#ii acorn knife

[arandombirdie]

Whiteboard doodles

#ii 2 #inanimate insanity #art #osc art #ii acorn au #ii mephone4 #ii acorn paper #ii acorn Yang #ii acorn Yin #ii yin-yang #ii #iir paper #Kirby #ii acorn knife #bfb #tpot #tpot nickel #acorn tpot nickel? #idk anymore-

[janasvisualblog]

Queenhood

I

An old-fashioned word, coined in a bygone world. It is a taking hold and a letting go, girlhood left behind like a favourite toy, irreversible step over invisible brink. A new frock will be made, which is a country hemmed with the white lace of its shores, and here is a vast garden of weald and wold, mountain and fell, lake, loch, cwm. It is constancy and it is change: the age of clockwork morphs into digital days, but the song of the blackbird remains the same.

II

Queenhood: a long winding procession from the abbey door to the abbey door. Queenhood: vows taken among bibles and blades, beneath braided banners and heralding horns; the anointment of hand, breast, head, with oil of cinnamon, orange, musk and rose; promises sworn in secret under tented gold so daylight won’t frighten the magic away, too sacred by far for the camera to see. It is an undressing first then a dressing up, a shedding of plain white cloth then the putting on of a linen gown and the supertunica – dazzling gold foil lined with crimson silk. Man will walk on the moon, great elms will fail and fall. But a knife’s still a knife. A fork’s still a fork.

III

So the emblems and signs of royalty are produced: the gilded spurs; the blued steel sword – like a sliver of deep space drawn from the scabbard of night – to punish and protect; bracelets to each wrist, sincerity and wisdom – both armour and bond. Love is still love is still love, and war is war.

IV      

And indestructible towers will atomise in a blink. The God particle will be flushed from its hiding place. The sound barrier will twang with passenger planes. Civilisation will graft its collected thoughts onto silicon wafers, laureates will pass through court . . . But Taurus, the bull, on its heavenly tour, will breach the same horizon at the given hour.

V

Queenhood: it is the skies, it is also the soil of the land. It is life behind glass walls and fortified stones. Robe and stole are lifted onto your shoulders – both shield and yoke. Motherhood and womanhood will be taken as read. ‘Multitasking’ will be canonised as a new word.

VI

It is an honouring, but also an honour. In the flare and blur of an old film ghostly knights and chess-piece bishops deliver the unearthly orb, with its pearled equator and polished realms, into your open palm; and pass you the sceptre and rod of mercy and justice, one bearing the cross, one plumed with a white dove; and load your fourth finger with a ring that makes you the nation’s bride; and offer the white kid glove with its scrollwork tattoo of thistles and shamrocks, oak leaves and acorns; then finally furnish your head with the crown – jewelled with history, dense with glory – both owned and loaned at the same time.

Do those burnished relics still hold the fingerprints of a twenty-seven-year-old?

VIII

A priceless freight for a young woman to bear, but, draped and adorned, a monarch walks forward into the sideways weather of oncoming years. And the heavy cargoes of church and state lighten with each step, syrupy old gold transmuted to platinum, alchemy redefined. Queenhood: it is law and lore, the dream life and the documentary, a truthful fantasy.   For generations we will not know such majesty.

By Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate

[ellitx]

Chapter 8: Unexpected Sojourn

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁

previous || next

art belongs to rome

word count: 3.2k

           “[Name].”

           You flinched when your name slipped from his lips. Venti furrowed his brows in worry and slowly knelt down before you, reaching his hand out to brush your cheek. You crawled backward before he could touch you.

           Fear had once again found you. It spoke to you in its cackling voice. It told your legs to go weak, your stomach to lurch and your heart to ache. Your eyes averted from his own gaze. You don’t want to look at him.

           You fear facing the unknown Venti in front of you. What happened back then still lingered inside your head. Those cold and ominous orbs when he looked at you made you shudder. You know that intense gaze wasn’t meant to be directed at you, yet it scared you so much the more you think about it.

           His heart ached to see you distancing away from him. It feels so cold, like concrete drying his chest. It was unexpected for him to experience a heartbreak— top of the world one minute then cut down the next. Why is that? Is there a part of him that you dislike seeing? You do know that he’s trying to help you, right?

           “[Name], what’s wrong?”

           He softly asked, his voice sounded so pleading. As much as he wanted to near you, he kept himself in place to prevent you from keeping away. You have always imagined him holding you so many times, but now more often than not you find the future you seek is an empty shell. 

           Things have changed abruptly— he changed, so fast, you worry that he might not be able to control himself in front of you.

           “It’s nothing…” You muttered. You said you aren’t scared but he can see your body movements are tighter and your yearnings reduced. Your smiles were shorter and silence longer. You didn’t even look at him as you said that.

           Venti bit his lip as his face contorted. He so badly wanted to wrap his arms around you and just bury his face on your hair, taking in the fresh smell you have, yet you were scared. Scared of what though?  He doesn’t know the answer to it. Was it because of Boreas? 

           “Please look at me…”

           He begged. There was something in his voice, a pain behind it. You watched. You watched his eyes and then you knew. The anger was nothing but a shield for pain, like a cornered knight aimlessly lunging his sword, scared for his life, lonely, and desperate.

           His emotions turned jagged and his insides tight. He wanted to cry out and reach out to you. Love him, sit with him, hold his hand, say his name, look into his eyes, and say you love him. He waited, heart in his mouth, hoping you’ll come back to his arms.

           It hurt you. It hurt you to see him like this. The emotional pain in those green gems swelled you with guilt that you’re staying away from him. You impulsively extended out your arms and apologized.

           “I’m sorry,”

           Venti blinked in surprise yet he didn’t hesitate to come to you. Your arms were wide open, welcoming him in, and he immediately entered them then wrapped his arms around your waist so tightly. 

           His hug is stronger than anything you’ve ever known as if holding you wasn’t quite enough, he has to feel every ounce that you are pressed into every ounce that is him. In that moment of a feeling of you so close has awakened him, more alive and relieved than he has been in so very long.

           He nuzzled onto your neck, feeling safe against you. Your warm hug took the pain away and just let himself melt and be comfortable. You slowly reached up to his head and caressed his dark locks.

           “I’m sorry…” You repeated. “I… I thought you’re mad at me.” Your gaze darted downwards with your arms falling back to your side. Your eyes remained glassy for a moment and that’s when he finally connected the dots together. 

           You were scared seeing him furious. It’s an emotion he never really shows it often and is rare for him. This side of him was uncommon to see and you’ve never seen him felt like that once in your life of knowing him for all these years. Anger, pain, sadness— so intertwined that perhaps his name is ought to be tweaked to reflect the true origins of these emotions.

           Venti pulled away and looked at you, his eyes calmly searching yours. He raised your chin to make you look at him and pressed his forehead with yours. “I’m not mad. And I’ll never ever be mad at you.” Warm hands then cupped your cheeks and when he spoke, you can feel his warm breath against your face, and it’s just now you're realizing how close you two are.

           “I’m worried about you,” The distance between your lips were just a few centimeters apart, almost brushing together. “And I don’t know what to do without you being here with me.” He was firm and gentle as he pulled you in and it caught you off guard the moment his lips brushed with yours. In that kiss was the sweetness of affection, a million thoughts condensed into a moment.

           He laced his fingers with yours and tugged you close to him. You never quite figure out the beauty of his lips was more the softness of their association with the words he spoke. He always loves being near you, touching you, and holding you in his arms. His warmth would seep into your being and comfort you without ever opening his mouth.

           You’d melt onto him easily as you belonged next to him as he belonged to you. And each time before you part, the aching to be in his arms would begin anew.

—

        “Say Aether,” Paimon started catching the traveler’s attention as he stopped munching his food. He hummed at her and raised a brow. “Isn’t the Tone-Deaf Bard a little bit shifty this day?” 

           The blonde swallowed his meal and took a napkin wiping the crumbs sticking on the corner of his mouth then asked, “What do you mean?” 

           “I mean aren’t you curious to know who this maiden Venti keeps talking about?!” Her face was so close whilst she floated above him. Aether sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This pixie really doesn’t know where to not poke her nose into, does she?

           “It’s not our business and we shouldn’t pry onto it anymore.” Paimon puffed her cheeks and stomped her feet onto the air in annoyance. It did irk her that her companion was not interested in this topic, but her curiosity is eating her up. 

           “Is she perhaps the one he told us in his story?” She didn’t change the topic as she grinned while taking another piece of the Mushroom Pizza. Aether simply shrugged and just ignored her rambles, absently staring onto the wall of Good Hunter’s diner.

           If it really was the girl Venti mentioned from the story of his old friend, does that mean she’s awake already? 

           “Anyways we’re still going to check it out, right?!” 

           He snapped out from his dazed state, owlishly blinking before looking back at her. “Hm? What are we talking about again?”

           “You’re not even listening to Paimon! Well never mind, Paimon can just repeat it to you.” Before she could utter a word, Aether had cut her off. “If it’s about following Venti, we don’t have the slightest clue to where he could be.” His floating companion grumbled and crossed her arms in aggravation since what he said did have a point.

           Albeit disappointing as it may be, she did actually hope they could investigate it later. “Bummer…” She muttered to herself and took another bite of the pizza.

           Aether rummaged inside his bag and clicked his tongue at the sight of the lack of crystals he currently has. He forgot to collect more to enhance his weapon to the blacksmith, great. He disappointedly sighed and zipped his bag close. Sufficient mora, shortage of crystals. Seems like they’ll have to mine them before he could enhance his trusty sword.

           “We’re going to Stormterror’s lair after this.” He announced. “Now? But we haven’t finished eating these yet! We still have another order coming.” Oh, right, the Sticky Honey Roast. 

           “We’ll eat Sticky Honey Roast first then go to Stormterror’s lair.” 

           “Aww yeah!”

           The wait was fortunately not that too long. The waitress stopped by their table and served them their meals. The sight and aroma of the food made them drool in hunger, their souls wanting to ravish it in instant. The two grabbed their fork and knife, hastily slicing to get their piece, and enjoyed the delish meat feast prepared for them as they shoved a forkful of it into their mouths.

           Warm food melted in the back of their throat and Paimon, who was dissatisfied with the size of her spoon, raised the plate to her face, wolfed it down, and licked the plate clean. Her body shook as she belched loud and long. 

           Aether cringed at her lack of manners in dining, looking away from the other customers who gave them a glance of curiosity at his guide. This emergency food will be the death of him.

           After finishing their meal and paying up, the two went off and started their journey to the lair. The embryonic oaks laid upon the grass, their brown eyes a gift to the eyes. He could watch them for a while, these acorns, hoping the silent bliss would extend if not for some group of slimes and hilichurls attacking them.

           Fighting was easy and not too much of a trouble for him, a sign that he’s gradually getting stronger. He smiled to himself and let his sword vanish into thin air on his back. Just a few more steps and he can finally gather the crystals he really needed.

           The path went onwards and there was much journeying ahead in front of them. He paid no mind to Paimon’s ramblings about what food they should get later. Sheesh, why does she can only think of nothing but food? Just how big is her stomach that can handle so many?

           Still, he appreciated her little babbles to distract himself from their quiet walk. His golden orbs then lit up at the sight of the familiar entrance getting bigger each step they take. His leg stopped from leading him and peered at the big tower looming before his small form.

           The memories of the Stormterror issue returned to him. The agony and pain the poor dragon was suffering, the blood clot that drastically continued to consume him as he writhes and cries while no one was there to help him. Venti, the Anemo Archon, was there to help Aether in his journey and to aid in freeing Dvalin from being corrupted by the Abyss Order.

           They were able to set him free and save him from poison with the help of the Dandelion Knight and Darknight Hero of Mondstadt. Still, even after that incident, there are still no clues as to where his sister could be.

           Aether took the chunk of crystal and placed it inside his bag. He heaved a sigh and stretched his arms to ease the cramps formed on his tense shoulder due to the struggle of breaking the crystals from the ground. 

           “Are those enough?” Paimon hovered above him and took a peek inside as she asked. The blonde shook his head and sled the backpack over his shoulder. “Just need two more and then we can go back.” He took out his map and checked the current location he is in to mark the spot.

