, with a dual degree in Public History and English and a minor in Public Relations. During my job- search process, I started-out by applying to conventional history jobs, but then decided to think outside-the-box about how to apply my skills and recalled time spent on Longwood’s website while researching a project for an Event Planning course. Sure enough, when I searched jobs at Longwood, I found this wonderful internship opportunity and the rest is history! I just started my last month here at Longwood (has it really been that long?!) and am very excited to see where the skills and experience that I gained here take me next!

My office is on the very top floor of the Peirce-du Pont House. Though the steps can get tiring on busy days, I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful place to call home this year.

What is your favorite plant?

I don’t have a horticulture background and knew very little about it before starting this program, but I’ve always had an appreciation for beautiful and interesting plants. My tastes in plants tend to vary widely, depending on the season and what is in bloom, and, here at Longwood, there is always something in bloom! I hold a particular affinity for the waterlilies and other aquatic plants on display throughout the summer and fall, because there’s just something about the interplay between the plant and the reflections and ripples of the pools that tugs on my heart strings. The mosaic plant (Ludwigia sedioides), in particular, draws my attention because it looks like an aquatic succulent in shape.

I also love all manner of purple plants, such as the zebra spiderwort (Tradescantia zebrina). The first plant I adopted when I moved to the Row was a tradescantia named Lafayette, who lives on our bathroom windowsill, and I’ve since started two other plants from his cuttings.

Mosiac plant (Ludwigia sedioides)

What is your favorite Garden? What is your favorite part of Longwood?

Truth be told, before Longwood, I had not visited many public gardens. Since joining the program, though, I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities to explore America’s Garden Capital and marvel at the variety of the plant world. Chanticleer Garden, in particular, stole my heart with its whimsical, naturalistic design.

I also love to visit natural places with beautiful plants, such as national parks and forests. Some of my absolute favorites were encountering the ethereal worlds of New Zealand’s Waipoua Forest, with its towering kauri trees and the light trickling through fern fronds, and Tongariro National Park, with its harsh, volcanic landscape and low-growing alpine plants.

At Longwood, I feel like there is always a new place to love and I adore different parts of the garden for different reasons. The wall of air plants and trickling water of the Cascade Garden stood-out during my first visit to Longwood, as did the spectacular performances of the Main Fountain Garden, but I think my favorite part of Longwood would have to be the Meadow Garden. It is a different experience every day of the year and I’ve loved watching it change from season to season.

As we enter late summer, the Meadow Garden is coming into its full splendor.

What is the best part of being a student?

All students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of enrichment activities throughout their program and these experiences include some of my favorite things I’ve done over these past 11 months. From hands-on activities right here at Longwood, to trips as far-reaching as Washington, DC and the New York Botanical Garden. Through these activities, I’ve had the opportunity to see and do much more than I ever would have on my own and, for that, I’ve very grateful.

I also can’t say enough about my co-workers and how great it is to feel valued and appreciated for my contributions to the team. They often go out of their way to make my experience even better, because they genuinely care about my learning, growth, and future career. Also, I love to be busy and there’s always something going-on in the Guest Engagement department!

In April, we visited the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washinton, DC. While there, my roommate and I visited the Sakura Yumi (Cherry Blossom Dream) exhibition at Artechouse, an interactive gallery space that features digital artists.

What is your background in horticulture (or whatever field you are in)?

Before Longwood, I had no experience working in horticulture. As a student of three different departments, I found myself deeply enthralled in public humanities. This allowed me to curate a varied, yet intertwined skillset, including writing in a variety of genres, completing valuable research, designing both traditional and digital content, event planning, and combing these skills to present content effectively to multi-generational audiences.

Additionally, I’ve pursued work experience as an Intern at the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office, a Graphics Tech for Messiah’s campus ministries department, a Resident and Teaching Assistant for the Young Writer’s Workshop, and a Fellow for Messiah’s Center for Public Humanities. My favorite pre-Longwood project was the local history exhibit I planned, designed, curated, edited, and implemented for the Center for Public Humanities’ annual Humanities Symposium. I believe learning how to research, curate, write, and edit content for the public and to multi-task effectively have been my most important take-aways from these positions, as they’ve directly connected to my current role.

Why did you want to come to Longwood and what do you think helped you get the position?

I knew very little about Longwood before applying, but as I researched the garden and interviewed with staff members, it became clear how special a place it truly is. Everyone radiated love for their workplace and that sincerity stood out to me. Although I don’t have a horticulture background, I have both professional and academic experience in writing, public history, research, design, and public relations, which gives me a varied skillset well-suited to the role of Guest Engagement Intern.

I absolutely love the Main Fountain Garden and will definitely be returning for future shows!

What do you do at work? Highlight your favorite project or what you do day-to-day.

My job varies week-to-week and day-to-day, depending on the projects we are working on in the Guest Engagement office and what is required of me to support the function of the department. As the Guest Engagement Intern, I’ve had the opportunity to create and implement engaging interpretive programming for diverse, multi-generational audiences. This includes assisting in the management of 400 guest engagement volunteers, designing interpretive materials, writing curriculum, and planning large-scale public programming. I’ve loved working independently and as a member of a team in an environment focused on connecting guests to horticulture, history, and the arts.

Not only have I met my goals for improving my communication skills, I’ve also found that when others wither, I thrive in a fast-paced environment. I strive to approach each day as an opportunity to learn something new and to make someone’s day special. This is likely why my favorite projects involve planning and implementing special events. I also love creating new curriculum and activities for the Children’s Garden. I’m in the business of storytelling and memory-making, so I’ve shaped my efforts throughout this internship to foster opportunities for learning and connection. Every day is something new in Guest Engagement and I’ve strived to embrace the challenges that come my way.

Some of my favorite days on-the-job were when I coordinated our OrKID Day events.

What are your future plans or what is your intended career path?

I still hope to build a career in public history, preferably in a museum or historic site setting, but my time here at Longwood has also won me over to the world of public gardens. My skills are well-suited to both, so I’ve applied and interviewed for jobs in both fields and will be happy to pursue either result. Wherever life takes me next, I know that my time here has taught me so much and prepared me for the challenges ahead. Plus, how many people can say they’ve worked in a place as beautiful as Longwood?

One of my favorite things I’ve done this year was taking the Floral Design I Continuing Education class. Over the course of 6 weeks, I learned the basics of floral design and had the opportunity to make my own creations, including this centerpiece (L) and market bouquet arrangement (R).

Article and Photos by Kaitlyn Colema

#Longwood Gardens #student profile #student intern #internship #Kennett Square #Public Garden #botanic garden #pennsylvania #greater philadelphia #Guest Services

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