#. | beauty of florence (cristina)

[justforbooks]

Roberto Cavalli

Italian fashion designer who used exotic animal prints, embossed leather and distressed denim to create his flamboyant clothes

As Italian fashion went global in the later 20th century, it diverged into two schools: the sensuous, soft in silhouette and touch, and the boldly sexual, flamboyant to the eye. The first, and lasting, head of the sexy school was Roberto Cavalli, who has died aged 83.

The material bases for both schools were the nation’s specialist textiles and leather firms: for Cavalli, they delivered figured and lamé leathers, garments printed after sewing so that no seams interrupted a design, and many fabrics with his emphatic prints. These featured animal-skin motifs, Renaissance and Baroque brocades, or, natural-world details derived from his digital photographs.

His aesthetic was hectic, blingy, and sold across classes and cultures: those from palazzos could don it ironically, while those for whom it was streetwear appreciated Cavalli’s celebration of blatant heterosexuality.

From the late 1990s, he expanded worldwide through clothes, shoes and accessories for women, men and children to homewares, perfume, a credit card, and cafes – in his native Florence, he bought the exclusive Caffè Giacosa and Cavalli’ed it.

He sailed the Mediterranean in his purple yacht, and was mobbed in his Manhattan store, but his emotional core locale remained Florence. His mother, Marcella, was the daughter of a painter, Giuseppe Rossi; his father, Giorgio Cavalli, a mining engineer, was shot in 1944 with 91 other civilians by German soldiers in reprisal for a partisan attack.

Postwar, Marcella scrambled by as a coal dealer, then as a dressmaker who hand painted her creations. The boy’s childhood was hard – he stuttered – but after much pleading, he studied at Florence’s Istituto d’Arte (1957-60), although never sat his final examination.

Instead, he earned money. His mother’s painted dresses inspired him to widen the idea to a mechanical process. He travelled to study Como’s many high-end textile firms, and began to print ready-to-wear sweaters for Mariuccia Mandelli of Krizia, who shared his fancy for simulated wild-beast pelts, and then for Hermès. Soon he had a studio, employees, a longed-for Ferrari and enough money to impress the banker father of Silvanella Giannoni; Cavalli claimed it was to win her hand he had achieved so much this young. They married in 1964, and had two children, Tommaso and Cristina, before divorcing in 1974.

Cavalli’s breakthrough to his own clientele came in 1969, when he gatecrashed a party for the shoe designer Mario Valentino, and mentioned to him that he could print on leather. He couldn’t, but the next day worked out a technique using supple glove kid, and returned with samples. Cavalli showed his new wares, sewn into garments, at the Paris Salon du Prêt-à-Porter in 1970. People gawped, but did not buy.

What did sell was his next inspiration. At that time, only brutal wear and laundering faded, abraded and distressed denim – the big industry that would become stone- and sand-washing, bleaching and shredding denim had not been invented – and any embellishments were crude. Cavalli ordered a container of dirty worn-out jeans from a US prison, and washed, cut and patchworked the pieces with leather and printed textiles for a collection shown in the Pitti Palace in 1972. The arte povera materials had been collaged with Italian craft skill and an artist’s eye, and appealed to the well-heeled in the last phase of Boho-hippy-rock-chick chic.

Cavalli went retail with his designs through boutiques, opening the first, Limbo, in St Tropez, and built up an international following. As a high-living celebrity, and a divorcee with loud enthusiasm for beautiful women, he was a judge at the 1977 Miss Universe pageant, where he did not vote for Miss Austria, Eva Düringer, 18, to win, as he wanted her for himself. After finishing her education, she followed him to Florence, where they married in 1980; she became his model, business manager, and mother of Robert, Rachele and Daniele. They divorced in 2010.

Cavalli retained close control of the manufacture of his clothes, proud of the skills used, and disapproved of licensing deals and production off-shoring in Italian fashion as it internationalised at the end of the 70s. He resented the 80s fashion preference for what he called “minimalism”, but was more accurately a temporary supremacy for the sensuous school, exemplified by Giorgio Armani’s unstructured tailoring for women, plus a desire to moderate overt sexiness.

The Cavalli label retained clients – rock doesn’t give up on its own – yet he stopped showing his collection, and in 1993 intended to close the factory and beg union help to re-employ its workers.

He was persuaded to a comeback show at Milan Fashion Week, and attributed his triumphant second career afterwards to his inspiration to add Lycra to denim to create stretch jeans. (Not a new idea – Irene Sharaff had denim experimentally woven with Lycra for the dancers’ jeans in West Side Story, 1961.) Cavalli personally distressed a pair, printed a snake entwining a leg, and displayed them on the perfect rear of his favourite model, Naomi Campbell.

During Cavalli’s years of retreat, Gianni Versace had taken over much of the remaining custom for Italian-originated sexiness, but Versace designs, especially his prints, had a mad Roman emperor stridency never seen in the work of Cavalli, whose leopards and tigers were for cuddling and stroking, not gladiatorial combat.

Even before Versace’s death in 1997, Cavalli was in the ascendant again, in demand on red carpets, on stage on Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, and on screen – a giraffe-skin print – on Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City: he opened boutiques and cafes around the world for his sex-is-fun, Latin-culture-orientated, clothes that suited the mood of excess is success. He was the first Italian designer to create a collection for H&M, a sell-out in 2007. His company closed in 2014, but was relaunched a year later, with little input from Cavalli himself.

In 2002, tax police inspected Cavalli’s extravagant house and estate outside Florence, including the purple helicopter he piloted, and charged him with evasion for claiming expenses for the property as work premises rather than a private home. Cavalli was found guilty and sentenced to 14 months jail, but a superior court annulled the verdict.

A son, called Giorgio after his father, was born to his partner, Sandra Nilsson, a model, in 2023. She and his six children survive him.

🔔 Roberto Cavalli, designer, born 15 November 1940; died 12 April 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

#just for books #Roberto Cavalli #in memoriam

[freshstartfromscratch]

1920s Ezio story idea

I don't have an illustration yet but I guess that nobody gives a fuck anyway.

So 1920s Ezio idea!

Florence, 1923. Kingdom of Italy went through numerous tribulations between the unification and WWI, the liberal state failed its citizens, and in October 1922 National Fascist Party (PNF) took over the country. The king appointed Mussolini as the prime minister of Italy. Many people support the new leader and hope that he will lead the barely unified country to a glorious future. During those troublesome times, a young Liceo Classico student, Ezio Auditore, tries to navigate his journey towards adulthood. It is a difficult task due to his family situation. His father Giovanni died fighting in WWI. The same conflict left his older brother Federico disabled. Because of the war, Federico never had a chance to finish school, and now he's unable to work. Auditores barely survive thanks to Maria's hard work and the help of Giovanni's old friend - Lorenzo. The whole family is very proud of Ezio for getting to Liceo Classico. This kind of school is the only secondary school from which one could attend any kind of Italian university courses. Ezio's mother and siblings believe that after he graduates and gets a degree, he'll be able to care for whole family, just like Giovanni did.

Ezio is fully aware of the whole situation, but he cannot help but yearn for some freedom from his responsibilities. He's so busy studying that he barely even notices what's going around him. It's not only studying that's on his mind. He's also crushing on his beautiful classmate - Cristina Vespucci. However, he's not the only one desiring Cristina's attention, so is Vieri de Pazzi a huge supporter of Mussolini, a classmate, and a member of Camicie Nere.

Ezio doesn't like Vieri, but he's doesn't have much of an oppinin about PNF and their supporters. After all, his sister is dating Duccio de Luca, one of the Blackshirts. He trusts his sister's judgment.

One day after a semi-successful attempt to get Cristina's attention, Ezio's best friend Leonardo informs him that he and Cristina belong to the same book club that meets after school and, if Ezio wants to get closer to Cristina, then he should drop by. That's precisely what he does.

It turns out that the 'Book Club' is way more sinister than Ezio anticipated. Peiple there meet to read and discuss books forbidden by the new government. There are not only socialists there, but also communists, republicans, Catholics - the whole shebang!

Ezio starts exploring philosophies and ideas he hadn't thought about and starts questioning everything he was taught at school so far. During their studies, he and Cristina fall in love. Cristina rejects Vieri, and she and Ezio become a couple.

Meanwhile, the persecution in Italy is increasing. Camicie Nere is getting more and more violent and the list of forbidden ideas and ideologies is getting longer than ever. Claudia and Duccio fight a lot. He's getting violent and his ideas more radical than ever. Claudia doesn't like how her love changed.

Ezio gets more engrossed in the Book Club, and it afftects his grades and relationships with his family. One day when Ezio's at school, Federico (against his better judgment) decides to discover what is keeping his brother away from his studies, so he goes through his belongings. He discovers the stack of forbidden books. After Ezio arrivés back from school, Federico confronts him about the discovery. Ezio is disappointed but tells his brother about the Book Club, what he has learned, and about Cristina. Federico is understanding but furious with his younger brother. Ezio's Book Club can jeopardize the future of the whole family. If Ezio gets caught he'd be expelled from school or worse.

Ezio gets angry and the next day in school he's unfocused. Leonardo passes him a note with the next Book Club meeting location. Leonardo can't attend this meeting and bring Ezio to the location so he wrote it down for him. Unfortunately due to nerves, Ezio accidentally loses it. Vieri finds the note and get's suspicious. There are stories about a secret association in school but it's pretty impossible to catch the participants red-handed because they're meeting irregularly in different places. The note is proof of a meeting but Vieri can't be sure that it's the club meeting.

Meanwhile, Duccio is leaving the Auditore household after Claudia broke up with him. While leaving he takes notice of the books in Ezio's room and gets suspicious. He goes to the Blackshirts meeting. At the meeting he and Vieri bond over the hatred toward the Auditore family. Vieri says that he has heard about a secret association in school that indulges in illegal activity and he suspects that Ezio is a part of it but he lacks the evidence. Duccio then tells him about the books he saw in the Auditore household. They both decide to report this to the authorities.