           “Oh! Paimon remembers there are few over there.” Her small finger pointed on the spot of the map near to where they are and tugged his scarf to make him follow her. Few long strides here and there, his brow quirked when Paimon stopped midway guiding him.

           “Uh… are you seeing what Paimon’s seeing?” His brows knitted together at her ambiguous context behind her words. “What are you talking about?” He questioned and looked in front seeing nothing but thin air.

           “Over there! Is that a dead body?!” She flew behind him and took a little peek over his shoulder, her form slightly quivering in fear. He squinted his eyes to take a closer observation to where her finger was directing. Upon more detailed inspection, he can faintly draw out the figure that was limped on the ground.

           In instinct, his legs immediately guided him towards the figure and saw an unconscious form of a girl the closer he gets. He knelt down and drifted his hand on your chest to check your pulse. 

           “She’s just unconscious.” He assured Paimon. She sighed in relief and fluttered across you to check your features then back to the area. Something feels off…

           “Is it just me or was there always a garden here before?” She remarked, catching Aether’s attention. His eyes wandered to his surroundings and she was indeed right. Various flowers scattered before you, cushioning your body in the grassy field. He remembers that the ruins were only filled with the remains of the old buildings and structures.

           He explored this area in and out and never once in his journey does he remember a garden was set up here in just a month. Is someone revitalizing this old lair? Even if it did, he should prioritize first your passed out state and bring you back to Mondstadt for safety.

           “We should bring her back with us. It’s too dangerous here.” He told his little companion and before he could tuck his hands underneath your legs, a strong grip on his wrist stopped him from doing so.

           He jerked his head in the direction of the owner’s arm, following the white sleeve covered up until to sight of a familiar appearance of a bard standing before him. Venti stared blankly at him with cold eyes. Frightened by his expression and sudden presence, he took in a sudden intake of breath and stumbled backward, his foot slipping from the ground. His shoulders tensed in alarm, the tightening grip on his wrist caused him to wince in pain.

           “Venti?!” Paimon exclaimed in surprise and glided away to give the distance from him as she noticed the abrupt ominous aura encircling him. 

           “What are you going to do with her?” His expression hardened when the traveler remained quiet at his question, so he constricted his hold on him even further to get his attention.

           “I said, what are you going to do with her, traveler?” He repeated but with a firm and loud voice. The pixie shuddered in fear at his unforeseen behavior but she quickly stepped in and tugged his hand away.

           “We’re just going to bring her to the city to help her!” She exclaimed and attempted to release his restraint on her ally. Resentful countenance flit across his features as his mouth had gone hard hearing her words. Though, he quickly replaced it with a smile and finally let go of Aether.

           “I see. There’s no need to do that.”

           The blonde rubbed his wrist to ease the discomfort that continued to linger, he was sure of himself it’ll create a bruise on it. His eyes followed to the bard’s small form as he carried you in his arms. You squirmed against him and huddled closer searching for warmth.

           Venti glanced at you then back to the two companions. “You should go back now.” His voice was more demanding than they had expected. An order from an Archon himself. Though Aether didn’t budge, he hoisted himself up first then looked at him in utter puzzlement.

           “What about her? Is she injured? Sick? You should come with us too if you want to aid her.” Venti clicked his tongue and forced a smile to hide the growing anger that’s boiling up even more the more he talks.

           “I can handle her myself. It’s getting dark already and I don’t want you to get lost on your way back to the city.” The small bickering started to wake you and this is not what Venti likes to happen.

           As you rose from your light slumber, you are first aware of the coolness of the air and the fresh and loamy fragrance. Your clothes feel damp as a flower in the dew of the dawn. You half wonder if you’re still dreaming as you shifted from your place and sensed your feet weren’t touching the ground.

           “She’s awake!” You heard a squeaky voice exclaim near you. Venti raised his hand and commanded the winds to push the two away back to the exit. 

            “Leave. Now.”

            It irked him further when Aether persisted then stared at you, observing your features in silence. If he’s desperate to stay then so be it, he can just teleport himself somewhere else with you as long as they keep a distance from you.

           He didn’t hesitate to leave them all alone and not even once listening to what they’ll say as he suddenly disappeared into thin air with few teal feathers fluttering along with the air.

           He stopped near the lake and heaved a sigh of relief that he can no longer see them at last. You rubbed your eyes to erase the sleepiness within you and looked up at him, calling his name in a drowsy manner.

           “Sorry did I wake you, love?”

           He settled himself on the ground and brushed your hair away that was fixed on your cheeks. You blinked and looked around the area to get a glimpse of where you are. Now you were awake, perhaps a little bit awake with a tint of drowsiness still in you. As far as you can tell, you’re trapped in your lover’s arms with birds making their carefree song around you.

           “What’s the noise all about? What’s going on?”

           Ah, seems like that woke you up. He sighed and placed his head on your shoulder to relax with just your presence. It’s a miracle how your own voice can instantly calm him down after attempting Aether and Paimon to leave the place.

           “There were visitors that came here. Quite pesky I must say.”

           “Visitors?”

           That fully woke you up more than you’ve ever been. “No need to worry about that. It’s not really important. Get some more rest, you’re tired after what happened after all.” He kissed the top of your head and pulled you close to snuggle against him. You enjoy the feeling of his warm body next to yours, causing you to be sleepy once again.

           He carefully shuffled to find a comfortable spot and looked at you. Your features were much softer in sleep, more youthful than ever no matter how many millenniums of years passed by. It reminded him of your heavy slumber while he waits for you to wake up.

           But now, he doesn’t need to worry if you’re still in a comatose state. You’re already awake, with him and finally together. He can easily check up on you all the time as long as he’s next to you. He could soak in all that you are forever and still be right here, still wanting more. It is infatuation, but what is love without it? Desire, passion, and true love are threads of the same emotion, a perfect recipe for his attraction for you.

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #yandere genshin impact #yandere genshin impact x reader #yandere venti x reader #venti x reader #genshin impact venti x reader #genshin impact venti #venti #genshin impact reader insert #elliwrites #Illusory Sense

[eafsegse]

I would be alone

And here let me say, that the treatment of plantation slaves cannot be fully known, except by the poor sufferers themselves, and their drivers and overseers. They would be much cooler than her in her tokar, with its heavy fringe of baby pearls. He was not brave enough to take cold steel to his own belly, but a bite of mushroom would not be so hard. One woman who knows more than most about creating a trainer which llantas 4x4 onlineis perfect for the workplace is Rose Rankin who founded her eponymous trainer brand after spotting a "niche for a smarter kind of trainer which is as beautifully crafted as a normal shoe but would still cost less than 200." Rankin, who spent seven years working as an industry analyst at Google and has long favoured trainers for work, began trading last year with styles designed to stand out from the usual branded options. So they changed their mindset, put a lot of time in themselves and refused to be denied. The men were all of a height, with long legs and flat bellies, every muscle as sharply etched as if it had been chiseled out of stone. The little candidates for “field honors” are useless articles on a plantation during the first five or six years of their existence. “Delightful, indeed! You scribblers think every one’s delightful if only she wears petticoats. “Good,” he said. I would be alone. Thus he says: “Because individuals may have been deprived of many of their rights by society, it does not follow that they have been deprived of all their rights.” Again, he says of the slave: “He is still a human being, and possesses all those rights of which he is not deprived by the positive provisions of the law.” Here he admits that the provisions of law deprive the slave of natural rights. Capture up on the most recent lingo so you do not sound like an idiot when these guys in fact do start playing, apparently sometime in January. It had a bitter taste, though not so bitter as acorn paste. Miller where Jesse McCreary lived, and then seized me by the arm, and pulled me out of the house. Holding her tokar daintily so as not to tread upon its fringes, Daenerys Targaryen eased herself onto the chair’s plush velvet seat, and Hizdahr zo Loraq went to his knees, unlaced her sandals, and washed her feet whilst fifty eunuchs sang and ten thousand eyes looked on. So do their friends. Personally, I think this is very bad form. For longer hair section hair smaller about 1" for medium length to short hair use 1 1/2. By an

cazadora vaquera tommy hilfiger

unworthy artifice, therefore, he got possession of his servant’s free papers, and condemned him still to hopeless slavery. "So I was always mamma's little girl, staying next to her constantly. Johnson (D) and county schools zone 2 director Andrew Zuckerman. Then he licked

diadora focicipő

her fingers. Wound too loose, it was like to fall off; wound too tight, it would tangle, trip, and bind. That the institution is not of itself a sinful one, and that the only sin consists in the neglect of its relative duties. Its a newer version that improves over the previous version. There has been, it is true, a deep, and ever increasing hostility to slavery in a decided majority of ministers and church-members in free states, taken as individuals. Be that as it may, we need Ser Robert to prevail, my lords. Whether it's an emergency service call or a routine maintenance visit, Commonwealth Heating Cooling's technicians are always prompt, completely professional and committed to your complete satisfaction. Then, he pulled out a knife," she recalled. Wall Street is already betting big on renewables, projecting that 69 to 74 percent of new energy development through 2030 will be in green energy.. Said. Though no longer able to hit targets in Britain, the Germans continued to use the V 1 to strike

calça kickboxing

at Antwerp and other key sites in the Low Countries that had been liberated by the Allies.. By reducing the temperature to 130 degrees, the exposure time required for third degree burns is extended to 30 seconds, and at 120 degrees, vans ginissit takes five minutes.. Another may remark inconveniences, and, indeed, real evils, in it, of which we may be said to have been all our lives scarcely conscious. Hizdahr zo Loraq was saying something to the man beside him, yet

lugosis carhartt

all the time his eyes were on the dancing girls. But it contains the Pleiades, a small but very visible star cluster, sometimes called the "Seven sisters." In Japan, the Pleiades is called "Subaru." Taurus also contains the reddish colored bright star Aldebaran. Before they had gone twenty yards, though, she turned to glance behind them and said, “Men, he says. Her organization, Homeless Backpacks, provides weekend food for children and teens in Thurston, Mason and Grays Harbor counties who are either staying in shelters with family, bouncing between friends' houses each day zapatillas guess mujer corte ingles or living on the streets.. It's about people. Stowe, is utterly unfounded in fact. So many drowned men, the Drowned God will be strong there, Victarion had thought when he chose the island for the three parts of his fleet to join up again. … more northmen coming in as word spreads of our victory. The first Republican to announce he's running for governor. I noticed they are really trying their best to censor the comments nowadays makes me nervous and anxiety ridden. Proceeds from the new events will allow HEADstrong to strengthen their commitment to adult and pediatric cancer initiatives in the markets. A staggering seven million tons of bombs, the equivalent in explosive yield to more than 450 Hiroshimas, were dropped in the name of defeating communism. Victarion missed the grey-green waters of home, with their whitecaps and surges.. But the offence for which he is suffering was clearly made out, and its tendency here is very hurtful to twin set cardigan outletour rights, and our peace as a people. Darcie, I don't know what Gods law is when it comes to hurting one of his special Angels, whatever the cost

pantaloni elisabetta franchi saldi

I'm more blessed than cursed by knowing and loving you, Beautiful. galeb spodnjice Clare, that ‘there is no law that amounts to anything’ in such cases, and that he who goes furthest in severity towards his slave,—that is, to the deprivation of an eye or a limb, or even the destruction of life,—‘only uses within limits the power that the law gives him.’ This is an awful and tremendous charge, which, lightly and unwarrantably made, must subject the maker to a fearful accountability. CIAR is working in an area where there's very little money for research.". The Phenom II 720BE is two steps up from the lowest priced Phenom II X2 550BE. The external intercostal muscles also help bring about this enlargement of the thoracic cavity. Hanna says the communication is rich and intense, even if it may not suit all tastes.. Intends to "stay the course" with its basic strategy for transitioning security responsibility to the Afghans.. (You are probably aware of James Lovelock work on the Gaia Hypothesis.).

[luckyartisanllama]

Vikings Bio Headcanons

As a part II to the Ragnarssons, here are some more randoms for the older generation.

Ragnar Lothbrok

How did he prove his manhood to his friends and family?

As a young boy, Ragnar’s favorite time of year was the Yule season. Early each winter, he would begin dreaming of a great wolf chasing the sun through the sky, and swallowing it whole, leaving just the slightest cloudy shimmer through its stomach. He’d also anticipate the great warriors that would gather together in the earl’s hall. After several cups of mead, they’d come together in a circle, and share their exploits from the past year. They seemed like giants to him, covered in their thick fur coats, telling stories of impossible victories. Of course he never told anyone, but it was Ragnar’s plan to go hunting for a wolf once he received his arm ring at the Thing, and to wear its pelt to the first of the Yule celebrations.  Even his father was surprised when his youngest son appeared in the wolf’s fur, because it had obviously come from a large, healthy male. 

What animal most closely aligns with his personality?

A raven. Ragnar was fascinated by other people, but it was difficult for him to build close relationships, and there were really only a few people that ever intimately knew him. Despite this, Ragnar could still be quite light-hearted and playful, which always attracted others to him. So, he generally found himself off on his own during the day, and surrounded by a large group during the evenings.

What item does he always keep with him?

Just before Ragnar’s mother Alfhild passed, he went to her deathbed to spend just a few moments alone with her. She told her son to bring her the small knife that was resting on a pile of neglected yarn, and snipped a small braid from her hair to give to him. Ragnar would wear it with him most days, whether he tied to a thread around his neck, or hid it in a small coat pocket. 

Harald Finehair

How did he prove his manhood to his friends and family? 

When Harald was thirteen, he and his brother traveled with their father near the southern coast. It was their first time to go so far south, and the boys were eager to do some exploring away from their father’s gaze. With a group of local boys, Harald and Halfdan escaped the village’s busy crowd, and wandered a few miles up the Mǫrn river where they could play in the cover of the trees. The river was rough there though, and the rapids seemed to goad the boys into play a bit too recklessly. Halfdan, only ten and small for his age, fell in. Harald jumped in after his brother without hesitation, and saved his brother’s life. When he heard what had happened, their father was too relieved to be furious with his sons, and by the time they returned home, he’d fine-tuned all the details of the story to share with his friends.

What animal most closely aligns with his personality?

A lynx. Harald wasn’t raised to believe a man could ever be too ambitious. He’s made allies with the most unsavory sorts of people, killed more powerful (but less astute) men, and journeyed into uncertainty, all because a small part of hims has always believed that the opportunity for gain is truly a god-given gift. 

What item does he always keep with him?

Before Harald goes on any journey, he takes an acorn with him from home. Associated with Thor and good fortune, Harald believes the acorn may help him secure safe passage back home, and hopefully, with more wealth than what he left with.

Halfdan the Black

How did he prove his manhood to his friends and family?

Halfdan’s parents were sure he wouldn’t make it to adulthood. During his earliest years, he was a puny little thing that seemed to be living on borrowed time. Especially during the cold months, his mother always assumed her youngest would be taken by some fever, but Halfdan never got sick. By the time he’d turned twelve and was ready to attend the Thing with his father, he’d stretched out a bit and had gained a reputation amongst the other boys. He’d rarely gotten so much as a scratch training with them, and was absolutely the most reckless out of the bunch - always provoking the others. The night he received his ring was a surreal moment for his father, and he suddenly became aware of his son’s size and character.

What animal most closely aligns with his personality?

A northern goshawk. Halfdan can only ever be seen with his brother or on his own. He doesn’t make a point to hide away like that, it’s just in his nature to seek out what’s familiar to him unless he’s traveling somewhere purposefully. It’s also never crossed his mind to hide some his more violent tendencies, which can be whole other obstacle to making friends.

What item does he always keep with him?

Halfdan likes to travel with a pair of hand-woven wool socks that his mother made for him. He’s had to mend a few holes in them over the years, but layered over a pair of fresh socks, they’re incredibly comfortable.

Floki

When did he prove his manhood to his friends and family?

Floki was raised in a comfortable home, but it was a lonely enough upbringing. Being raised by a widow, he was sure she’d always considered him a bit of a burden. Just before his sister was old enough to consider marrying, she was sent away to some aunts’ who he knew good and well were not blood relatives at all, but actually vǫlur. Every night afterwards, Floki would lay awake at night wondering about himself, and hoped the gods would intervene to give him a brighter future than a simple woodcarver or fisherman. At least someone favored him, and Floki was sent to foster with a boat-builder who spoiled him with attention. He completed his first boat there at fifteen, but his foster father had him exaggerate his age and experience by a decade for the sake of getting more work.

What animal most closely aligns with his personality?

A nursery web spider. Power can change hands quickly in Kattegat, and physical security is a privilege for the few. Floki, however, was given a precious gift by the gods. His unique talents have not only bought him protection from others’ wrath, but also helped him to make many very useful friends.  

What item does he always keep with him?

Floki always keep a small pot of ink with him. Besides changing his appearance specifically to intimidate others, he finds it calming to practice runes that he’ll eventually sew into clothes, paint onto his shield, or tattoo onto his scalp. 

#vikings #ragnar lothbrok #harald finehair #halfdan #halfdan the black #floki #and none for rollo #vikings headcanon #vikings imagine #random bio headcanon

[grigori77]

2018 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 2)

20.  OVERLORD – 2018’s chief runner-up for horror movie of the year is brash, noisy and spectacularly glossy, but also fiendishly inventive and surprisingly original given that it borrows its central concept from several older, schlockier offerings.  Originally touted as the fourth film in the Cloverfield “franchise”, time (and producer J.J. Abrams) has told, and this is in fact entirely its own thing – an action-packed horror thriller set in the explosive midst of World War II’s D-Day landings. Nearly the entire narrative thrust of the film revolves around US Army Private Ed Boyce (Fences’ Jovan Adepo), a gentle, shy draftee who’s part of an Airborne squad sent to jump in ahead of the Normandy invasion and knock out a German radio tower built on an old church, but when their plane gets shot down over the drop-zone he winds up one of a ragtag team of only five survivors, led by young but battle-hardened veteran Corporal Ford (Everybody Wants Some! star Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt), who insists they complete their mission.  When they reach the tower, however, they find the town under the control of an SS company led by Captain Wafner (Game of Thrones’ Pilou Asbæk), who spearheads an unholy experimental research project attempting to bring dead German soldiers back as unstoppable zombie killing machines.  It’s a deceptively simple premise, but from this little acorn has grown a mighty oak of a film, a thunderous, non-stop thrill-ride that cranks up the tension within minutes of the start and never lets up thereafter, keeping us drawn out on a knife’s edge for long stretches of unbearable suspense when it’s not hurling a series of intense and brutal set-pieces at us, some of the most bravura sequences playing out in audaciously long single-take tracking shots.  Relative newcomer director Julius Avery may have been an unknown quantity (he only had one feature to his name before this, so-so Aussie heist thriller Son of a Gun), but he’s taken to this challenging project like an old hand, showing the kind of amazing talent and seasoned skill that really make you want to see what he’s going to do next, while screenwriters Billy Ray (The Hunger Games, Captain Phillips) and Mark L. Smith (Vacancy, The Revenant) have taken the seemingly clichéd material and crafted something rewardingly fresh and inventively nasty, the kind of body horror gorehounds go proper nuts for. The cast are also uniformly excellent – Adepo is a likeably vulnerable hero who finds his courage over the course of the film, so his transition from timid boy to avenging badass is pleasingly believable, while Russell proves just how much like his dad he is by investing Ford with a fierce single-minded drive and an earthy physicality destined to make him a powerful action star; there’s also strong support from John Magaro (Not Fade Away, Jack Ryan) and Agents of SHIELD star Iain De Caestecker as fellow Airborne troops Tibbet and Chase and newcomer Mathilde Ollivier as Chloe, the tough, take-no-shit local girl who helps the squad, while Asbæk pretty much steals the film as Wafner, a major-league creepy, gleefully sadistic psychopath who’s just as memorably monstrous as his ruined creations.  Altogether this is a magnificent breakthrough for a promising new talent and one of the best action horrors I’ve seen in years, such a spectacular and memorable film it didn’t need the implied Cloverfield connection to get any attention.

19.  SICARIO 2: SOLDADO – screenwriter Taylor Sheridan has been a particularly strong blip on my one-to-watch radar for a few years now, impressing with modest sleeper hit Hell Or High Water and making an astonishing directorial debut with the (literal) ice-cold Wind River, but his greatest achievement remains 2015’s tour-de-force suspense thriller Sicario, the film that made his name and also turned up-and-comer director Denis Villeneuve into a genuine superstar (leading to him helming his masterpiece, Blade Runner 2049).  Straight away I wanna make it painfully clear – this is NOT as good as the first film, the lack of Emily Blunt’s spectacular character’s grounding presence and Villeneuve’s truly AWESOME flair meaning it just can’t reach its predecessor’s intoxicating heights.  But as sequels go this is an absolute belter, and there’s no denying Sicario’s dark and edgy world was one I was really itching to return to, so this is still an undeniable treat.  New director Stefano Sollima may not be the seminal master the man who kicked off the franchise is, but he’s certainly got some well-suited, heavyweight talent of his own, having cut his teeth on cult Italian crime shows like Gomorrah and Romanzo Criminale, and his own breakout thriller All Cops Are Bastards, and he definitely revives the first film’s oppressive moral darkness and relentless atmosphere of implied, inherent threat.  Blunt may be out, but her co-stars are back in the same fine form they displayed in their first outing – Josh Brolin is at his reliable best as slovenly CIA special ops master Matt Graver, his shit-eating grin present and correct even if he is still rocking his intimidating Deadpool 2 build, while Benicio Del Toro finally gets to take centre stage as his chief asset, Colombian lawyer-turned-assassin Alejandro Gillick, still itching for the chance to put the hurt on the brutal Mexican drug cartel that killed his family and destroyed his old life.  There’s still a strong female presence in the cast too – Transformers: the Last Knight’s Isabela Moner is a little spitfire of adolescent entitlement as Isabela Reyes, the kingpin’s daughter who becomes a pawn in Graver’s government-backed plan to trigger a cartel civil war and tear them apart from the inside, while the always excellent Catherine Keener is a dangerously classy ice queen as Cynthia Forbes, the high-ranking CIA controller overseeing the operation – while there’s quality support from the likes of Matthew Modine, Burn Notice’s Jeffrey Donovan (reprising his role from the first film as Graver’s lieutenant Steve Forsing) and a particularly memorable turn from Bruno Bichir as Angel, a deaf-mute Mexican farmer who’s suffered his own hardships at the hands of the cartels.  This is very much Del Toro’s film, though, the method master thoroughly inhabiting his role and once again bringing that dead-eyed lethality to bear while he paradoxically makes us care about and root for a ruthless, cold-blooded killer.  As with the first film, this is a simply MESMERISING thriller, gritty and edgy as it revels in its raw, forensic attention to detail, ruthless intelligence and densely-woven, serpent twisty plotting, and once again delivers magnificently in the action camp with a series of brutal, pulse-pounding bullet-riddled action sequences.  Enthralling, unflinching and beautiful in a desolate, windswept kind of way, this is every inch the sequel Sicario deserved, and thriller cinema at its best.  Taylor Sheridan’s written another winner.