Auditore's house gets raided by the police while Ezio's on a date with Cristina, Claudia is visiting a friend, and Maria's at work. The only people at home are Federico and Petruccio. Police find the books and asks questions, Federico knows that he cannot deny anymore that they're innocent so he takes the blame to protect Ezio and ensure that his younger brother will finish liceo and provide their family with a better future. Federico is arrested and Petruccio runs to inform Ezio what happened.

Meanwhile, Ezio and Cristina had a romantic and passionate picnic. After wrapping everything up and walking down the river they notice running towards them Petruccio who informs them about Federico's arrest. The date ends right then and there as Ezio runs to the police station. Petruccio stays with Cristina since Ezio wanted to keep them as far from the police as possible for safety reasons.

At the police station, Ezio tries to learn what happened with his brother, a war hero. He underlines that his brother is a veteran with weak health and cannot stay in arrest for too long. Nobody cares. Ezio spends the rest of the day and an entire night at the police station but gets no information about Federico's fate.

Meanwhile, Cristina takes Petruccio with her to the Book Club meeting since Maria is still at work. Everything is alright until it's interrupted by the attack of the Blackshirt's group. Vieri heard that Federico took the blame and decided to catch Ezio red-handed during the meeting and ensure that he'd get expelled and the Auditore family ends up in poverty.

Ezio's not there and Vieri is even more enraged after noticing Cristina. A massacre takes place, many attendees are beaten up pretty badly multiple are injured and some end up dead. Furious Vieri attacks Cristina and throws her onto a bookcase. The bookcase falls on her and Petruccio and injures a few other attendees.

Vieri is shocked but explains to himself that she deserved it for sleeping with Ezio and engaging in illegal literature. She broke the law! She was a socialist! A traitor!

Meanwhile, Ezio's still at the police station trying to learn what happened with Federico when he gets interrupted by policemen leaving. The entire station gets more lively there's been a fight, Camicie Nere busted an illegal group and there are a few dead. Ezio gets kicked out of the station.

Meanwhile, Maria and Claudia are back home, worried. They've found the police's note about Federico's arrest and they can't find Petruccio.

Around 10 PM they hear knocking on the door. Maria opens, hoping to see Petruccio but it's Cristina's father. She didn't come back home and he suspected that she'd be with Ezio. Ezio's surprised but slowly he pales. It all comes back. The meeting, the police station, the attack, the illegal group - they've been busted!

Auditore and Vespucci's families arrive at the police station. They declared that Cristina and Petruccio got missing and that maybe they were injured during the recent attack.

The police check descriptions. They're dead.

Everyone's crushed by the news. Maria is on a brink of a nervous collapse.

A few days late Auditores get a note from the police about Federico. He died from injuries during the interrogation.

Police wanted to know where he got the books from and if he was a member of a recently busted illegal group. Federico refused to tell them anything.

Maria is left speechless. Her two sons died in such a short time.

Ezio's world just collapsed. The regime took away his lover, brothers, and his life as he knew it.

He'll hunt down everyone responsible.

He'll bring the Fascists down.

Even if it'll take 20 years.

#assassin's creed #shitpost #so many assassins #gaming #ezio auditore da firenze #1920s au #claudia auditore #federico auditore #petruccio auditore #maria auditore #giovanni auditore #cristina Vespucci #ac2 #Assassin's Creed ii #assassin's creed imagine #ezio assassins creed #assassin's creed headcanons

[flotsam-gazette]

Malena

Swimming Pool

French Kiss

Purple Noon (Plein Soleil)

Only You

A Bigger Splash

Captain Corelli's Mandoiin

A Room with a View

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

And God Created Woman

Stealing Beauty

Il Postino

A Good Year =-=-=-=-=-=-=-

1. Malena

Set in war time Sicily, a 13 year old boy is infatuated with the beautiful young war widow, Malena, who was the obsession of every man and the envy of every woman in their small Italian village. Because of her, Renato will come to learn all of life’s lessons and find himself in places he never could have imagined. Visually, it’s one long Dolce & Gabbana ad.

2. Swimming Pool

British crime novelist, played by the wonderful Charlotte Rampling, travels to her publisher’s summer house in Southern France to seek solitude in order to work on her next book. But the arrival of Julie, who claims to be the publisher’s daughter, induces complications and a subsequent murder… 

3. French Kiss

Meg Ryan at her best in this semi-screwball romantic with Kevin Kline doing his best French accent. From Paris to vineyards in Provence to the French Riviera, this French Kiss is utterly charming and cheerful. 

4. Purple Noon

Plein Soleil (a.k.a. Purple Noon), the original film adaption of Talented Mr. Ripley, starring French sixties heartthrob, Alain Delon in his first major role. Have you ever watched a film and felt as if every single frame was worthy of a postcard? This is one of those films. From the sun-bleached Italian scenery and style to the bronzed and beautiful actors.

5. Only You

Robert Downey Junior and Marisa Tomei make a magical (and hilarious) combination. The wardrobe in this film is to die for, as is their Italian travel itinerary. From Venice to Positano, it’s impossible not to fall in love with this movie.

6. A Bigger Splash

A modern ode to Sicily, starring the excellent Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Dakota Johnson and Matthias Schoenaerts. Sex, murder and Italy– what else do you need in a movie?

7. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

8. A Room with a View

Starring a baby-faced Helene Bonham Carter as well as Maggie Smith, Daniel Day Lewis and Judi Dench, A Room with a View takes you to Florence during the Belle Epoque for an eminently entertaining comedy with an intellectual approach to love.

9. Vicky Cristina Barcelona

A spicy Spanish feast for the eyes, arguably one of Woody Allen’s best works.

10. And God Created Woman

The movie that turned Brigitte Bardot into an international star. Bardot stars as Juliette, an 18-year-old orphan whose unbridled appetite for pleasure shakes up all of St. Tropez. 

11. Stealing Beauty

The coming-of-age 90s movie for American girls that dreamed of falling in love in Europe. Starring Liv Tyler and Jeremy Irons.

12. Il Postino

” beauty of the film is in its quietness”, said Roger Ebert. A most essential Italian film that captures the simplicity of Italy so well. 

13. A Good Year

A guilty pleasure, a slightly over-romanticised version of Provence, but A Good Year hits the spot, starring Russell Crow and Marion Cotillard. Watch with a glass of wine in hand.

[chrancecriber]

Radio NET Bulgaria (December 14, 2022)

23:55 ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY - Lilac Lane 23:52 JAY ROWE - Auld Lang Syne 23:48 VANN BURCHFIELD - Freedom 23:45 PHIL DENNY - Feel Alright (Feat. David P. Stevens) 23:41 PAUL BROWN - One Way Back 23:38 JAEE LOGAN - The Great Sands 23:33 ERIC DARIUS - All I Want For Christmas Is You 23:29 STEVE OLIVER - Wings Of Spring 23:24 MARCUS JOHNSON - Me Myself & I 23:20 KONSTANTIN KLASHTORNI - Give Me Your Eyes 23:15 NILS - Catnap 23:09 KIM WATERS - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 23:04 RICHARD ELLIOT - Corner Pocket 23:00 PETER WHITE - Who's That Lady 22:59 SUNLOUNGER, CAP, STEPHANIE ASSCHER - Heart Of The Sun (Chill Version) 22:55 SMOMA - Secret 22:51 NAOKI KENJI - Maripri 22:48 AMAZONICS - Lovin' You (Astrovoid Remix) 22:44 COASTLINE, MADELIN ZERO - Alone With You (Chillout Mix) 22:41 ERINYA MOON - On The Edge (Russian Vocal Mix) 22:36 ANDY MOOR, ASHLEY WALLBRIDGE, GABRIELA - World To Turn 22:31 ROGER SHAH, SUNLOUNGER - Trademark White (Omega 3 Bossachill Remix) 22:25 SUNLOUNGER, ZARA TAYLOR - Found (Downtempo Version) 22:22 JES - Stronger 22:16 PROJECT BLUE SUN - Angels 22:10 ANTURAGE - Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough (Original Mix) 22:04 SIMON LE GREC - Decisions (Delor Mix) 22:00 ABOVE & BEYOND - No One On Earth 21:54 MICHAEL E - That Night Last Summer 21:48 CHICANE - No Ordinary Morning (Original Mix) 21:44 EMMA HEWITT - Foolish Boy (Zetandel Chill Out Mix) 21:40 PAROV STELAR - Milla's Dream 21:35 GLOBAL TRAFFIC, CQ PLAM - World Hold On (Acoustic Cover) 21:30 EMILY UNDERHILL - Fly 21:25 MY 7SKY - Time Moment Has Stopped (Original Mix) 21:21 TRACEY THORN - Night Time (Original Mix) 21:18 AMEJ, JOSIE - Strangers We've Become (Acoustic Mix) 21:13 FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE - Seven Devils 21:09 ROBERT NICKSON, RELOCATE, NEEV KENNEDY - Not Made To Break (Chill Out Mix) 21:04 BLANK & JONES - Counting Clouds 20:57 0& BEYOND, RICHARD BEDFORD - Sun & Moon (Paul Hills Sunset 2 Moonrise Mix) 20:52 SEBA - Painted Sky (Imagine Chill Out Remix) 20:48 CUE - Hello 20:45 NASH & PEPPER, ROGUE RAVEN - Am I Wrong (Acoustic Mix) 20:43 FENNA DAY - Skin & Bone (Original Mix) 20:37 JEAN MARE - Just Equality (Electro Downbeat Mix) 20:34 ANDY MOOR, CARRIE SKIPPER - So Much More (Ambient Mix) 20:29 KIM WAYMAN - We Are The People (Acoustic Mix) 20:25 CRISTINA CAMACHO - Thank You 20:20 REUNITED - Sing It Back (Shazz Man Chill Mix) 20:15 ORKIDEA - Beautiful (Ambient Mix) 20:06 RED BUDDHA, LINDA WONG ENSEMBLE - Stone Buddha 20:03 BELLATRAX FEAT. TINA COUSINS - Cant Hold Back (Acoustic Mix) 20:00 SOUND BEHAVIOUR - Arena 19:56 BERK & THE VIRTUAL BAND - You're My Heart, You're My Soul 19:52 RADIO KILLER - Lonely Heart (Kenny Hayes Nitelite Mix) 19:48 ROBERT NICKSON - Russell's Teapot (Original Mix) 19:44 JES - Imagination (Richard Robson Remix) 19:41 PUBLIC SYMPHONY - Wings 19:34 PROJECT BLUE SUN - Ibiza Zouk (Sunny Mix) 19:29 DJ KODI - Love Will Tear Us Apart 19:21 KITARO - A passage of life 19:17 DAVID TORT, NORMAN DORAY - Chase The Sun (Musica Feliz Ibiza Beat Remix) 19:13 MICHAEL E - Deja Vu (Short Mix) 19:09 FRAINBREEZE, ANGEL FALLS - I'll Be There (Original Mix) 19:06 COSTA, EMMA HORAN - New Dawn Breaking (Original Mix) 19:02 MATT DAREY, STAN KOLEV, AELYN - Follow You (Acoustic Version) 18:54 DELIRIUM, SARAH MCLACHLAN - Silence (Michael Woods Mix) 18:49 DJ MILEWS - Children 18:45 PAROV STELAR - You Got Me There 18:41 HONEY - A Girl Called You (Feat Jean Honeymoon) 18:37 MOORYC - Communication Breakdown 18:33 SAMI COVER - Love You Like A Love Song (DjR Remix) 18:29 NADIA ALI - Is It Love 18:24 MO'JARDO - Dust 18:20 DJ MATISSE, LOUNGE PARADISE - This Love (Maroon 5 Cover) 18:16 METAHARMONIKS - Confession 18:13 EMMA HEWITT - Carry Me Away (Live Acoustic Version) 18:09 POCHILL - Constanta 78 18:05 ADELE - Chasing Pavements 18:02 CONJURE ONE, LEIGH NASH - Under The Gun (Original Mix) 17:53 VINTAGE, MORELLI - Tree Of Life (Magnetik Remix) 17:49 MAZELONOSTRA - Twilight Room (Spanish Edit) 17:45 SHARAM, DANIEL BEDINGFIELD - The One (Downtempo Mix) 17:40 BEN GOLD, SENADEE - Today (Chilled Datt Remix) 17:34 LUDOVICO EINAUDI - Nuvole Bianche 17:31 KENNY G, LOUIS ARMSTRONG - What A Wonderful World 17:26 JOHN O'CALLAGHAN, LO-FI SUGAR - Never Fade Away 17:21 FRIENDLY BREAKS - Jazzy City Walk (Deep Lounge Mix) 17:15 SUNLOUNGER, KYLER ENGLAND - Change Your Mind (Chill Version) 17:10 JAMES BRIGHT, HELEN WALFORD - Time 17:06 GAELLE - Give It Back 17:00 AQUASCAPE - Sunrise 16:54 JAMES SAXSMO GATES - Sweetest Taboo 16:49 NICK COLIONNE - The Connection 16:43 ROBERT CHRISTA - Rise & Shine 16:41 HERB ALPERT - All I Want For Christmas 16:37 WARREN HILL - Mojo 16:32 JAZZ FUNK SOUL - Fifth Ward 16:28 DAVE KOZ - Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (Feat. Michael Lington) 16:24 DEAN JAMES - Can You Feel It 16:20 KONSTANTIN KLASHTORNI - Gonna Be All Right 16:16 OLI SILK - At Your Service (feat. Julian Vaughn) 16:12 DAVID GARFIELD - Ticket to Pittsburgh 16:08 BRADLEY LEIGHTON - The First Noel 16:04 RICHARD ELLIOT - Who 16:00 JASON PETERSON DELAIRE - After Hours 15:56 DARRYL WILLIAMS - Harveston Way (feat. Euge Groove) 15:52 PIECES OF A DREAM - Sway On 15:48 EDGARDO CINTRON - Nice Little Bar 15:44 TOM BRAXTON - Hope For Tomorrow (feat. Bob James) 15:39 BRIAN CULBERTSON - Joy To The World 15:35 PAUL BROWN - Angel 15:32 ZOLBERT - The Time Has Come 15:29 CHRISTMAS CAROLS - Adeste Fidels 15:25 PHILIPPE SAISSE - If I Ever Lose This Heaven 15:20 PHIL DENNY - Crossover 15:16 DIRK K - Sticks and Sand 15:12 JAREZ - Got This Feelin' 15:08 DANA FIELDS - This Christmas 15:04 BRIAN SIMPSON - Just One Wish 15:00 UNDER THE LAKE - Whatever You Wish For 14:57 TONY SAUNDERS - Unlimited Access 14:53 NICK COLIONNE - The Closer I Get To You 14:48 SAM RUCKER - I Am with You 14:44 PETER WHITE - Glow 14:40 JOYCE COOLING - Expression 14:37 MICHAEL BUBLE - Winter Wonderland 14:33 NELSON RANGELL - Steppin' 14:29 DEE BROWN - Smooth Talk 14:26 NEAL DAVIS - Golden Bells 14:22 KAYLA WATERS - Full Bloom 14:17 WALTER BEASLEY - No No 14:14 NICK COLIONNE - Right Around The Corner 14:10 RON OTIS - Out of Pocket 14:08 GILBERTO GIACONI - Jingle Bell Rock 14:03 NAJEE - Stratosphere 14:00 BONEY JAMES - Sara Smile 13:56 DARREN RAHN - One Step Ahead 13:51 WILL DONATO - Everlasting 13:47 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Won't Let Go 13:43 DAVE KOZ - All I Want For Christmas 13:38 WARREN HILL - La Dolce Vita 13:34 KIM WATERS - On a Mission 13:30 DAVID GARFIELD - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 13:25 RICHARD ELLIOT - Moon Gazer 13:21 JASON PETERSON DELAIRE - Nightcap (feat. Chris Camozzi) 13:16 RAGAN WHITESIDE - 3am 13:12 JODY MAYFIELD - Where Would I Be (feat. Heidi McLaughlin) 13:08 MARION MEADOWS - The First Noel 13:04 DREW DAVIDSEN - Laid Back 13:00 JIM ADKINS - Come a Little Closer 12:56 ROB MALETICK - Backwards Talkin' 12:52 ZOLBERT - Above the Clouds 12:48 ERIC MARIENTHAL - Times Square 12:44 RONNY SMITH - Deck the Halls 12:40 ALTHEA RENE - Rock with You 12:36 DEAN JAMES - Planet Smooth 12:31 BRIAN LENAIR - O Come All Ye Faithful 12:27 ZACH BRIDGES - Yonder 12:23 PAUL DOZIER, JESSICA LANE - I Dream in Color 12:19 DANIEL DOMENGE - Nonchalance 12:14 PAUL TAYLOR - Straight to the Point 12:10 THE TIMELESS QUINTET - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 12:05 PETER WHITE - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow 12:00 TIM BOWMAN - Soul Dream 11:56 BLAKE AARON - Short, Sweet and Sexy 11:52 NATE HARASIM - Lost In You 11:49 GARY MEGGS - Autumn Leaves 11:45 KAYLA WATERS - Spirit Awakening 11:41 JOHN FLUKER - Oh Come All Ye Faithful (Instrumental) 11:37 KEN POWE - College Hills 11:34 SPONTANEOUS GROOVIN' COMBUSTION - The Wind Whispers 11:30 HARPER, GUS AND GOMEZ - Christmas Time 11:26 VINCENT IOIA - No Time Like Now (feat. Bill Heller) 11:23 SAM BASSMAN JENKINS - Take Me There 11:18 BLAKE AARON - Fall For You 11:13 JULIAN VAUGHN - Hotel Lover 11:10 PEGGY DUQUESNEL - Breath of Heaven 11:05 EUGE GROOVE - Welcome To The Journey 11:00 DAVE KOZ - Just To Be Next To You 10:56 DARREN RAHN - I Can't Go For That 10:52 ANDRE DELANO - Full Circle 10:47 RICHARD ELLIOT - Coco 10:43 DANIEL D. - Let It Snow 10:38 ALEXANDER ZONJIC - Night Crawler 10:34 FOURPLAY - Aniversario 10:31 JESSY J - What Child is This 10:26 DREW DAVIDSEN - Alexander's Dream 10:22 PAUL BROWN - Old Friends 10:18 PETER HEROLD - Soul Spa 10:13 OLI SILK - All Roads Lead to Home 10:09 BROOKE ALFORD, MARCUS ANDERSON - The First Noel (In the Sun) 10:05 ERIC MARIENTHAL - Your Move 10:00 RAGAN WHITESIDE - Call Me (vocal) 09:56 KIM SCOTT - Treetops 09:51 GARY HONOR - Island Pearl 09:47 KONSTANTIN KLASHTORNI - Used to Love You 09:42 JOHNNY JOHNSON - Silver Bells 09:37 DARREN MOTAMEDY - Babadoodaht! 09:33 RHYTHM LOGIC - Tuesdays Love 09:29 PETER WHITE - The Little Drummer Boy 09:25 K'JON - Live, Love & Laughter 09:21 BLAIR BRYANT - Girls in the Back 09:16 NATE HARASIM - Different Kind Of Love (feat. Maxine Hardcastle) 09:12 STEVE OLIVER - Slingshot 09:08 BERNIE MARTINI - Falling for You Like Snow 09:03 PAUL JACKSON JR. - Let's Wait Awhile 09:00 DIDIER LABOSSIERE - Soarin' 08:55 GERRY SMOOTH - So It Begins 08:52 ERIC DARIUS - Move To It 08:48 VINCENT IOIA - Get on It! 08:44 RICK HABANA - Set Sail 08:40 JONATHAN BUTLER - Love Is 08:36 TAKE B - Umbrella 08:32 DARRON COOKIE - Your Smile 08:28 PEGGY DUQUESNEL - Christmas Is Here 08:24 DAVE KOZ - Together Again 08:20 MICHAEL BROENING - Let It Breathe 08:16 NICK COLIONNE - On the Move 08:12 RICHARD ELLIOT - Still Sweet On You 08:08 ARIEL B - Last Christmas 08:04 ALTHEA RENE - Tabula Rasa 08:00 ALEXANDER ZONJIC - Nature Boy 07:56 AL GOMEZ - For Sure 07:52 MARC ANTOINE - Marco Polo 07:48 SPECIAL EFX - Never Ending Love 07:43 BILL MCGEE - Full Circle 07:39 BRADLEY LEIGHTON - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 07:36 WAYNE GUTSHALL - Spanish Love (feat. Steve Oliver) 07:32 JEFF KASHIWA - It's Up To You 07:28 SMOOTH SOUL HOLIDAY - Come All Ye Faithful 07:23 wo Years On (feat. Jimmy Engher, Monte Mann, Ignacio Nunez & Dean Rickard) 07:19 THE SAX PACK - When Morning Comes 07:16 SAM BASSMAN JENKINS - On My Way 07:12 CHRIS 'BIG DOG' DAVIS - Blue Light Special 07:08 ART FOUR SALE - Feliz Navidad 07:04 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Versace On The Floor 07:00 MARCUS JOHNSON - Just To Get By 06:56 BRIAN CULBERTSON - It's Time 06:52 PATRICK YANDALL - Sailing 06:49 HIROSHIMA - Groove Latino 06:45 MEKIEL REUBEN - Another Sunday 06:41 PABLO EMBON - Airborne 06:38 MIKE MACARTHUR - This Christmas 06:34 PAUL BROWN - Hello Again 06:30 KENNY PORE - Treasure Coast 06:27 SYLVIA BENNETT - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 06:23 ADAM HAWLEY - Old School Jam 06:19 BLUEY - Back Here Again 06:15 JACKIEM JOYNER - When The Time Is Right 06:11 NATE HARASIM - Both Sides Of The Coin (feat. Steve Oliver) 06:08 THE TIMELESS QUINTET - Mary Did You Know 06:04 MICHAEL MANSON, BEN TANKARD - Right Turn Ahead 06:00 BALANCE9 - Sway 05:56 DEE LUCAS - To Be Continued 05:50 THE SAX PACK - All At Once 05:45 WAKANA - Let's Get Together (feat. Peter Peet Ferencz) 05:41 HANK BILAL - O Come All Ye Faithful 05:37 CHRIS GODBER - Vibin' 05:33 RICHARD ELLIOT - Q.T. 05:29 JULIAN VAUGHN - Silent Night 05:25 R.L. WALKER - Coming Big 05:20 AL GOMEZ - Closer to You 05:16 THREESTYLE - Reasons 2 Love 05:12 TONY SAUNDERS - Sea Cliff Drive 05:09 VINCENT INGALA - Merry Christmas All 05:05 ERIC DARIUS - Uptown Swagger 05:00 GARY MEGGS - Internal 05:00 NATE HARASIM - Rush (feat. Darren Rahn) 04:55 MEZZOFORTE - Nightfall 04:50 BRIAN BROMBERG - Choices 04:46 PEET PROJECT - I Don't Mind 04:41 RHYTHM JETS - Angels We Have Heard on High 04:37 WILL SUMNER - First Light 04:33 CHRIS GODBER - Momentum 04:29 LYNNE FIDDMONT - Spirit of Christmas 04:26 PETER WHITE - How Deep Is Your Love 04:22 JONATHAN FRITZEN - Enchantment 04:18 MARCUS ANDERSON - 2 Cream, 3 Sugars 04:15 PAUL BROWN - Say It Like It Is 04:10 DAVE KOZ - The Christmas 04:06 NICHOLAS COLE - Secrets (Remix) 04:01 NELSON RANGELL - The Gathering 03:57 KIM WATERS - I'm Not the Only One 03:53 PAUL DOZIER - Myrtle Beach 03:49 HANK BILAL - Hark the Harold Angels Sing (feat. Jonathan Knott) 03:44 ERIC MARIENTHAL - Flower Child 03:40 CHRIS STANDRING - Piece of Cake 03:36 CAROL NETHEN - O Holy Night 03:31 KEN NAVARRO - Stoned Soul Picnic 03:27 J. WHITE - 90's Kinda Love 03:21 GREGG KARUKAS - Healing Song 03:17 LEBRON - Feels Like '84 03:13 YUTAKA - This Christmas 03:08 EUGE GROOVE - Too Cool 03:03 TERENCE YOUNG - Yearning For Your Love 02:59 STEVE OLIVER - Long Road 02:54 MICHAEL LEMMO - Nobody Knows 02:50 JESSY J - Sugar Fish (feat. Paul Brown) 02:46 JACKIEM JOYNER - The Space Between Us 02:41 SHAKATAK - Auld Lang Syne 02:36 KONSTANTIN KLASHTORNI - Smoothing 02:32 ROCCO VENTRELLA - See You Smile 02:30 CHRISTMAS CAROLS - E' Nate Il Redentore (Piva Piva) 02:25 JEFF KASHIWA - Mediterranean Nights 02:21 BROOK ALFORD - Empire State of Mind 02:17 NILS - Play It 02:14 VANN BURCHFIELD - Being With You 02:12 NICK DUKAS - Jingle Bell Rock 02:07 PATRICK BRADLEY - All In 02:01 U-NAM - Back in Style 01:57 CHRIS GODBER - West Coast Soul 01:55 JOYCE COOLING - Snow Is Falling 01:51 STEVE COLE - Living Out Loud 01:47 PETER WHITE - Life Story 01:42 ADAM HAWLEY - Joy Ride 01:37 JAY KING - Your Way 01:32 AVERY SUNSHINE - Sunshine for Christmas 01:28 NICHOLAS COLE - Snap (feat. Vincent Ingala) 01:23 R.L. WALKER - Just a Feeling 01:18 JAWANZA KOBIE - Let Me Lead 01:13 PAUL BROWN - Ol' Skoolin' 01:10 DREW DAVIDSEN - God Rest Ye 01:06 MARCUS JOHNSON - New Beginnings 01:01 CHRIS STANDRING - Through the Looking Glass 00:56 SPECIAL EFX - Endless Us 00:52 NICK COLIONNE - It's Gonna Be Alright 00:48 RONNY SMITH - The Holidays Are Here 00:44 JOEL THIBAULT - Daydream 00:40 LEBRON - Red Hook 00:36 ART RUPRECHT - A Love Sublime 00:32 ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY - Stealing Hearts 00:29 TONY CRADDOCK JR. - O Come All Ye Faithful 00:25 TERENCE YOUNG - Dance with Her 00:21 STEVE OLIVER - Let it Go 00:18 JAEE LOGAN - Portrait of Patrice 00:13 AL GOMEZ - Catchin' a Vibe 00:10 HARPER, GUS AND GOMEZ - Christmas Dream 00:06 PATRICK YANDALL - The Beat Generation 00:02 BRANDON WILLIS - Next Friday