18.  YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE – this unstoppable underdog sleeper hit is a twisted beast, a film that makes you so uncomfortable it’s almost unwatchable, but you can’t look away, nor would you really want to.  It’s a troubling film, but it’s INCREDIBLE.  Then again, it is pretty much what we’ve come to expect from acclaimed filmmaker Lynn Ramsay, writer/director of controversial but highly-regarded films like Ratcatcher, Morvern Callar and, of course, We Need To Talk About Kevin, and this adaptation of Jonathan Ames’ novel fits in with that lofty company like the missing piece in a jigsaw puzzle. It’s a short, (razor) sharp shock of a film, its slender 90 minute running time perfectly trimmed of excess fat, its breathless pace drawing us in while its pervading sense of impending doom keeps us uneasy.  Joaquin Phoenix delivers one of the best performances of his career as Joe, a combat veteran and former FBI agent who hires out his services rescuing kidnapped and trafficked girls, usually delivering brutal retribution on those responsible in the process; he’s also a very troubled human being, his crippling battle-trauma merely compounding much more deep-seeded damage resulting from a horribly abusive childhood, only able to find real peace caring for his housebound elderly mother (Orange Is the New Black’s Judith Anna Roberts).  So when his latest assignment from trusted handler John McCleary (The Wire and Gotham’s John Doman) – finding Nina (Wonderstruck’s Ekaterina Samsonov), the missing daughter of New York Senator Albert Votto (Alex Manette) – goes horribly wrong, Joe finds his world imploding and lashes out with all the bloodthirsty violence he can muster.  Phoenix is mesmerising, his deceptively subtle performance hinting at a human being mentally unravelling before our eyes, but he’s also like a cornered beast when roused, attacking enemies (both real and perceived) with wince-inducing viciousness; Samsonov and Roberts are both similarly impressive, while a late entrance from 90s indie darling Alessandro Nivola is a welcome, game-changing breath of fresh air.  Typically for Ramsay, this is a work of mood and atmosphere first and foremost, an air of breathy anticipation and moody introspection colouring many scenes, but she still weaves a compelling story and quickens the pulse with some blistering, blood-soaked set-pieces, rushing us along on a heady mix of righteous fury and troublingly twisted catharsis before dumping us, breathless and shell-shocked, at the unsettling yet strangely uplifting climactic denouement. This was one of the year’s most haunting films, and further proof of the undeniable talents of one of cinema’s most important filmmakers.

17.  FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD – 2016 saw stratospherically successful author J.K. Rowling return to the Wizarding World she created in her Harry Potter books with a completely original film set decades before that series, introducing us to a new, albeit much earlier group of magical adventurers, chief among them Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a kind, oddball and brilliantly intelligent expert on mystical, supernatural creatures.  The film was, inevitably, a massive hit, guaranteeing a follow-up (or four, as we’re now being guaranteed no less than FIVE films in total in this new series), and two years later we return to the Wizarding World of the late 1920s to find things are getting a little darker and A LOT more dangerous.  Notorious dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), captured at the end of the first film, has escaped his prison (in the film’s most spectacular, jaw-dropping set-piece) and is now hiding out in Paris, gathering his supporters and searching for the ultimate weapon which will help him in his dastardly plot to enslave the muggles – Credence Barebone (Justice League’s Ezra Miller), the powerful Obscurus who survived his apparent death in New York and is now searching for the truth about who he really is. Grindelwald isn’t the only one hunting him – aurors from the British and American Ministries of Magic are hot on his trail, among others, while Hogwarts teacher Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) has convinced his favourite former student, Newt, to try and find him before he can be killed or corrupted.  David Yates, the director of ALL Rowling adaptations since Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire, has consistently brought this rich, exotic and endlessly inventive world to potent, vital life on the big screen, and his SEVENTH tour of duty proves to be no exception – this is EXACTLY the kind of rip-roaring fantastical romp we’ve come to expect from his collaborations with Rowling, albeit taking a turn into darker, more grown-up territory for this second chapter in the new saga as the stakes are raised and the first battle-lines are drawn.  There are revelations and twists and surprises aplenty throughout, some genuine jaw-dropping, gut-punch moments among them, and it moves the story into particularly fertile ground for what’s still to come.  The returning cast are just as impressive this time around, each character arc moving forward in interesting and compelling ways – Redmayne is as likeable as ever as Newt, but invests fresh purpose and a new, steely resolve now he’s chosen a side in the conflict to come, while it’s fascinating (and more than a little heartbreaking) watching Jacob and Queenie (Dan Fogle and Alison Sudol), the star-crossed muggle/witch lovers, tackle the harsh realities of their problematic romance, and Miller is deeply affecting as a lost soul desperate for long-hidden truths and a sense of belonging – and there are some equally notable (relatively) new faces added to the roster too – Claudia Kim’s Nagini, the soulful Maledictus tragically cursed to someday become trapped in the form of Voldemort’s giant snake, is frustratingly underused but extremely memorable nonetheless, and I can only hope we’ll get a more substantial introduction to Newt’s more confident and successful war hero brother Theseus (Callum Turner) in future instalments, but Zoe Kravitz gets a killer role as the third point in the Scamander love triangle, Leta Lestrange, Newt’s oldest and closest friend but Theseus’ fiancée, and she’s FANTASTIC throughout, while Depp finally gets to really sink his teeth into the role of the most feared man in the Wizarding World until You-Know-Who showed up, investing Grindelwald with just the kind of subtle, seductive brilliance needed to make him such a compelling villain.  The best new addition, however, is Jude Law, the THIRD actor to date to play Dumbledore, and I’m sorely tempted to say he might be the best of the bunch, PERFECTLY capturing the cool ease and irreverent charm of Rowling’s character as well as (obviously) lending him a much more vital, youthful swagger that’s sure to serve him well in the subsequent films.  This has proven to be something of a marmite film, dividing opinions and being called “needlessly complicated” or “overburdened”, but I never saw that – there’s much to enjoy here, and it feels as fresh, rewarding and downright entertaining as any of its predecessors.  As far as I’m concerned this leaves the series in SPECTACULAR shape, and I can’t wait to see where we go from here.

16.  FIRST MAN – when it comes to true life tales of great courage and epic achievement, you can’t get much bigger than the first man to walk on the Moon, and it’s a subject that’s been revisited again and again over the years.  And yet, until now there’s never really been a film that’s truly brought it to true vivid life like other space-exploration stories have in the lofty likes of Apollo 13 and The Right Stuff.  It seems like Hollywood had to think outside the box to get this one to work, and it turns out that Damien Chazelle, Oscar-winning director of La La Land and Whiplash, was the offbeat talent for the job. Taking a much more gritty, documentary-style approach to the story, he presents the story of NASA’s immensely ambitious Apollo programme as a low-key procedural, seeming far more interested in the nuts-and-bolts details than the grand, sweeping adventures of legend. That’s not to say that there aren’t big moments – there are PLENTY, from a terrifyingly claustrophobic sequence revolving around a life-threatening malfunction during one of the earlier, feet-finding capsule flights to the stirring, spectacular Moon-landing itself – but many of the film’s biggest fireworks are emotional, which is just where Chazelle seems to be moist comfortable.  The film is thoroughly DOMINATED by his regular acting collaborator Ryan Gosling, whose characteristic laconic internalisation is a perfect fit for Neil Armstrong, a man trapped at the heart of immense historical events and haunted by deep personal tragedy who nonetheless maintains a steely cool and perfectly professional demeanour, but Claire Foy is just as important as Armstrong’s much put-upon wife Janet, whose emotional turmoil in the face of his potential impending death is a harrowing thing, and she delivers a mesmerizingly powerful performance that proves the perfect ferocious fire to Gosling’s understated ice; there’s also a truly stunning ensemble supporting cast on offer here, an embarrassment of riches that includes Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Patrick Fugit, Shea Whigham and the mighty Ciaran Hinds.  Chazelle has directed another cracker here, emotionally rich and endlessly fascinating, visually unique and consistently surprising, with the kind of power and pathos that all but GUARANTEES great things to come during Awards season, and he’s helped enormously by a cracking script from Oscar-winning Spotlight writer Josh Singer and an offbeat but thoroughly arresting score from his regular musical collaborator Justin Hurwitz.  Challenging, uplifting and impossible to forget, this truly deserves to be ranked among the other great Space Race movies.

15.  BUMBLEBEE – I find it telling, and maybe a little damning, that it wasn’t until Michael Bay stepped back from the director’s chair and settled for the role of producer that we FINALLY got a truly GREAT Transformers movie.  There’s no denying his films have been visually striking and certainly diverting, but even at their best they were loud, dumb throwaway fun, while at their worst they pretty much SHAT on our collective nostalgic memory of their source material.  When this new “standalone” film was first announced, I was deeply sceptical, expecting more of the same, a shameless cash-in on the popularity of one the robotic cast’s most iconic members.  How glad I am to have been proven wrong for once – Bumblebee is much more than just a shot in the arm for a flagging franchise, it’s a perfect chance for them to start again, a perfectly pitched, stripped back little wonder that finally captures the true wonder and pure, primary-coloured FUN of the original toy line and Saturday morning cartoon show. It also marks the live-action debut of director Travis Knight, who cut his teeth creating stunning stop-motion animation for Laika (makers of Coraline) before bringing the studio monumental acclaim with his first helming gig on the AWESOME Kubo & the Two Strings, and he proves JUST as adept at wringing powerful, palpable emotions from flesh-and-blood (and digital) actors as he is with miniature wire-frame puppets.  Essentially a prequel/origin story, this tells the story of how lone Autobot scout Bumblebee first came to Earth, and it’s a much simpler and more archetypal film than we’re used to, a cool simplification that works wonders – he’s back in his classic VW Beetle chassis and a good deal more vulnerable now, while this might be the best we’ve seen Hailee Steinfeld, who stars as Charlie Watson, the 19-year old girl he befriends.  She’s an awkward, geeky kid, cast adrift by recent loss and trying to make things right in her life again, and her VERY unique new car certainly fills a major gap for her; Love, Simon’s Jorge Lendeborg is a lovably dorky puppy-dog as her new next-door neighbour and would-be boyfriend Memo, while Californication’s Pamela Adlon is sweet but steely as Charlie’s good-natured but somewhat exasperated mother Sally; the film is frequently stolen, however, by the mighty John Cena, who’s always had a powerful gift for comedy and is clearly having the time of his life hamming it up as he gamely pastiches his action hero persona.  There’s also a refreshing drop in the number of robots on display here – with Transformers, less is clearly more, and there’s far greater pleasure to be had in watching Bumblebee on his own trying to hold his own against the film’s two main savage villains, Decepticon headhunters Shatter (voiced with creepy confidence by Angela Bassett) and Dropkick (a brilliantly sociopathic turn from Justin Theroux), both of whom are MUCH more well-drawn than the series’ average bad guys.  This is a FANTASTIC film, the Transformers movie we’ve always deserved – the 80s period setting is EXQUISITELY captured (from the killer soundtrack to Charlie’s whole punk rock vibe, clearly styled after Joan Jett), the general tone is played very much for laughs but the humour no longer feels forced or childish, much more sophisticated here than in the average Bay-fest, and there are some spectacular action sequences that are this time VERY MUCH in service to the story.  The film was written by relative newcomer Christina Hodgson, mostly just known for Unforgettable while three of her screenplays languish on the Black List of Hollywood’s best unproduced scripts, and on the strength of this I CAN’T WAIT to see more from her – she’s already penned the coming Birds of Prey movie for DC, which I’m absolutely champing at the bit to see, and has now been signed up to write the Batgirl movie too, so we shouldn’t have long to wait.  This has already been favourably compared to The Iron Giant, one of my favourite animated features EVER, and I can wholeheartedly agree with that opinion – this is EXACTLY what we’ve been waiting for in a Transformers movie, and if it’s a sign of things to come then I wholeheartedly approve.  More of this, please!

14.  READY PLAYER ONE – Steven Spielberg is one of my very favourite directors, a peerless master of cinema whose iconic blockbusters have fuelled my imagination and captured my heart since early childhood.  Of course, he’s also a hugely talented auteur whose more serious work is rightly regarded as some of the most important moving picture art of all time (Schindler’s List is, of course, a given, but I for one am also MASSIVELY enamoured of the undeniable power and uncompromising maturity of Munich), but I’ve always found him at his best when he makes films to entertain the popcorn-munching masses. His most welcome return to true escapist cinema comes in the form of a magnificent adaptation of the one of the most singularly geeky novels of the 21st Century, Ernest Cline’s meticulous love letter to 80s pop culture and nerd nostalgia, a book which was itself HEAVILY influenced by Spielberg’s own most enduring works.  There’s something deeply meta in him tackling the material, then, but the Beard keeps his own potentially self-serving references to the bare minimum, instead letting the book’s other major influences come to the fore as well as allowing Cline himself (adapting his own book alongside Marvel heavyweight Zak Penn (X2 and The Avengers to name but a few) to introduce some new elements of his own.  There’s some definite streamlining, but it’s always in service to the story and helps things to work as well as they can cinematically, and besides, NO ONE does this kind of thing better than the Beard … anyway, to the uninitiated, RPO takes place in and around the OASIS, the gargantuan VR universe that the overpopulated, rundown world of the future has become ubiquitously addicted to, now considered the Earth’s greatest resource, and the setting for an epic hunt for an “Easter Egg” left by its deceased wunderkind creator, James Halliday (another brilliant, immersive turn from Spielberg’s current favourite acting collaborator, Mark Rylance), which will bestow its discoverer with unimaginable riches and ownership of the OASIS itself.  The main thrust of the story is the battle of wills between geeky slum kid “Gunter” (essentially a pop culture-obsessed treasure hunting expert on all things Halliday) Wade Watts, aka Parzival (X-Men’s Tye Sheridan) and Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn), the reptilian CEO of IOI (Innovative Online Industries), the evil multinational that wants to seize control of the OASIS, no matter the cost – it’s a high stakes game indeed, as Wade finds his actions in the wild, imagination-is-the-only-limit online world can have very serious consequences on his own life in reality.  It’s suitably exciting and action packed then, but there’s a real sense of fun and irreverent joy to proceedings that’s been somewhat lacking from many of Spielberg’s films of late, especially in the insane inventiveness of the OASIS itself, a universe where you can be and do absolutely ANYTHING, and where Halliday’s nostalgic pop culture loves have been embraced by society at large in  MAJOR WAY … hence the GIGANTIC potential for spot-the-reference in virtually every scene – seriously, this is one of those movies that REALLY rewards repeat viewing.  Sheridan is a very likeable hero, a plucky and resourceful young dreamer you can’t help rooting for, while Mendelsohn gave us one of the year’s best screen villains, the kind of oily scumbag you just love to hate; Bates Motel’s Olivia Cooke is just the spunky little badass you imagined fellow Gunter Art3mis to be, but with bonus realism and vulnerability, Master of None actress/writer Lena Waithe is pleasingly awkward in spite of her intimidating avatar as Wade’s best friend Aech, T.J. Miller frequently steals the film as intimidating but seriously nerdy bounty hunter I-ROK, and Philip Zhao and Win Morisaki make for a lovably goofy double act as samurai/ninja obsessives Shoto and Daisho, while Simon Pegg is his usual warm and fuzzy self as OASIS co-creator Ogden Morrow.  This is a gloriously OTT visual extravaganza brimming with fandom appeal and MASSIVE nostalgia value, a thrilling escapist adventure packed with precision-crafted and endlessly inventive action, and a consistently laugh-out-loud comic classic stuffed with knowing one-liners and genius sight gags … and of course, this being Spielberg, TONS of emotional heft and genuine, saccharine-free pathos.  I could gripe about the fact that without John Williams on the score it doesn’t feel QUITE right, but that would be a lie – the choice to instead go with Alan Silvestri is actually a genius fit for the film, the composer unleashing his very best work since the Back to the Future trilogy.  This is EXACTLY what we’ve come to expect from the original MASTER of the popcorn-crowd blockbuster, and it’s a genuine pleasure to have him back doing what he does best.

13.  INCREDIBLES 2 – writer-director Brad Bird (The Iron Giant, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Tomorrowland) is the man responsible for what I consider to be Disney-affiliated animation studio Pixar’s finest hour – forget Toy Story, Finding Nemo or Inside Out (although I admit they’re also f£$%ing awesome), 2004’s The Incredibles is where I place my allegiances.  Of course, it helps that Bird and co essentially created an unofficial Fantastic Four movie four years before the MCU even got started, back when the X-Men movies were in their prime the first time round – I’m an unashamed comic book geek and I LOVE superhero movies, so this was cinematic catnip for me. Needless to say, like many other instant fans I CRIED OUT for more, and got increasingly restless as Pixar cranked out sequel after sequel for their other big hitters but remained frustratingly silent on the matter of their own super-family.  Finally (and, interestingly, just as the MCU celebrated its own tenth anniversary) they delivered, and MY GOD what a gem it is. Brad Bird has achieved the impossible, matching the first film for wow-factor and geek-gasm, picking up RIGHT where the first film left off (seriously, we finally get to see the chaos that ensued after John Ratzenberger’s Underminer emerged in The Incredibles’ closing moments) with an instantly familiar yet refreshingly different tale of newly-united super-family the Parrs as they make their faltering first steps as a bona fide superhero TEAM.  I don’t want to give much more away – this is a film best watched good and cold – suffice to say that father Bob/Mr Incredible (Poltergeist’s perfect screen dad, Craig T. Nelson) and mother Helen/Elastigirl (the always wonderful Holly Hunter) face new challenges as they attempt to balance their revitalised crime-fighting careers with keeping their family from imploding under the weight of much more down-to-earth problems, from daughter Violet (Sarah Vowell) suffering teenage heartbreak to son Dash (Huckleberry Milner, taking over for previous vocal talent Spencer Fox) struggling with “New Math” … as well as, in one of the film’s strongest storylines, infant Jack-Jack’s newly-emerged superpowers, which lead to some BRILLIANT moments of truly inspired humour and occasional full-on WEIRDNESS.  Needless to say the external fireworks are just as impressive as the domestics – there’s a cool new villain in the form of tech-savvy puppet-master the Screenslaver (Bill Wise), who puts Helen through her paces as she stumbles onto a truly diabolical criminal conspiracy – the set-pieces are as strong as the first film’s, a spectacularly ballistic chase after a runaway train particularly impressing, while Bird and co have come up with rewardingly fresh moments to up the power ante from the series opener and show off the established characters’ talents in new ways, as well as introducing some great new supers to the mix (pick of the crop is Sophia Bush’s lovably awkward wormhole-juggler Void). The returnees are all as strong as they were first time round (including Samuel L. Jackson’s super-cool iceman Frozone), while there are memorable new faces to enjoy too, particularly the Incredibles’ born-fanboy tycoon sponsor Winston Deavor (Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk) and his cynical scientist sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener), but once again the film is thoroughly stolen by Bird himself, even more hilarious in his short but ever-so-sweet role as thoroughly unique fashion mogul Edna Mode.  Fun, thrilling and packed with DEEP belly-laughs, this is JUST as strong as the first film, a pitch-perfect continuation that pays off its predecessor beautifully while boldly carving new ground for what looks set to be a bright future indeed … let’s just hope we don’t have to wait another FOURTEEN YEARS this time round, okay?

12.  ANT-MAN & THE WASP – 2018 was indeed the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s TENTH ANNIVERSARY, and their summer season offering OFFICIALLY made it three for three in the year’s hit parade, following runaway smash Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, the culmination of the ten year big screen phenomenon that began with Iron Man way back in 2008.  In the heady aftermath of the series’ all-conquering behemoth, the second screen outing of the Avenger’s “smallest” member may seem like something of an afterthought, but trust me, this is anything but.  The last time we saw Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), he was languishing in a hi-tech prison after coming to Captain America’s aid in 2016’s Civil War, and his absence from the Infinity War roster was not only noticeable but truly frustrating, but now, at last, we find out WHY he was a no-show.  Scott took a deal to protect his family, and is now finishing up a two year stint under house arrest, clearly going a little stir-crazy as a result, but he’s been able to stay in touch with his beloved daughter Cassie (Abbie Ryder Fortson, still adorable but growing up REALLY FAST) and form a new security firm with his best friend Luis (Michael Peña), cleverly named “X-Con Security”.  He’s also been long out of contact with his mentor and original Ant-Man Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his maybe girlfriend Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Hank’s daughter, after essentially stealing the Ant-Man suit to go break the law in Germany, thus turning his one-time allies into wanted fugitives, but they re-enter his life at the worst possible time when it becomes clear that Scott holds the key to returning Hank’s wife Janet (a small but potent role for Michelle Pfeiffer) from the seemingly impenetrable reaches of the Quantum Realm.  With us so far?  Yeah, the plot’s a bit of a head-spinner – and it gets even MORE complicated once a brand new threat emerges in the form of the Ghost (Killjoys’ Hannah John-Kamen), a lethal assassin who can phase through various physical states (frequently turning her into a LITERAL phantom), who’s determined to get her hands on Hank’s new quantum tunnelling tech – but as with the first film (and its closest MCU kin, the Guardians of the Galaxy), this is really just the backdrop for another laugh-out-loud comedy caper.  Returning director Peyton Reed now officially makes Ant-Man his own (finally getting out from under the big shadow cast by the first film’s almost-helmer Edgar Wright), cranking the laugh-meter up even higher while also increasing the emotional weight and underlying dramatic heft of the central plot, as the dysfunctional surrogate family of Team Pym struggle to get back together after circumstances tore them apart – there are moments of genuine, heartstring-tugging power strung throughout, although they really just serve to temper the steady string of snappy one-liners, inspired sight-gags and, of course, Peña’s constant, riotous scene-stealing.  He really does come dangerously close to running away with the entire film, but the rest of the cast are too strong to really let that happen – Rudd is really getting into the whole action-man thing now, but he remains consistently, pitch-perfectly HILARIOUS, while Lilly finally gets to properly jump into the action herself now that Hope has officially succeeded her mother as the second generation of the Wasp, Ant-Man’s hard-hitting, high-flying and seriously badass partner, and Michael Douglas gets a much bigger, far more active role this time round.  This film’s weak-link may be its villain, with the Ghost ultimately proving a little one-note and ineffectual as a threat, but there’s no denying John-Kamen is a spectacular actress with a bright future, and her character certainly is distinctive, with a tragic back-story and personal drive that makes her rewardingly sympathetic; besides, there’s additional antagonism from slimy black market dealer Sonny Burch (the ever-reliable Walton Goggins), who’s also out to steal Hank’s tech, and The Interview’s Randall Park as Jimmy Woo, the brilliantly nerdy FBI agent keeping a close eye on Scott, while Laurence Fishburne is complex and ambiguous as Hank’s bitter one-time project partner Bill Foster.  Reed once again delivers big-time on the action front too, wrangling some cracking fights and chases to get pulses racing amidst all the laughs, as well as finding plenty of inspired new ways to shake things up with Scott and Hope’s abilities to shrink (and now grow to truly MASSIVE scale) at will, and everything builds to a pleasingly powerful but also very fun ending that makes this a perfect family-night-out movie.  And, of course, there’s also two cut-scenes interspersing the end credits – the second is amusing but ultimately throwaway, but the first is CRUCIALLY important to the post-Infinity War playing field of the series as a whole.  Ultimately this was the LEAST impressive of the year’s MCU offerings, but that’s not a detraction – it’s just that, while this is really awesome, its predecessors are just EVEN MORE so.  Another absolute winner from Marvel, then.

11.  HOLD THE DARK – Neflix Originals’ best feature film of 2018 was this revenge thriller from Jeremy Saulnier, acclaimed director of Blue Ruin and Green Room, which marks his fourth collaboration with lifelong friend and regular acting collaborator Macon Blair (here also serving as screenwriter), adapted from the novel by William Giraldi.  It’s a dark, bleak and introspective affair, an approach which goes well with its absolutely stunning but bitterly inhospitable Alaskan wilderness setting, an environment which, through Saulnier’s eye and the stylish lens of cinematographer Magnus Nordenhof Jønck, is as brutal and bloodthirsty as it is beautiful.  Jeffrey Wright is typically understated but majestic as Russell Core, a writer who studies the behaviour of wolves, who is drawn to the remote Alaskan town of Keelut by grieving mother Medora Sloane (Mad max: Fury Road’s Riley Keough), who wants him to hunt the wolf she claims is responsible for killing her six year old son so she has something to show to her husband, Vernon (Alexander Skarsgård), when he returns from the war in Iraq. Soon enough, however, it becomes clear to Core that something else is going on in Keelut, and the deeper he digs for the truth the more horrific the revelations become, leading to deadly confrontations and a whole lot of blood.  Saulnier is a master at creating a relentless atmosphere of skin-crawling dread and unbearable tension, taking his time building the suspense to breaking point before finally unleashing all that pent up pressure in one hell of a centrepiece set-piece, a blistering, drawn-out shootout in the snow that’ll leave fingernails bitten down to the quick, but he also frequently exercises a flair for subtle, contemplative introspection, just as happy to let quieter moments breathe to create scenes of breathless, aching beauty or eerie, haunting discomfort.  Wright is a strong, grounding influence throughout the film, further anchored by the simple, honest decency of James Badge Dale’s put-upon small-town sheriff Donald Marium, but most everyone else is damaged or downright twisted in one form or another – Keough is truly batshit crazy, floating through the film like a silent wraith with big empty eyes, while Skarsgård is a stone-cold killing machine as he embarks on a relentless, blood-soaked quest for vengeance, and relative unknown Julian Black Antelope sears himself into your memory as vengeful grief drives him to explosive self destruction.  This is a desolate and devastating film, but there are immense rewards to be found in its depths, and there’s a sense of subtle, fragile hope in to be found in the closing moments – this film is guaranteed to stay with you long after the credits have rolled, another gold-standard thriller from two truly masterful talents.