#Radio NET Bulgaria #Smooth Jazz #Chillout #Lounge #Downtempo #Ambient #Trance #2022 #December 2022

[shadxwcd]

@amcred wished for a starter from CRISTINA!

Laying next to him, sharing soft kisses and tracing light patterns into his chest, Cristina felt at peace within herself and with her worries for him. Whenever she saw him now, he looked so busy and stressed. It was at times like these that she was thankful to God that she was born a noble woman and not a man.

“It is good to see your smile again,” her thumb reached to gently brush over his lower lip. “I saw you this afternoon with your father and you looked stressed. I almost did not recognise you.”

It would not surprise her if he had not seen her even as he rushed by.

#. | beauty of florence (cristina) #. | living as i please (unmarried) #amcred

[i-must-be-complete]

Shipping Time

Hice una recopilación con las canciones que mejor ajustan a mi percepción sobre las relaciones amorosas de los personajes, así que aquí voy. Por cierto, las pairings que tienen menos canciones son las que me falta desarrollar dentro de mi cabeza, jaja.

Miyu x Fay

Pink - True Love

Lacuna Coil - Cold Heritage

Maëlle - Si

Falco x Fox

Depeche Mode - Ghost

The Moody Blues - Nights in white satin

 Shoose - Masked Bitch

Panther x Krystal

Thalia - Seduccion

Indila - Love Story

Nostra Morte - Eres todo para mi

Wolf x Leon.

Armchair Cynics - Bang

Megaherz - 05. März

Eisbrecher - Verrückt

Lucy x Krystal.

Fey - Subidón (editado)

t.A.T.u - All about Us

LP - How low can you go 

Kool x Katt

Finger Eleven - Paralizer

Crazy Town - Butterfly

Meg Myers - Desire

Slippy x Amanda

Lana Del Rey - Young and Beautiful

Fox x Krystal

Ariana Grande - Problem

Simon Curtis - Enemy

Tragico Ballet - Sin Temor 

Andrew x Darsha (OC)

Cailin Russo & Chrissy Costanza - Phoenix

Falco x Katt

Marina and the Diamonds - Power and control

Two Feet - You

Bebe Rexha - Knees 

Leon x Falco.

Egypt Central - You Make Me Sick

Fox x Fara

Lilianna Wilde - Grind me down

Estas son mis ships principales (las que más exploro) pero pronto agregaré más, quiero decir, en cuanto encuentre la melodía adecuada. 

Y porque planeo hacer esta sección larguita, debajo del corte habrá más.

Pairings perfectas para AU's muy románticos y también trágicos:

Wolf x Falco

Rupatrupa - Humo

Wolf x Katt

 Cartel de Santa - El arte del engaño

Leon x Krystal

 Eisbrecher - Herzdieb

Panther x Leon

Eisbrecher - Rot Wie Die Liebe

Wolf x Fox

Cedweller - Heart on

Falco x Krystal

Dawn Richard - Pretty wicked things

Fox x Slippy

Absofacto - Dissolve

Leon x Amanda

Devil's Carnival - Trust me

Fay x Lucy

Clean Bandit ft. Louisa - Tears

Fara x Krystal

Florence and the Machine - Over the Love

Miyu x Katt

Shakira - Clothes makes the clown

Katt x Krystal

Red Velvet - IRENE & SEULGI - Naughty

Panther x Katt

Alejandro Sanz feat. Shakira - Te lo agradezco pero no

Leon x Shears

Gareth Dunlop - Devil Like You

Andross x Vixy

Mr Kitty - Destroy me

Scales x Krystal

Joji - Will he

Shears x Wolf

Saratoga - Luna Llena

Andrew x Lucy

James Blunt - You're Beautiful

Miyu x Krystal

Pink - Please don’t leave me

Leon x Fay

Deftones - Rocket Skates

Falco x Miyu

Ángeles del Infierno - Si tú no estás aquí

Fara x Lucy

Neovaii - Crash

Panther x Wolf

Rosenfeld - Do it for me

Katt x Leon

Megaherz - Beiss mich

Falco x Slippy

Linkin Park - Pushing me away

Wolf x Krystal

Cristina Aguilera - Genio

Bill x Fara

Conor Maynard - Animal

Fay x Katt

In This Moment - Adrenalize

OC's x Leon. (Nunca antes shippié OC con Canon, disculpen mi atrevimiento).

Ic3peak - Грезы

#Cuestiones de shippers y multishippers #pairings #shipping #Hablemos sobre ciertos seres antropomorfos volando naves espaciales #OTP

[queerchoicesblog]

The Masquerade Ball

Hiya folks, here’s a new chapter of the wlw story set in the Italian Renaissance suggested by @scottishqueer for the wlw writing project...hope you will enjoy it!

This chapter contains reference to Palazzo Schifanoia, a Renaissance palace I highly recommend everyone to visit if they ever stay in Ferrara. Not sure if you’re interested in knowing more than this but just in case, here’s the link to the Wikipedia page.

If you do happen to like this miniseries, please consider spreading the word!

Previous chapters: After The Storm, The Florentine Lady, A Remedy For Melancholy

Previous series: Ancient Greece

________________________________

The night of the masquerade I'm beaming. My costume is just as I pictured it and gorgeous: every flower, every little detail is perfect. I only wish Riccardo would have chosen a costume matching mine but he was adamant to surprise me so Neptune it is. We don't look bad together, though.

The ball hall is opulent and extravagant: the torches lighten up frescoes portraying a banquet of the ancient gods, the music is loud and the room filled with the perfume of essences and mulled wine. It's magic, as always. The Duke himself in the attire of Caesar comes welcoming me and my husband. He praises my costume and beauty before offering his apologies for walking away with my Riccardo. I mock a despaired face that succeeded in making us all laugh then I join my friends. Maria is dressed up as a Roman matron while Virginia is the queen of the ball or at least I'm positive she will be tonight: her costume is inspired to the colourful bird from the West Indies and she's absolutely gorgeous. We all take a goblet of wine and discuss the latest rumours: will Lucrezia Borgia be the Duke's wife? Nothing has been confirmed at the moment but the whole court is already gossiping about it. Virginia is not happy with it: the Borgias sound shady. I note that all Duchies are shady to some extent. She's about to contradict me when she stops mid-sentence and points behind my back.

"I'll be damned if that's not the Florentine lady!"

I turn and yes, she's there. I'm pleased to see she followed my advice: I recognise my sketches. She's at the arm of a man that I wager be her husband, the right hand of Rossetti, and they wear matching costumes: he's the Sun and she's the Moon. Not so original but they look nice together. They're whispering words to each other when our eyes meet across the room. She waves in my direction and whispers something to her husband. He smiles too in my direction and courtly tips his hat, bowing his head before being approached by a guest.

Cristina makes her way through the crowd towards us. As she approaches, I notice how her costume, although not most refined, looks gorgeous on her. The ivory tunic and mask match the pale tone of her skin perfectly. The brightness of her eyes catches you by surprise as they sparkle like gems at the light of the torches.

She greets us, bowing her head, and accepts a goblet of mulled wine from a servant. If she's nervous as she has every reason to be at her first public appearance, she conceals it well.

"You look lovely tonight, lady Cristina" Virginia comments, and I'm grateful she's not jumping at her throat.

"Absolutely" I agree and add with a smirk. "And you found me quite easily"

Cristina takes a sip of wine.

"You don't go unnoticed" then as if correcting herself she addresses the three of us. "Your costumes are wonderful, the best ones I've seen so far. Hope you will get a prize at the end of the night"

My friends start talking of prizes and winners and previous balls and costumes until I lose interest and turn towards Cristina. She does the same.

"And who are you tonight?" she asks.

"What's your guess, Moon?" I smile, showing my costume with a twirl.

"I'd say Flora or a silvan nymph, even if..."

"Even if?"

She looks at me, probably wondering whether to share a confidence or not. Then she shakes her head and smiles.

"Have you ever seen a painting called 'The Spring' by Sandro Botticelli?"

"I can't say I have, no"

"Let me guess, is it in Florence?" Maria intervenes and I'm displeased by her comment, innocent only for those who don't know her sharp tongue.

Cristina doesn't seem to notice though.

"Yes, I admired it in Florence. The painter is a personal friend of my father" she explains before turning back to me.

"One of the dames, the allegory of Spring, looks just like you tonight. The similarity is striking"

"I demand a local artist to paint me in their next work then" I cheer, rising my goblet.

"Yes, yes a toast! A toast!" Virginia squeals.

We all share a wish to the ball, to us, to me getting a portrait in a fresco. I sink my goblet just as the quintet starts playing a lively saltarello. The guests converge towards the centre of the room to dance.

I lay my goblet on a tray and place a hand on Cristina's arm.

"Ladies, let's s dance this night away!"

I don't have to repeat it twice: my friends immediately run into the crowd to get the best spots. Cristina fidgets with her goblet.

"Hurry, sink that wine and come before the saltarello is over" I say, instinctively pulling her hand.

"But-"

She stiffens for a moment but I pull again, smiling. I won't take no for an answer!

"No buts, drink that wine and come dance with me"

She looks at me for a moment then she laughs too and sinks her goblet before joining me.

She's an excellent dancer, better than I expected...but after all what was I expecting? We jump and twirl at the beat of the tambourines in perfect synchronism, mirroring each other moves until we're out of breath.

I guide her towards the grand balcony to catch some fresh air. The ball is still in full swing and music echoes from inside. A lovely breeze is blowing from the sea not too far from our city: you can smell a hint of salt in it. The moon shines bright up there in the sky, a full moon celebrating with us from afar. A real beauty but tonight my eyes are drawn towards her earthly sister, the Moon leaning over the railing by my side. I find myself wondering if that painter friend of her father has ever painted a portrait of her or added her figure in one of his works: if I were him, I wouldn't hesitate. There is something unreadable yet charming in her grace.

Cristina is now quietly observing the dancers inside, she looks lost in her thoughts. After a moment, she speaks.

"You were right, the ball is truly something"

"See? You should trust me from now on" I smirk.

She meets my gaze and smiles, shyly, before a shadow of melancholy crosses her face again. She diverts her eyes and looks back towards the hall.

I try to find words to cheer her up but she speaks again before I can come up with something. She recites a quatrain.

"How beautiful Youth is yet it flees! Be happy if you want to, For tomorrow is not certain."

The mix of melancholy and softness in her voice is hauntingly touching and dreamy, just like the smile on her lips.

"Lorenzo the Magnificent, Song to Bacchus" she adds, as if to say 'alas, I didn't come up with these lines myself'.

As if pulled by an unknown force, my fingers brush over hers on the railing. The gesture startles her at first but she doesn't retrieve her hand. Instead, she searches my eyes.

"Are you getting sad again?" I wince.

She doesn't answer straight away. For a moment, she just looks at me then she shakes her head.

"No, Emilia, no. I'm jolly tonight" she sighs, parting from the railing. "Be happy if you want to, for tomorrow may not come" she repeats.

Then, to my surprise, she stretches her hand out for me.

"Let's have one more dance, shall we?"

Cristina and I never part till the ball is over and it's time to head back home. We dance and chat and I believe I get to know her a bit better. I like that more than I probably admit. So I'm incredibly happy when a couple of days after the ball I receive a note from her: she invites to another walk. She suggests we could admire a little preview of the new Palazzo Schifanoia: her husband has been reassigned to coordinate the works there to speed up the building process after the recent delays. We can have a look around when it's not too loud and crowded, she says. How could she possibly know I was dying to get a glimpse of the new palace? Was it a lucky guess or am I that easy to read to her? I accept, obviously.

I meet her in front of the palace: on the outside, it doesn't reveal much, it looks like many other buildings in red stone and white marble I am so used to by now. Cristina is waiting for me underneath an arch, she waves at me with a smile. I smile to myself: what a joy to see her finally free from the sorrowful clutches of melancholy. I may be mistaken but her eyes look even brighter than before and I cannot help but notice that even if this is no particular occasion, she is a vision basking in the late sun of the afternoon.

Has her voice always been so sweet?, I wonder as she wraps her arm around mine and leads me inside. If it was, I'm surprised I never noticed.

I have never been inside the palace: when the main corpus was crafted and decorated I was too young to be admitted, barely a child so I only heard the wonders it hosts by older courtiers. Maria must have been here but she has little liking for the arts: to her this probably was simply a place where "escape from boredom". I am by no means prepared to what I am about to see. The corridors are richly decorated and punctuated with statues of rare beauty and I imagine them filled with the music that certainly echoed through these walls. Joyful string music.

It takes me a moment to realise that Cristina is speaking. I stop, slightly embarrassed to be so grossed into the art surrounding us that I almost forgot of my fair guide, my personal Virgilius. Thank God, she doesn't seem bothered at all: her lips curl into an amused yet soft smile when she asks me to close my eyes, if I trust her. The request surprises me: I do trust her but what does she have in store?

"No tricks, I promise" Cristina assures me. "I just want you to experience the real attraction properly" she adds, nodding to the door standing silent in front of us. My eyes wander from it to her before obliging. I close them and curiosity fills me as I hear the unmistakable sound of the door open. A shiver runs through my spine when, still in the darkness, I fell Cristina gently taking my hand into hers and placing the other on my back. She's so close I can smell her perfume just like at the ball night when we danced. My Virgilius guides me inside the mysterious room: our steps echo breaking the silence and I feel as if we were explorers venturing into yet undiscovered lands, our personal West Indies.