#overlord #sicario 2 #you were never really here #fantastic beasts the crimes of grindelwald #first man #bumblebee #ready player one #incredibles 2 #ant man and the wasp #hold the dark #2018 in movies

[carina-debayle]

De’bayle Reunion: Return of Astrelle | Part II

Log Date: 3/10/17

OOC Note: The text in these logs are strictly for the readers enjoyment. Anyone using the knowledge displayed within this text without the participants knowledge risks the potential of blacklisting from future communication and roleplay. Please do not meta-game!

Tags: @pain-and-pistolet

Hestia and I woke early per usual, she typically liked to spend time with me in the morning before I sent her on her way for classes. Though I’d say this time, it was perhaps on the more odd side, considering she had gotten to rest with her newly found Aunt. Perhaps it was strange due to the fact the girl had successfully managed to not wake the Elezen woman. Either way, I figured a good enough awakening as any for family was always a good breakfast. And I knew just the food to make…

Astrelle De'bayle awakens after a long, restful sleep. It felt like one of the best rests she’d had in many turns; peering about and blinking at the foreign room, it took her a moment to remember where she was. She rolled from bed and stepped into the hallway, straightening her messy hair and glancing at both Carina and Hestia. “Hello,” she mutters in a soft, tired voice.

Carina De'bayle glanced up from the table, on it was a plate of waffles covered in peaches and special kind of syrup. “Good morning Astrelle! Did you rest well, I hope Hestia’s bed wasn’t too small for you, we made sure she had a big one for when guests were over as well.”

Hestia De'bayle: “Morning Anty!”

Astrelle De'bayle subtly waves a hand in a dismissive gesture. “Morning Hestia,” she replies as that same smile creeps along her lips in disbelief; pride and joy glimmering in her still groggy eyes. She looks back to Carina. “Ah, are you having breakfast? And where is Armont?”

Carina De'bayle: “Armont leaves rather early for his patrols unfortunately. He had considered waking you to say goodbye, but you were sleeping so soundly with little Hestia. He didn’t want to disturb you if you were tired. Are you hungry? I was just fixing Hestia up some food before she got going to her class.”

Astrelle De'bayle nods. “Quite so,” she admits while moving around the table to seat herself, a hand gripping Hestia’s shoulder gently as she passes by. “What classes do you go to, Hestia?” she inquires with a bright smile.

Carina De'bayle nods, grabbing Astrelle a plate as she scooped up three of the waffles, placing them over a place and lathering them with her peach syrup. Putting the plate before the Elezen, Carina glanced up to her, “anything to drink? We have water, milk, juice…”

Astrelle De'bayle offers a small nod of thanks. “Rolanberry juice, if you’ve got it. Thank you.”

Hestia De'bayle: “I go to uhhmm… Acorn Orchards!!” she pronounces correctly for once, exhaling out of her nostrils with a flare of triumph. “We play on the playground and my friend  Blaise. You know he was a big meany to me until Papa scared him into crying,” she nods, “now he likes to play with me, come over and play with Tomtom. We draw and write. Do you like writing!?”

Carina De'bayle reaches for the pot of juice at the center of the table, pouring her a glass to offer beside her plate. After all was done, she slid the woman over some utensils before sitting down herself to feast.

Astrelle De'bayle chuckles softly as she listens in interest to her niece. “Oh? I am glad Armont scared him for you - no one should be a ‘meany’ to my niece.” She reaches for a fork and knife, her gaze never leaving the child. “Writing is nice, aye. What do you and Blaise write, Hestia?” She gives a silent nod of thanks once again to Carina before beginning to cut into the waffles.

Hestia De'bayle: “Mm… well Blaise wrote me something mushy  and gross after Papa scared him and I told him that mushy stuff was weird!” she huffs, poking a fork into her waffles to take a big bite, “I like to write about Tomtom and Big Eyes adventures. They’re my friends!”

Astrelle De'bayle: “Mushy?” Astrelle shakes her head with a laugh. “Blaise is much too young for such writing; I am glad that you, at least, are smart enough to see that.” She shovels some food into her mouth, washing her first few bites down with juice. “You like to write about adventures? Then perhaps you’d like to read my journal - I kept it for all of my adventures.”

Hestia De'bayle: “He said his Mommy told him to write that for someone he likes. I don’t really think he ah… I don’t think really knows what it means,” she shakes her head, “I don’t like anyone like that! I just want to go on adventures…” Hestia’s ruby-hued eyes practically sparkled as she looked toward her Aunt, “your adventures! I wanna see!”

Astrelle De'bayle places her fork and knife down on the plate after a few more bites, flashing her niece a playful grin. “In time, Hestia. Sadly, most of my effects are not on me - I had to leave them in Thavnair. Do you know what Thavnair is?”

Hestia De'bayle: “Aww…” she pouts out, slumping back against the chair where she stood. “Thav..nare? No… what is it!”

Astrelle De'bayle: “An island nation very far from here. It is /very/ hot, with a lot of sand.” The Elezen’s smile widens, “I will tell you about all my adventures soon though, before the journal is returned. I promise.”

Astrelle De'bayle: “Ah.. Carina, was it? The food is quite delicious, thank you.”

Hestia De'bayle: “Okkaaay! I am excited to hear. Thavenare. Maybe Blaise knows about it… hopefully he’s done moping like a big butt today!” she humphs, stabbing a fork into anther part of her waffles to scarf into her mouth.

Astrelle De'bayle snickers at her niece. “Tell him I can regale him with some tales of heroism as well if he doesn’t mope today. Alright?”

Carina De'bayle: “Oh thank you! My peach waffles are a favourite of Hestia’s. I figured with us having a guest over that I could make them today,” she smiles over to her daughter, her eyes rolling some at the girls huffiness toward her friend who obviously liked her.

Hestia De'bayle: “I am sure he will be excited! Blaise’s Mommy likes poems and fancy stuff, but Blaise likes adventure like me!”

Astrelle De'bayle takes a swig from her juice before replying to both in turn. “I can see why,” she tells Carina with a small smile, turning again to Hestia. “His mother enjoys poetry? I am beginning to see something,” she laughs, “but good. Tell him to not be a 'big butt’ and he can listen too.”

Hestia De'bayle glances down to her waffles as she squats down, dragging her fork into it and tugging a giant piece to chew on, some syrup lathering itself all over her face.

Astrelle De'bayle slowly lifts a brow at the child’s display. She makes no mention or attempt of calling it out, looking instead to Carina expectantly while taking a final pull of her juice.

Carina De'bayle swallows down a piece of her own waffle, trying hard to not eat like a slob like she typically did. Hopefully it wasn’t too obvious where Hestia got her table manners from, “have you been to the Shroud too often? I know it is close to Coerthas and all, but it sounds as though you’ve travelled quite far from this region?” she offers a weak smile as she glances over to Hestia. Knowing full well the girl would call her out as well if she were to make a comment.

Astrelle De'bayle: “I have not,” she replies with a shake of her head. “I passed through only very briefly many, many turns ago.” She finishes her food, a smirk of superiority on her face as she drops the fork and knife onto the empty plate with not a drop on her face – whether it was a challenge or not seemed uncertain. “I spent most of my time outside of Aldenard.”

Carina De'bayle: “I see… I’d imagine you must not have thought too much of it considering it looked so similar to Coerthas at the time. Have you yet to see it with it’s eternal winter?”

Astrelle De'bayle gives a firm nod. She reaches into her blouse and produces a handkerchief; a bit torn and obviously old, but useable and drops it near Hestia with a smile. “You have syrup on your face, dear.” She turns again to Carina. “I have not yet seen it as such, though Denz did make mention. I will have to travel into Ishgard proper and see what has become of what I once called home.”

Hestia De'bayle looks up with a messy stare, down at the handkerchief. Placing her fork down, she picked up the cloth to stare at it before glancing over to her mother, “Mommy! You have no food on your mouth today! I am proud of you!” she smiles out genuinely, bringing it to wipe her face off with very little grace.

Carina De'bayle looks over to Hestia with a quick glance, her cheeks reddening some, “well Hestia, that’s because I try not to eat messy in front of guests. You should do the same,” she huffs a bit, looking back over to Astrelle with a flustered expression, “I was talked to with a friend about going there to visit the Cathedral. A real visit that is, with the ah… intention of worship I suppose. It is a new ideal to me, but perhaps we can plan that sooner rather than later.”

Astrelle De'bayle glances between mother and child with a passive expression, her smile light and small – it betrays no emotion that she may be feeling but certainly looks a bit haughty. “It is quite alright,” she laughs at the girl’s antics. “She is my family… as are you; feel comfortable to be who you are. You go to praise Halone? Very well; if you would have me, I may be interested in attending as well. You’ve no need to stay with me as I explore, of course. I have a tendency to… wander.” The statement is spoken ironically and a grin flashes across her lips.

Carina De'bayle: “I think that much has been noted with your ventures!” she laughs some, bringing a hand to scratch at her scarred cheek. “Mmm, I had best get Hestia to her class. You are free to come and go as you wish though while you are staying here with us. Our home is yours,” she nods, reaching for a nearby napkin as she took her daughter’s little hands to begin wiping her down, her mushing the girl’s face as she rubbed the cloth against it.

Hestia De'bayle: “Mooommy…” she whined out, closing her eyes tight.

Astrelle De'bayle graces them with an approving smile. “I plan on heading into the city - I’m afraid all I have to wear is this and..” she glances down at herself with a frown, “while I am no stranger to wearing the same outfit for moons at a time, it is unbecoming and if I have the option to, I’d rather avoid it. Is Hestia’s school within Gridania?”

Carina De'bayle: “I understand completely. I would offer you some of my clothes to wear, but I fear we have a bit of a size difference. Most of my clothes may be too short for you…” she laughs lightly, “yes it is, would you like to accompany us there?”

Astrelle De'bayle gives a nod. “Certainly. I would get lost without a guide to the city and I’ve only just reunited with my family.” She chuckles, pushing her chair back and rising from her seat. “Allow me a moment and I shall join you.”

Carina De'bayle: “Yes, I need to change myself,” she glances down at her moogle slippers before swiftly moving to her room to dress. Carina returned out, her sleepy behemoth now at her heel with a grumpy expression per usual. “I will clean this mess when I return, shall we?”

Astrelle De'bayle offers Carina a smile before her eyes fall to the purple beast. She eyes it curiously. “Of course,” she nods, smiling.

Carina led the party on a ferry to Gridania, eventually leading them through the city to the location of Hestia’s class. “Here you are dear. Remember to treat your friends how you want to be treated, and no more slapping people please… not matter how 'dumb’ they are being.”

Hestia De'bayle: “I know Mommy. I made the last person cry when I slapped them… it made me sad.”

Astrelle watches the interaction from a few fulms away, arms crossed beneath her modest bust. She smiles endearingly at her niece’s words. “Have a good day in class, Hestia,” she offers.

“Thank you Anty! I will see you when I am done! I can’t wait to tell everyone I have an Anty!” she wobbles around on her feet excitingly, before turning around to run off.

Carina De’bayle:“Hestia is a good girl. I fear her mother and father’s way of handling disagreements has rubbed off on her some.” The woman sighs, shaking her head, “to the market boards then?”