We come to a stop and I hear her voice whispering I can open my eyes now.

She doesn't have to tell me twice: I do as she says and...I gape in awe. I have never seen anything like this. The colours of the frescoes are so bright and vivid I wish I could touch them. I move closer and lose myself in the contemplation of their overwhelming beauty.

After a while, I turn back towards my guide with a smile.

"Am I dreaming, Cristina?"

My guide mirrors my smile and joins me by the wall. She stands by my side and takes in the fresco in front of us. This is the Halls of Months, a pagan cycle of allegories of seasons as Olympian Gods proceeding on fanciful cars, and personifications of the constellations of the zodiac, she explains: the one we're looking at is May. I admire every single month, Cristina at my side, before we move to the other room, the Halls of Virtues, where the frescoes have a political flavour: past Dukes beaming in their glory surrounded by the Cardinal and Theological virtues.

I demand we go back to the previous hall that caught my eye and heart. I almost do not recognise Cristina: she is unusually chatty today. Nothing compared to our first meetings. She knows every myth, every story behind the allegories, every little detail and curiosity about the works of the artists who decorated these halls. She even shows me the new section, the one her husband is working on with his brigade. There is still little to see, only the draft of the frescos have been drawn on half the room but she knows what they'll show once finished. I could listen to her all day.

It's almost sunset when we explore the summer loggia overviewing the gardens. I am used to beauty living at the castle but this place is different. The atmosphere is different as if this palace didn't fully belong to this place and time: there's no such thing as Time and space here. We're in another world, a world of our own, close yet magically separated from the Ferrara we know.

As we let our eyes rejoice of the sight of the gorgeous natural wonders below,I ask Cristina where such an extensive knowledge of the works come from. I am genuinely curious and genuinely surprised to hear her saying that her father is a renewed patron of the arts in Florence. He has offered his services to the House of Medici more than once: he tried and failed to be a painter himself when he was younger so he settled for providing money to those he wagers be the most talented artists of our times. Artists and painters visiting and sometimes even working at her family palace has been part of Cristina's life since childhood.

"That is why he wanted me to marry Davide, one of his protege" she explains. "And actually...this may surprise you a little, but it's maybe why I was glad to move here after Sir Rossetti's offer. Your Duke is a patron of arts too and values art above all things: sounded like a nice place to be"

"You didn't seem to like this city much when you arrived" I note but there's no malice in my words.

Cristina hangs her head and sighs.

"It's never easy to leave a place that means so much to you. Davide had his job to keep him busy while I had all the time to think back to what I have left behind, my life there. I had family, friends, connections there...here all was new and stranger"

"Are you still unhappy here?" I inquire, instinctively reaching for her hand.

Her bright eyes travel from my hand to my face.

"No, Emilia, I'm no longer unhappy here."

#wlw writing #wlw writing project #wlw miniseries #orginal work #lgbtqa+ #italian renaissance

[womenintranslation]

Q&A with Candice Whitney and Barbara Ofosu-Somuah, editors/translators of “Future. il domani narrato dalle voci di oggi,” edited by Igiaba Scego

A few weeks ago we announced on the WiT Tumblr an upcoming program at Casa Italiana NYU, “Stories Without Borders: A Conversation with Igiaba Scego,” hosted by Candice Whitney and Stefano Albertini, which you can watch here on YouTube. In an engaging and wide-ranging conversation, Scego talked about Italy’s colonial past in Africa, racial politics and systemic racism in Italy, the need for diversity in Italian publishing, and her reactions to the killing of George Floyd. Scego also discussed her reasons for editing the groundbreaking anthology of writings by AfroItalian women, Future. il domani narrato dalle voci di oggi [Futures. Tomorrow Narrated by the Voices of Today], published in 2019, which co-host Candice Whitney is currently translating with Barbara Ofosu-Somuah. (Candice is on the left and Barbara on the right in the photo above.) I followed up with Candice after watching the event to inquire about the Future anthology and about the translation project (which is currently seeking a publisher). Over several emails in July she and Barbara shared with me more details about the anthology and its writers, their personal encounters with Italy and the Italian language, and their commitment to creating a space for AfroItalian women writers in the English-language literary world.—Margaret

How did the Future anthology originate?

Candice Whitney and Barbara Ofosu-Somuah: Igiaba Scego, historian, journalist, fiction writer, and activist, wanted to create a text that acknowledges the future of Italy. The nation’s colonial legacy has shaped its national identity, citizenship laws, and how it relates to Blackness. For example, immigrants and their children, regardless of if they are born and/or raised in the country, are still othered as foreigners due to lack of citizenship reform.

A small publishing house in Florence, Italy, effequ, reached out to Scego to curate an anthology about migration. She had already edited and worked on influential anthologies related to migration, such as Italiani senza vocazione (Edizioni Cadmo, 2005). Ubah Cristina Ali Farrah, whose literary work connects the present day to the experiences of Somali relatives who moved to Italy, is an example of an artist that Scego collaborated with and admires. However, Scego wanted to pursue a different focus for effequ.

Reflecting on the double-consciousness of her life, specifically experiencing migration through the memory of her parents and living in Italy, Scego wanted to read and share perspectives of women similar yet different from her. The concept of Future was born from this idea. She chose to incorporate perspectives from writers of different generations, and from large and small cities across the nation.These authors write across genres. With this anthology, Scego highlights the diversity of the African diaspora in Italy. Contributors have backgrounds from Eritrea, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Rwanda, Tunisia, Haiti, and more.

While working on the anthology, Scego noticed the shared anger and exhaustion that AfroItalian women face due to systematic racism and discrimination. As such, in the introduction of Future, Scego describes the book as Italy’s contemporary J’accuse (signaling Émile Zola’s open letter to the president of the French Republic), as it “publicly denounces power and injustice.” More about the anthology can be found in a CUNYTV news segment, featuring interviews and readings by contributors Marie Moïse, Angelica Pesarini, and Camilla Hawthorne, hosted by the Calandra Italian American Institute of Queens College. The recording of Stories without Borders: A Conversation with Igiaba Scego, hosted by Casa Italiana of NYU, also focuses on Future and Scego’s other works like Beyond Babylon (trans. Aaron Robertson) and La linea del colore (The Color Line).  (This response paraphrases Scego's answer to a similar question during Casa Italiana's virtual event, Stories without Borders).

What were the Fulbright projects that took you to Italy?

Barbara: I began studying Italian at Middlebury College, as a way of connecting with my cousins who were born and raised in the Veneto region. Italy was the only place my cousins had ever lived. Yet, because of their Blackness, they were always treated as outsiders. Learning the language helped me dive deeper into their experiences.

Studying in Italy my junior year sparked new questions about Blackness and sharpened my attention to how transnational contexts inflect the experience of Blackness. In Florence, I met and connected with many young people who, like my cousins, existed between Italian and Outsider – never quite considered Italian because of their Blackness. Meeting them pushed me to begin questioning what Blackness means across geographies and relationships.

So I returned to Italy in 2016 as a Fulbright Researcher to examine the complex interplay of education, citizenship, and identity for first and second-generation immigrant youth. I explored how school teachers create teaching practices that are responsive to these youths’ cultural and linguistic assets. I observed that, despite best intentions, teachers' relationships with Black students often reproduced antagonistic dynamics that led to those students, more than any other racialized group, being labeled as badly behaved or academically deficient. I joined various discussions held by Black Italians. I listened as they unpacked the reality of concurrently embodying Blackness and Italianness in a culture that perceives this duality as incompatible, an “irreconcilable paradox” as framed by Italian scholar Angelica Pesarini.

Candice: At Mount Holyoke College, I enrolled in Italian language courses to understand political commentaries about black communities during the immigration crisis. Through my majors Anthropology and Italian, I broadened my knowledge of analyzing culture and positionality with an intersectional approach to inform my research projects about the politics of Blackness, entrepreneurship, and institutions in Italy. I went to Italy for the first time as a year-long study abroad student in Bologna. My senior thesis analyzed my ethnographic research in that city and argued that Italian immigration laws negatively impact employment prospects for West African merchantmen, regardless of their legal status. Those laws also marginalize and racialize their bodies through biopolitics and biopower. I remained curious about the experiences of businesswomen of African descent and decided to apply for a Fulbright.

As a Fulbright Student Researcher in 2016-17, I researched how Italy’s racial and political history impacts the reception and promotion of businesses owned by African women and descendants in northern Italy. The women I spoke with had businesses in the hospitality, beauty, and e-commerce industries. They either moved to Italy as adults and had been living in the nation for years, or they were born and/or raised there as children and have been there their whole lives. They did not describe themselves as outsiders, even though the nation continues to view and treat them through immigration and exclusive citizenship laws shaped by the nation's colonial past. However, national organizations and political commentators see them as people who will save the country from a slow economy. This is usually juxtaposed with bodies that are considered illegitimate or a threat to the nation, often Black and Brown people of migratory backgrounds who do precarious labor to feed and sustain the needs of the population. I admire how these women challenge the boundaries of entrepreneurship and cultural production in Italy, considering the racist and neoliberal anxieties that impact their projects’ creation and perception.

Like Barbara, I also spoke with activists and changemakers about racial politics and notions of privilege. I was curious about the similarities between my experiences as an African American woman and those of Black Italians and the differences and ways that I may benefit from certain situations due to my Americanness. Tina Campt coined the concept of "intercultural address,” or how we see the commonalities and similarities between African American and Black European experiences through references to the hegemonic black American cultural capital across the globe. This notion significantly impacted my research and the articles I wrote during my Fulbright and currently shapes how I approach translation and promoting AfroItalian women’s voices.

Candice, you talked about doing a review of Future for The Dreaming Machine and mentioned that Pina, the editor, gave you the idea to translate one of its texts-- is that what made you think of doing the entire anthology?

Candice: As we spoke about writing a review in English for the book, Pina also gave me the idea to translate one of its stories. I thought it was a great idea to accompany the review.

I don’t remember the exact moment I decided to translate the anthology, but I do remember planning to do it as we got closer to the event at the Calandra Italian American Institute in February. I shared the idea with Marie Moïse, Angelica Pesarini, and Camilla Hawthorne as we prepared for the live event. It came up during the conversation on the importance of Black translators translating the works of Black authors. Barbara, who also has experience in translation and was also at the live event, shared her enthusiasm, and we decided to collaborate on it.

Barbara, what drew you to this project?  

Barbara: I came to this project initially through Candice and then fully committed to it after reading the stories myself and hearing Marie Moïse, Angelica Pesarini, and Camilla Hawthorne, three contributors to the anthology speak at the Calandra Italian American Institute of the City University of New York.

In my various experiences living and studying in Italy, I was always acutely aware of my AfroItalian friends and colleagues’ liminal positionality. Because of my own identity as a Ghanaian American, and my background studying Black transnationalism, I empathize with aspects of their struggle. Nonetheless, I found that I did not always have the full scope of language to explain their specific positionality within the global Black diaspora to my non-Italian friends and colleagues. Translating Future is an opportunity to have these AfroItalian women speak for themselves on the world stage. In my role as a translator, my purpose is to create space for the anthology writers to grapple with and make meaning about their lives and have them be reachable to an English-speaking audience. These stories, which run the gamut of engaging Blackness in many forms is a relational process that I, as the translator, help bring forth.

Candice, you mentioned Tina Campt and her "concept of ‘intercultural address’ or the ways that we see the commonalities and similarities between African American and Black European experiences.” I'm wondering how that has affected your translation strategies in the anthology. And the opposite: are there examples of any differences you've struggled with in the translation?

Candice: Definitely. I think about power as an African American within the African diaspora, specifically amongst African descendants in Europe, and that discourses about race or systemic inequalities can be directly or indirectly about the United States. I try to reflect and act on how I may be contributing to perpetuating a hegemony of Americanness within the diaspora, so I think that one way to try and destabilize that is starting with myself.

As for strategies, Barbara has helped me with this as we work on the translation. One thing is using the word “folks” when perhaps a better word is “people.” I think “folk” is typical, maybe even expected, in American English vernacular, and the word “people” is clearer to all audiences.

Another example is translating racial slurs, which exist in the anthology. Misogynoir is not something that cannot be easily translated from one language to another, without considering the historical trauma those words come from. That’s something I am grappling with.

Like Barbara, I empathize with the struggles that AfroItalian women face. As I translate, I am learning a lot and hugely appreciate these women for sharing their stories. I hope that future readers will experience the same admiration that Barbara and I feel for them and their work.

How many authors are in the anthology?

Candice: Eleven authors contributed stories. The preface and postface were written by two academics, Dr. Camilla Hawthorne, from the U.S. and Prisca Augustoni, from Brazil. Igiaba Scego wrote the introduction.

We both appreciate that the anthology connects the experiences and struggles of AfroItalian women to others in the diaspora, such as Brazil. That type of trans-diasporic dialogue is essential and demonstrates that these histories and futures don't occur in a vacuum, or should only be compared to what occurs in the US.  

Do you expect you'll be able to collaborate with the authors as you work on the translation?

Candice: Yes! Thankfully, Barbara and I already had connections with the contributors, either first degree or more. We plan to involve them in the process as we want to make sure that their words are reflected accurately and justly to English-speaking audiences.

Do you have any favorite texts among them?  

Barbara:  I can’t shake the stories by Marie Moïse or Angelica Pesarini.

Candice: I enjoyed all of them. In addition to the stories by Marie Moïse and Angelica Pesarini, "And Yet There Was Still a Smell of Rain" by Alesa Herero and "The Marathon Continues" by Addes Tesfamariam resonated with me.

#Candice Whitney #Barbara Ofosu-Somuah #Igiaba Scego #Marie Moïse #Camilla Hawthorne #Angelica Pesarini #Future. il domani narrato dalle voci di oggi #AfroItalians in translation

[blacknight1230]

Rooftop Chase

Ezio Auditore Imagine

*Takes place during Assassin’s Creed 2* 

Ezio’s POV:

High above the celebrations, I sat on the tiled roof of a house in Firenze (Florence). It was nostalgic to be in my birth place again after my father’s and brothers’ wrongful deaths. But I had to be here, as I was tasked with killing a Templar official, one who was part of my family’s murder. My target was currently throwing a lavish part in the streets. The crowd allowed me easy coverage to sneak up to him and be able to get away without being detected after the deed is done. 

I watched on as a couple of courtesans fluttered around the man. The guards were able to be lured away while one courtesan stayed with the Templar. She led him into the crowd to dance as I quietly made my way to the streets. I effortlessly moved through the crowd and was just about to reach where the dancing couples were, when a woman screamed. I saw my target fall to the floor, blood pooling around him. In the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow moving towards the rooftops. 

I quickly climbed onto the rooftops and sprinted after the shadowed figure. The person lept from roof to roof, gracefully landing on their feet and never stumbling or stopping. “Signor, wait!” I called out. The figure showed no notification that they heard me and continued to run away. Tired of this useless chasing, I took a shortcut. I turned and jumped towards a flower pot, using it to swing onto another rooftop. From there I followed alongside the hooded figure. They eventually stopped when we were both on the rooftop of the Basilica di San Lorenzo. I stopped a few feet short behind the figure, who stood near the edge. There wasn’t a close enough roof to jump to and the height was too big for you to jump to the street below, so the figure was trapped. “There is nowhere to go, amico,” I said. 

The figure finally turned around, showing me the person’s identity. It was the courtesan that danced with the Templar! Her (e/c) eyes were rimmed with eyeshadow, her lips a bright red, and her (h/c) locks piled into an updo hairstyle. She was wearing a (f/c) dress that hung on her shoulders and therefore showed a bit of cleavage. The corset pushing her breasts up and showed the curves of her waist and hips. The full skirt was cut off at her ankles, it having no slits in it but was composed of two layers, the under laying being a light (f/c) color. Bands around her arms had flowing white fabric drape over her arms, the slit through the middle making it easier for her use her hands. All in all, she dressed a little more modest than the other courtesans, who practically showed you their underwear with their short slitted skirts. 

The woman looked at me with cold eyes and pulled out a dagger that was strapped to her thigh. “Get any closer, bastardo, and you’ll lose an eye!” she threatened. I raised my hands up in defense, trying to get through to the donna that I mean no harm. “Easy, signora,” I said. “I won’t hurt you. Lo prometto.” “How do I know you won’t just had me over to the guardie del cazzo?” the courtesan said, pointing her danger at me. “Because I wanted that man dead too. You just beat me to it,” I said, smirking at the signora. She didn’t lower her dagger until she saw the insignia of the Assassin’s Brotherhood on my belt. 

“Assassino,” she said breathlessly. “Sí, how do you know of the Order?” I asked. “My father was an assassino when he was young. Once he met my mother, he left that life. But that didn’t matter to the bastardo that murdered him,” the signora explained. “The Templar,” I said, realizing the reason for her killing my intended target. “The cozzo make up a false crime that my father ‘commited’ and hung his mutilated body in front of the Piazza della Signoria as punishment,” she explained, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. “Mio padre e fratelli were hanged there, too. I joined the Assassin’s Brotherhood to avenge them,” I told the courtesan. Said woman, lowered her guard and sheathed her dagger. “Mia scuse, signor. My name is (y/n) (l/n),” she introduced herself. “Ezio Auditore,” I replied, bowing to her. 

“I say, mia belleza, I’m quite impressed by your skills. It’s as if you were one of my fellow assassini fratelli e sorelli,” I complimented the young woman. “Grazie, Signore Auditore. Mio padre taught me how to everything he knew. He had his suspicions that his life as an assassin would catch up to him, despite no longer being part of that life,” (y/n) said, a faint blush on her cheeks. I felt my heart flutter at the sight, which shocked me. The last time I felt something like this was with Cristina, and when pulling the heartstrings of countless other women in my lifetime, I had never taken my flirting with them seriously. I am a womanizer; I planned on staying that way without my amore Cristina at my side. 

“Say, bella, how would you like it if I were to make a deal with you?” I said, an idea popping into my head. “A deal? What do you have in mind, Signore Auditore.” “I was thinking that maybe you can join the Brotherhood. Your skills can help the Assassins and their fight against the Templar Order,” I told the young woman, hoping she would agree to the terms. “Become an assassina? Oh, why the hell not. Thank you, Signore Auditore, for this opportunity. Now I can do some good with the skills I have,” (y/n) said cheerfully. “Per favore, call me Ezio, bella,” I flirted. 

The two of us were unnoticeably close to each other, to the point that if we moved any closer, we would be chest to chest. I couldn’t help but want to kiss her cherry stained lips and have her in my arms. It might have been her revealing outfit or that the fact that I found her very attractive visually, but I could tell it was something more. I knew she was like no other woman, her skills as an assassin only piece of the puzzle. “Ezio,” (y/n) said softly, gently laying her delicate hands on my armored chest. “Shh, bella, you’ll ruin the moment,” I whispered huskily. I leaned in, (y/n) meeting me halfway, our lips meeting in a gentle and soft kiss. 

I could feel a spark from the kiss, seeming to give me the momentum to add more passion into it. One of my hands came to cup (y/n)’s face, my other one gripping onto her hip. The (h/c) haired girl wrapped her arms my neck, fingers running through my dark locks and causing my white hood to fall back. Our were so close to each other, with my armor clad one practically enveloped the young beautiful woman. I was pretty sure we would have gone even further, if it weren’t for a guard noticing us. 

“What are you doing? Imbecille!” a rooftop guard shouted from several feet away on the Basilica. “Get down, or I'll throw you down!” (y/n) and I quickly broke away, hurryingly climbing down the building before the guard could shoot at us or reach us. Despite the dress, I saw (y/n) effortlessly climb down several stories of the Bascilica, before leaping to the ground and rolling onto her feet, running into an alley way out of the sight of any guards. I followed her, just a step behind her, hearing several guards gather to look for me and the signora. 