Astrelle watches the girl run off before shifting her gaze to Carina. A soft, appraising look crosses her visage as she studies the woman and listens to her words. “It is much better than losing the disagreement,” she returns, plucking her cap from her head to tuck some hair behind her ear. “Yes. Please, lead on.”

Carina De'bayle: “This can be true. Armont and I spar quite frequently, but if you were to ask the brothers as a whole who tends to be the victor… they always seem quite fearful of me for whatever reason,” she laughs, “it is not as though I’ve ever killed any of them! I mean… the last thing was Armont breaking an arm,” she taps a finger to her lip, “I suppose I should watch my strength more,” she murmurs to herself, leading the Elezen with her.

Astrelle lifts a brow at that but gives no response on the matter, choosing to keep it in mind instead. “It is strange to think them all fighters. Perhaps we may all test our steel against another.”

Carina De'bayle: “Are you a fighter as well? They never described you as one, but I suppose eight turns is quite a bit of time for a person to pick up arms. I included.”

Astrelle De'bayle: “I have some training,” she mutters modestly, looking about at all the stalls.

Carina leads Astrelle about, stopping in front of the clothier stall,“This is the tailor. You’ll be finding most clothing from him.”

Astrelle gives the man a nod while perusing his wares, teeth sinking into her lip. She begins to inquire about each item’s price and attempts bartering for every single one; even Lalafell-sized ones. “How 'bout three-hundred gil, aye? Final offer.” She crosses her arms and stares the man down before he seemingly relents, accepting her small gilpouch in exchange for a handful of clothing items. She turns to Carina with a smirk. “Any place to change?”

Raising a brow at the woman haggling skills, Carina could hardly hide her impressed expression, “a place to change… there is a back room around here somewhere… ah, this should work.” She leads Astrelle over to a door.

Astrelle follows behind Carina, stepping into the door and closing it. She’s gone for only a few moments before reappearing in loose-fitting clothes, but they are clean and that is all that seems to matter to Astrelle. She gives a sigh and cranes her neck, an audible pop sounding from the movement. “Much better. Thank you.”

Carina De'bayle:  "A good choice! You like the free spirit look, a different approach from your brothers who wear nothing but armour every place they step. How refreshing.“

Astrelle De'bayle: "The free spirit look?” she echoes with a gentle laugh. “I suppose habit is a hard thing to break; my time on the sea and in Thavnair have produced in me a love of 'comfort’.”

Carina De'bayle: “I am quite a fan of comfort myself, but often times nobility does not ask for such… so I have begun dressing less for comfort and more for status. Well… the sake of Armonts status. Denz did share with you our affairs now, yes? With the De'bayles running a Minor House under Fortemps?”

Astrelle’s brows raise somewhat in awe. “I’m afraid Denzel was never the most informative of us, though I do owe him credit for filling me in on most of Ishgard’s current affairs and policy changes.” She runs a hand along her arm and produces a thoughtful note. “Minor House under Fortremps? How interesting. I had no idea. I am beginning to feel already as if I must change into something more befitting of such a status as well,” she admits with a gentle laugh.

Carina De'bayle: “Quite so, Armont and I are the leaders at its head. Though we do still lack an established house here, physical and able to be lived in, it will come in time.” Carina shakes her head gently, motioning a hand down at her own attire, “despite our status, we are free to wear what we wish.  It is really for any special events or when making a trip to Ishgard. I would hardly dress like this there, lest I wish to be mistaken for living in the Brume.”

Astrelle De'bayle: “Armont as head of House?” She shakes her head, the same pride-filled smile that had touched her lips so many times last night returning. “I truly have been gone for far too long. Pray, tell me Carina: how has he fared all these turns? I am to assume you have been with him for quite some time, given Hestia’s age – if I am to assume it correctly.”

“Ah…” Carina twists her lip some, considering this, “for some time. We have been together. For a great deal of time, Armont was missing as well, have gone to fight the Dravanian horde on his own. It was Denz, myself and his  partner Jancis that found the eldest roaming around the tundra of Coerthas. Him and I only grew closer and closer from then. He has greatly matured in his time being a Count… and I have learned so much about myself and how to lead, from being the Countess at his side.”

Astrelle De'bayle: “This pleases me to hear,” she nods, hands coming together gently in front of her. “It is also relieving to hear that I am not the only one who was absent for a time, though I fear it has taken me longest to return of the family. All that besides,” she waves a hand in the air, “it is good to speak with you and know that my brother has taken charge as Count with such a worthy Countess.”

Chuckling out ,Carina brought a hand to rub at the back of her neck, “you flatter me so… but I am glad this news makes you happy. I hope it was not meant to come as any surprise, as you are just as able to be a part of our House as any of the other brothers are. Denz is a Viscount, Guillemont a Baron along with Hestia being a Baroness. If you wished to be apart of us, to share in responsibility of your family, you are welcome to. The position of Viscountess would be offered to you, as you are in line for being head, technically before Denz. If such a responsibility disinterests you, there is Baroness. They are not given any less responsibility by any means, but aren’t expected to be next head in line. Least not right away.”

The Elezen woman brings a hand to cover a yawn, apparently still feeling somewhat groggy from her long, much-needed rest. She replaces her cap and takes the small bag of various clothing in hand, fixing Carina with a long stare. “I wouldn’t wish to relieve my niece of her title,” she smirks, “but I shall consider the offer all the same. We may have to discuss a bit more before I can settle on a decision; perhaps over a table and with Armont present?”

Carina De'bayle: “You would hardly do such, it is a shared title of course,” Carina laughs, “that would probably be best. At least this gives you time to think on it, I am sure Armont will be pleased to hear your desire for involvement within the family to that degree.”

Astrelle De'bayle: “I admit, I am already somewhat in agreement of it partly due to guilt for being away so long,” she admits, her voice and expression light but there is a subtle undertone of honesty to it. “Ah.. shall we move elsewhere to speak, however? I wish to be caught up on current events regarding Eorzea proper, now that I have knowledge of Ishgard.”

Carina De'bayle:“By all means, how about the tavern?”

Astrelle De'bayle:“Lead on.”

Carina led the two back into the main sector of New Gridania, leading them to the tavern before sitting down at a table farther toward the window. “Well… was there anything else you wished for me to catch you up to speed on?”

The Elezen settles in with a cursory look over the tavern. “There are a few friends I made during my time away I wish to connect with - I know that they were headed for Aldenard, so my first question will be about them instead of Eorzea proper: heard you any stories of pirates, ex-Garleans, or Xaela? More specifically, as I know that is quite a bit vague, any of them all traveling 'together’.”

Carina De'bayle: “Stories of them travelling together? I am afraid not… but I can’t imagine such leaving a good impact on this family. I have a rather large disdain for… Garleans myself,” she takes a long breath, “and as for Xaela. A member of our House was assaulted by one recently. The woman Guillemont fancies to be exact. Claiming to take his anger out on behalf of his people. I can not say I have heard any tales, no, though our thoughts on them are not very positive, so we may have chosen to simply not listen as well. As for pirates, I am indifferent.”

Astrelle considers the woman, mulling over her words before blowing a huff through her nostrils. “Right,” she mutters, turning her gaze away. “Then I shall refrain from asking any of them.” She clears her throat and reaches up to rub at the back of her neck in a very Guillemont-like fashion. “Ah.. she is well, however? The woman that my twin fancies.. I forget her name.”

Carina De'bayle: “Claire. She… she could be worse I suppose. It was quite the awful experience for her,” Carina exhales heavily, running a hand through her blonde hair, “Unlike the brothers, I am far less inclined to racial tensions… but I can’t help but feel some anger due to these events. The Xaela have a past of barbaric nature, and while I have certainly put that off before, recent events have made me far more wary than ever. It is unfortunate… but as a mother, it cannot be helped. The threats that man made to our family and friends are indescribable and disgusting. Here is hoping your friend proves different,” Carina nods.

Astrelle De'bayle: “So do some of the Seeker of the Sun tribes and Keeper of the Moon clans,” she nods sagely. “A few of the Duskwights still hold fast to their savage ways as well, hiding out in caves and such.” Astrelle removes her hat and runs a hand through her now flat hair, sighing out softly. “The Xaela consists of various tribes; an eclectic peoples with some that are honor-bound and others that..” she darkens and shakes her head. “I am sorry to hear of, uh, Claire’s experience. If there is anything that can be done, I would hear of it.” She gives a firm nod and tilts her head back to peer at the ceiling. “A few Xaela tribesmen saved my life while I spent time in Othard.. but I am do not wish to defend the actions of a single man nor regale such a tale just now. I am unsure if the few I know would come to Eorzea even made it alive.” The final statement is said somberly but her expression remains placid. “What of the beast tribes? The last time I passed through these cities, they were still allowed inside; however, I have noticed an absence of any of them.”

Carina De'bayle: “Quite so, the brothers are very distrusting of the Miqo'te… in truth, they are very distrusting of many different from them, but they have made great strides of change to their thoughts. While many of their beliefs I can find to be irrational, some I cannot blame them for,” Carina nods to Astrelle as she explains the Xaela. “I have never ventured that far to know much of them on my own, so hopefully my thoughts can be swayed. I do not like the idea of taking people at face value. If anything more can be done about Claire, I will be sure to let you know. I hope your friends have made it with their lives… I know as well as anyone, that despite these tensions, not every apple within the basket is rotten. Beast tribe members are allowed within the city walls, but due to tensions from opposing factions, their interactions are limited I’m sure due to precaution. There is a lot that must go into building trust.”

Astrelle De'bayle gives a long, thoughtful hum. Allowing the discussion of Xaela to be dropped for now, she inhales deeply before she sets her jaw firmly. “Aye.. that I know of trust very well. Denz has told me that Ishgard now is open to others and has even joined in with the city-states of Eorzea.. he speaks of a conflict with the Garleans? While I do not hold them in high regard, I had–until very recently–little reason to despise them as so many seem to do here.”

The Hyur’s expression turns grim and dark, her brown eyes dropping to the table. “There are none that hold a light to the hatred in my heart toward those… creatures. Even that sounds like a compliment when looking at their actions!” Carina remarks out quietly, her fists clenched, “yes… the Garleans hold control over Ala Mhigo… and as of late, there seems to be the proddings of war at our front steps. We are ready to take up arms when necessary.”

Astrelle De'bayle: “Yes.. Ala Mhigo was impossible to enter when I attempted to do so,” she remarks, her mouth contorting into a pensive frown. That had been so /long/ ago now. “So the Garleans wish to step further into Eorzea? If I recall, then would that not place them considerably close to here in the Shroud?”

Carina De'bayle: “It would place them directly in the Shroud. All that keeps them from us is a wall… that in which was prodded by the Ala Mhigan resistance themselves! Denz’s partner Jancis was injured in her participation of defense. The thought of losing another loved one to those menaces… does much to get my blood boiling.”

Astrelle De'bayle:Conflicting emotions bubbled up under Astrelle’s exterior; she managed a sympathetic frown. “I do not believe I met her- she was not there last night, aye? I met only, um.. Claire, and… the lady Knight from the looks of it.” She rolls a shoulder in its socket before heaving out a sigh. “I’m to trust that this Jancis is doing well? It is a shame that my brothers’ partners and romantic interests seem to have rather unfortunate fates so far.”

Carina De'bayle: “She has been making a swift recovering thankfully… I have been sure to give her many potions to treat for pain, amongst other things. Their fates…” Carina sighs, “only further push them to grow stronger. Our pain and suffering, each stumble, makes us into a stronger person in the end,” the Hyur brings a hand up to touch her scarred cheek, lost in thought a moment. “Jancis wasn’t there no… not that night. ”

Astrelle De'bayle: “You are an alchemist?” she pipes up with a look of interest. “If you are, I shall have to inform you of a few things of Radz-at-Han; they are known for their materials in alchemy, as I’m sure you no doubt are aware of.” The Elezen brings a calloused hand to brush absently at her hair, “I am glad to hear, at least, that my brothers’ take interest in sturdy women. If this conflict comes to a head, I am to assume the house will participate?”

Carina De'bayle: “Yes, I had always wished to visit there myself to learn of their alchemic dealings, but I fear until this point I was rather poor and on my own. I am an alchemist and a Beastmaster,” her eyes glance down to the beast at her side, “forgive me for not introducing you two sooner, this is Joseph, my partner in combat and friend,” letting out a slightly dry chuckle, Carina can’t help but simply shrug, “in this day and age, it is best to know how to take a punch. As much as I would love to avoid the conflict to the east, we would participate if it came to that. The Shroud is our home, and it borders Ishgard, Armont views our House as a secondary line of defense. The wall of protection between his home and outside danger.”

Astrelle De'bayle: “My brothers in battle,” she murmurs idly. A long exhale escapes her, a forlorn look flashing across her expression at the thought. She doesn’t take much notice of Josep besides the initial introduction, giving only a brief look in his direction. “Aye.. it is best to know how to be dealt with the damage, and if necessary, return it. It is a lesson I have also learned.” Astrelle fixes Carina with a thoughtful look. “I feel I may have already reached my decision regarding joining the house officially, but I wish for my brothers to be here to accept it- at the very least, Armont as Count to know of my decision right away.”

Carina De'bayle: “Of course. While it was of his decision that we hold equal power, this also come with equal final choice. We can have a meeting with him tonight if you are available for such. What is your choice, if you do not mind my asking?”

Astrelle De'bayle: “We are stronger together,” she says. “I have been too far removed from my brothers already.. one bonded, one partnered, and one smitten – all three with lives their own and I return with experiences to share but nothing to show for it.” She reaches up to absentmindedly trace the scar over her sigil, frowning. “I will not lose my family again, nor they me. I shall stay on as Viscountess, Carina, if you and Armont would have me.”

Smiling, Carina nods, “I certainly would love another strong will behind us. I am sure your older brother will share a similar sentiment. As for the thought and feeling of gaining nothing from your ventures… you may not have returned with a loved one at your hip, but you have learned far more knowledge than any of us could have ever hoped to have dream of. That is so important, you are an important asset, Astrelle. Outside of being just our sister…” pausing, Carina rested a hand to the table, “I… I have never had a sister before. I feel so fortunate, to have been given such a large family, after losing my only brother. A blessing… it must be. I should learn to be more grateful for them, the blessings. I hope in time to find a friend in you, as I have your brothers. If you will have me, in that.”

Astrelle snorts in an almost unladylike fashion, amused by the Hyur’s compelling speech. “You are wife of my eldest brother– you are family, Carina, so long as you both are bonded together. I will respect that as it is your /choice/ to have chosen him, and he you.” She flashes Carina a smile, “And.. yes, I suppose you are right about my travels. I will happily share them all with you someday; you and my brothers. Of course, my niece as well. And.. I offer my condolences for your loss.”

Carina De'bayle: “I look forward to hearing of them… it was always a dream of mine to venture past Aldenards boarders. Perhaps it will not have to be a dream for long…” she smiles, “I have come to let go of those thorns. They pierced into my very being for the longest time… but I know Corbin would not have wanted me to inhbit my life due to him losing his own. I am amazed I can even bring myself to say such words… it used to be hard to think such sentiments.”

Astrelle De'bayle: “Time, I find, is both our greatest ally and worst enemy.” Astrelle shakes her head with a wistful sigh, retaining the somber smile plastered to her lips. “..ah, forgive the interruption for such a moment but I must ask: know you when Armont may be free? I wish to tell him myself as soon as possible.. there are things I wish to discuss with him as well regarding combat.”

Carina De'bayle: “When he returns home from his patrol. Our days differ on how we get our work done. During the days, I run the House and its functions, creating my potions for commission and train. He works alongside the Gridanian Woodwailers and Temple Knights of Ishgard for protection of the woods. Each serving our part. He will more than likely be enthused over meeting as soon as possible over this once returning home from work. You are free to wait in idle at the apartment until then, or wander the city. ”

Astrelle De'bayle gives a firm nod. “Aye.. very well. It is a shame I was forced to leave my things in Radz-at-Han; I would wish to train with you.” She sighs and shakes her head, “It is good to have some downtime from fighting, however; I will use it to reacquaint myself with Gridania first.”

Carina De'bayle: “I wield an axe, if you wish to train some with such a weapon, I am hardly against offering you one of my own. The brothers also have plenty of other weapons to offer at their disposal. Along with a minor militia and housing wards that stand behind our cause, we also teach those in our own specialization how to wield whatever weapon of their choice.”

Astrelle sizes up the Hyur with a crooked smirk. “An axe? It has been some time for me, but I have used them as well. It may be nice to get one back into my hands.” She hums in thought before declining with a shake of her head, “Perhaps next time, Carina - I fear all the turns of travel are catching up with me. I wish to stretch my legs and see Gridania for just a short while, but I shall return to the apartment forthwith. Ah.. is there any way to reach you if I have need?”

“Ah yes,” Carina reaches into her satchel, tugging out one of the many black pearls she keeps with her, handing it over to the woman. “Our House linkshell. With this, you can contact any one of us. Including others you may not have met just yet.”

Astrelle De'bayle takes it with a small nod and expertly attaches it to her ear, a small metal clasp there already to hold it in place – it looks as if it once held a previous linkpearl but it is no longer slotted there. “Excellent, thank you.” She rises from the table, replacing her cap and shooting the Hyur a smile. “Now if I to become lost, I can call for your aid.”

Laughing, Carina stood as well, it hardly making much difference compared to their heights. “Indeed. I will be back at the apartment for the time being working on some tonics. Feel free to call me whenever for whatever.”

Astrelle De'bayle gives a grand bow, sweeping an arm out with her cap held in hand before turning on her heel to explore Gridania.

While I had hoped to say that my meeting and talking with Astrelle had come to make me feel on positive or friendly terms with her, I feared there was much I still was left in the dark on. That lack of understand, made her feel enigmatic, and in a certain sense, alarming. It was a discouraging feel… but I hoped in time it would not remain.

#journal #hestia de'bayle #astrelle de'bayle

[yesshinypizzastudentthings-blog]

Stealth Cam GXW-Wireless Game Camera

Find the low prices on trail cameras Compare ratings and go through reviews on Clothing shops to find best deals and discount offers At: . There are many deals ontrail cameras in the Shops online, therefore research before you buy. Whether you are searching for trail cameras, Can help you save money with online discounts and discount coupons on affordable selections - find a trail cameras that is right for you.

Rerate Posts

Tree Stands Hunting Blinds

Mens Hunting Clothing

Womens Hunting Clothing

Turkey Vests

Hunting Decoys

Burt Coyote Lumenok X Lighted Nock for Axis Arrows

CRKT Kit Carson M16 EDC Combo Edge Folder Knife

Tru-Fire Patriot Caliper Release - Jr. Model

T.R.U. Ball Beast II Bow Releases

T.R.U. Ball Max Hunter 3 Finger Release

Kershaw Volt SS Assisted Opening Fine Edge Drop Point Folding Knife

Spot Hogg Tommy Hogg 3-Pin Bow Sight

RedHead Traditions Single Blade Pocket Knife

Grim Reaper Razortip Whitetail Special Mechanical Broadheads

Berry Game Calls Sleazy Cow Elk Call

RedHead Explorer SCENTINEL Fleece Pants for Men

Millennium Treestands Receiver Mount

Easton Deep Six Field Points

Plano SD Card Holder Box

Primos Alpha Dogg Game Caller

Stealth Cam Auxiliary Battery Kits

RedHead No-Hassle Texas Rig System

Gerber Instant F.A.S.T. Combo Edge Folding Knife

SHE Outdoor Pullover Hoodie

Rich-N-Tone Daisy Cutter 40th Anniversary Edition Acrylic Duck Call

Hunter's Specialties H.S. Strut 3 Diaphragm Ultimate Starter Turkey Call Pack

Drake Waterfowl Systems Fleece Stocking Cap

G5 Outdoors Montec Diamond Stone Broadhead Sharpener

Raider Ranger 800 UTV Roof

Master Lock Python Treestand Lock

Under Armour Storm Icon Camo Full-Zip Hoodie for Men

Rig'Em Right 6-Slot Floater Goose Decoy Bag

Smith's Pocket Pal Multi-Function Knife Sharpener

Primos Power Drake Whistle Duck Call

Primos Feedin' Mallard Duck Call

Wildlife Research Center Scent Killer Anti-Odor Body Wash and Shampoo

Sitka Elevated II Celsius Jacket for Men

AMS Bowfishing E-Rad Eradicator Bowfishing Package

Zip-Strip Vane Remover

Leatherman Signal Multi-Tool

Plano Crossbow Max Bolt Case

Tink's Power Scent Control Cover Scents - Acorn

Rich-N-Tone The Right Stuff Instructional CD - Speck Calling Dynamics

API Outdoors ATV Seat Covers

Bohning Xccelerator String Wax

Rolling Thunder Game Calls 45 Cutdown Duck Call

Predator Camo Special Hiking Pants for Men

Alaska Game Bags Alaska Rolled Deer Sock

Quaker Boy Half Moon Nasty Old Hen Diaphragm Turkey Call

Evolved Harvest ShotPlot Forage Attractant

Excalibur Quill 16.5'' Carbon Crossbow Arrows

SHE Outdoor Performance Rain Pants

Magic Gloves for Youth to Adult 2XL - 3 Pack

WoodHaven Custom Calls Black Death Diaphragm Turkey Call 3-Pack

Extreme Dimension Phantom Calls Pro-Series Predator Quest Wired System Digital Game Call

Johnny Stewart Wildlife Calls Coyote Hooker Predator Call

Browning Blaze Camo Cap for Men

Under Armour Scent Control Long-Sleeve Shirt for Ladies

Primos Aporkalypse Now Pig Attractant

Gorilla G-Tac Ghost Safety Harness

LimbSaver Kodiak Lite Crossbow Sling

Tru-Fire Hurricane Extreme Release - Power Strap

Muzzy Crossbow Reel Mounting Bracket

Neet Products Archery Products Tube Quiver

Primos Hog Squealer Hog Call

Wildgame Innovations Apple CRUSH Deer Attractant Salt Block

Carbon Express Maxima Hunter Carbon Arrows

Streamlight Stinger DS LED Flashlight

Buck Cherrywood Series 119 Special Fixed Blade Knife

Browning Hell's Canyon Gloves for Men

PSE Archery Razorback or Razorback Jr. Recurve Bow for Youth

First Lite Wind River Balaclava

Apex Attitude Bow Sling

RedHead Tech-Lok Camera Case

Camo Fleece Pad Silencing Material

Buck Gardner Calls Spit Fire Acrylic Duck Call - Black Pearl/Fluorescent Green

FOXPRO Firestorm Digital Game Caller

Energizer 357/303 1.5V Silver Oxide Batteries - 3-Pack

Wildlife Research Center #1 Select Estrus Deer Attractant

Case Amber Bone Knife - Peanut

Knight & Hale Cottontail Rabbit Distress Call

Archenemy Tournament Series Bowfishing Reel Seat

Under Armour ColdGear Base Series Leggings 2.0 for Men

Primos Fightin' Horns Deer Call

Zebra Hybrid Bowstring for Genesis Compound Bows

RedHead Wool Cap for Men

Primos Hook Hunter Series Diapraghm Turkey Calls Hook Hunter Mouth Call - 2-Pack

BlackOut® Bear 3D Archery Target

Parker Hunter 20'' Crossbow Arrows

Banded Insulated Gloves for Men

Browning Freedom Cap for Men

Drake Waterfowl Systems Oval Logo Structured Cap for Men

Primos Magnum Roar Deer Call

Summit® Titan SD Climbing Treestand

Millennium Treestands Blind Chair

Spyder Speed Silence

Hunter Safety Systems Tactical Storage Bag - 3-Pack

RedHead Enduraskin Cap, Mask, and Glove Combo

Smith's Abrasives 6'' Medium Arkansas Bench Stone

Moultrie Metal Game Feeder Feet

Leatherman MUT EOD Multi-Tool

Octane Crossbow Thug Decocker Bolt

Elite Duck Calls Cold Cache Polymer Duck Call

Browning Trapper Creek Mesh Back Shooting Gloves for Men

Buck Gardner Calls Swap Meat Polycarbonate Duck Call