As I rounded the corner into the alley way, I was grabbed by the front of my robes and was pulled towards the disguised girl, her lips hastily meeting mine. I wrapped my arms around her waist, deepening the kiss, just as a pack of guards ran past us, giving no mind to another couple showing affection away from prying eyes. Once the coast was clear, we separated, sucking in a much needed breath, our eyes locked on each other. (Y/n) was the first to break out into giggles, which I soon broke into, too, because of its contagiousness. 

“Leave it to the guards to ruin the moment,” I chuckled, hands trailing along the bottom of (y/n)’s spine. (y/n) giggled and pecked me on my lips. “Come on, Ezio, I think it’s time to go anyways. Care to show me where you and the other assassinos do their dirty work?” “If you mean the Brotherhood’s headquarters, then yes, I would love to show you, mio amore,” I said, taking her hand in mine, leading us out of the alley way. “You’ll love Monteriggioni and the Villa Auditore. Not only is it the Assassin’s place of operations, but it is the Auditore’s ancestral home,” I told the female assassin. “I look forward to it then, Ezio. Let’s go before the damn guards catch onto us,” (y/n) replied, as we walked arm in arm through the crowd of celebrating citizens. 

I couldn’t help but smirk as she confidently strolled with me towards the city gates, looking so regal and majestic. After Cristin’s death, something withered in me. But this woman has reignited the snuffed out flame that once lit up my heart, I thought to myself as I watched (y/n), in all her natural beauty and glory. Though she will never replace my previous love, I know with her I can move on. And so we went on our merry way, as two assassins towards much brighter future. 

THE END

#assasins creed #assassin's creed #assassin's creed imagine #assassin's creed x reader #assassins creed imagine #assassins creed x reader #assassin's creed ii #assassin's creed brotherhood #assassins creed ii #assassins creed brotherhood #ezio auditore #ezio assassins creed #ezio auditore da firenze #ezio auditore x reader #ezio auditore imagine #ezio auditore da firenze x reader #ezio auditore da firenze imagine

[icharchivist]

In Memory - A Mix of Zack/Cloud songs on spotify // Others Playlists

Basically just a mess of all the songs that reminds me of them.

Each song’s names are under the cut by alphabetical order. Might also edit it as time goes by.

CURRENT SONG NUMBER: 88 SONGS, 6H09M OF LISTENING

#.A.B.C.D.

10,000 Miles - Sleeping at Last / All The King’s Men - The Rigs / All Who Remains - Beware of Darkness / Anthem of the Angels - Breaking Benjamin / Anywhere But Here - Safetysuit / Battle Scars - Paradise Fears / Beautiful Crime - Tamer / Blood Filled Tears - Maisy Kay / Body - Sleeping at Last / Broken Crown - Mumford and Sons / Candles - Daughter / Car Crash - Three Days Grace / Chasing Cars - Sleeping at Last / Cosmic Love - Florence + The Machine / Crawl (Carry Me Through) - Superchick / Crossfire - Stephen / Dark On Me - Starset / Dear Fellow Traveller - Sea Wolf / Die For You - Starset / Down With The Fallen - Starset /

E. F. G. H.

East - Sleeping at Last / Even If It Hurts - Sam Tinnesz / Everywhere I Go - Sleeping at Last / Far Too Young To Die - Panic! At the Disco / Fix You - Coldplay / Floods - Sir Sly / Forgiven - Within Temptation / Get Out Alive - Three Days Grace / Ghosts That We Know - Mumford and Sons / Ghost Towns - Radical Face / Give Until There’s Nothing Left - Relient K / Giving Up the Gun - Vampire Weekend / Halo - Starset / Happy Ending - Mika / Help - Hurts / High Hopes - Kordaline / Hold Me Now - Red / Hold On - Chord Overstreet / Hollow - Yosh / Home - Daughter / House of Memories - Panic! At the Disco / Hurts Like Hell - Fleurie /

I. L.

I lived - OneRepublic / I’ll Keep You Safe - Sleeping At Last / I Remember - Les Friction / It’s not Over - Daughtry / The Kids Aren't Alright - Fall Out Boy / The Last of the Real Ones - Fall Out Boy / Leave Out All The Rest - Linkin Park / Let It Die - Starset / Light - Sleeping At Last / Like the Dawn - The Oh Hello’s / Losing Your Memory - Ryan Star / Lovers's Eyes - Mumford and Sons / Lunacy - Rue Royale

M.N.

The March - Hypnogaja / Mars - Sleeping At Last / Memories - Within Temptation / Memories - EarlyRise / My Blood - Ellie Goulding / Neptune - Sleeping at Last / Never Be The Same - Red / Never Say Never - The Fray / A New Hope - Broken Iris /  Nowhere/Bloodlines Pt1 - Sir Sly / On Our Way - The Royal Concept / Our Farewell - Within Temptation / Out of the Darkness - My Indigo 

P. R. S.

Pale - Within Temptation / Paperthin Hymn - Anberlin / Pictures of you - The Last Goodnight / Point of No Return - Starset / Price of Freedom (I Want To See You Smile) - The Death March / Remember Me - Ivan Torrent / Right Here - Ashes Remain / Run - Elsa & Emilie / Safe and Sound - My Indigo / Salvation - Skillet / Saturn - Sleeping at Last / Search and Destroy - Sanders Bohlke / See You Again - Wiz Khalifa&Charlie Puth / Shadow of the Day - Linkin Park / Shattered - Trading Yesterday / A Sky Full Of Stars - Coldplay / Sleep Alone - Two Door Cinema Club / Small Hands - Keaton Henson / Smell - Sleeping at Last / So Cold (Acoustic) - Breaking Benjamin / Soldier - Fleurie / Some Nights - fun. / Someone Like You - My Indigo / Stairway to the Skies - Within Temptation / Stolden Dance - Milky Chance / Stray - The Exies /

T.U.W.Y.

Take on the World - You Me At Six / Turning Page - Sleeping at Last / U & I - Diamond Eyes / Wasteland - Cristina Hawke / Watching For Comets - Skillet / West - Sleeping at Last / Who Will Save You Now - Les Friction / You - Keaton Henson / You Always Knew - Les Friction / You Are A Memory - Message to Bears / You & I - Fightstar / Youth - Daughter /

#clack #zakkura #zakura #zack fair #cloud strife #ffvii #ff7 #final fantasy #final fantasy vii #final fantasy 7 #ANYWAY HERE IT IS. #ichablogging playlist #ichashipping clack #ichatalks about ffvii #i'll add stuff eventually but yeah #shorter than I expected but at least i'm done with #some might be lowkey self indulgent but yeah. I mean. Yeah. #wouhouh

[italianartsociety]

Posted by Samantha Hughes-Johnson.

Lorenzo Bartolini was born in Prato on 7 January 1777. As a youth, he began his artistic studies at the Florentine Academy of Fine Arts before moving to Paris in 1797. By 1799, Bartolini was present in the studio of Jacques - Louis Davide and shared workshop space with Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and Pierre-Nolasque Bergeret. An advocate of Napoleon Bonaparte, Bartolini acted as a drummer in The Little Corporal’s army and subsequently benefitted from Napoleonic patronage. In 1807, Bartolini was suggested as Director of the School of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Carrara and in 1812, he was granted honorary membership of the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. In 1839, he was offered a chair at the latter institution, which he accepted. It was at this point in his career that Bartolini felt that he could safely abandon his neoclassical training and the ideal representations associated with this style. He would subsequently concentrate his artistic efforts on faithfully reproducing figurative subjects in both two and three - dimensional forms, painstakingly replicating details derived from his own scrupulous scientific and natural observations.

References: Franca Falletti, Silvestra Bietoletti and Annarita Caputo eds., Lorenzo Bartolini: Beauty and Truth in Marble, Florence and Milan, Giunti Editore, 2011.

Lorenzo Bartolini: Scultore del bello naturale, With essay contributions from Cristina Acidini, Silverstra Bietoletti, Leticia Azcue Brea, Annarita Caputo, Maria Theresa Caracciolo, Maria Virginia Cardi, Grégoire Extermann, Franca Falletti, Andrea Grecco, Michele Gremigni, Elena Karpova, Anna Gallo Martucci, Barbara Musetti, Ettore Spalletti, Caterina Olcese Spingardi, and Lucia Tonini, Florence and Milan: Giunti Editore, 2011.

Deborah Menaker, ‘Lorenzo Bartolini's Demidoff Table.’ In Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 17 (1982), pp. 75-86.

Barbara Ann Day - Hickman, Napoleonic Art: Nationalism and the Spirit of Rebellion in France (1815-1848), Newwark, New Jersey: University of Delaware Press, 1999.

Images: Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Portrait of the Sculptor, Lorenzo Bartolini, 1820, oil on canvas, Louvre Museum. Wikimedia Commons.

Lorenzo Bartolini, Bust of Napoleon, c. 1810, white marble, on a white marble socle. © 2018 Artnet Worldwide Corporation.

Bust of Elisa Baciocchi Bonaparte, Princess of Piombino and Lucca, Grand Duchess of Tuscany,c. 1809, marble. © 2018 Sotheby's.

Malvezzi Angelelli Monument, after 1827, marble, Columbario Hall, Certosa Monumental Cemetery, Certosa di Bologna.

The Demidoff Table, 1845, marble, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of le Duc de Loubat, 1903. Public Domain.

The Campbell Sisters Dancing A Waltz, 1821-1822, marble, purchased jointly by the National Galleries of Scotland and the Victoria and Albert Museum, with the aid of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund (with a contribution from the Wolfson Foundation), and a donation in memory of A. V. B. Norman, 2015. © National Galleries Scotland.

#Lorenzo Bartolini #Italian sculpture #italian 19th century #purist #Neoclassicism #naturalism

[a-muhammad-fan-blog]

Action and adventure  GAME BLOG

By Muhammad Ali 

Today in this assignment I will be talking about 3 games which are GTA V, The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt and Assassin Creed Brotherhood. The genre these 3 games come from are action adventure game. The first action adventure games video game was intruded in 1975 with Taitos Western Gun, which combined action gameplay with an open-world adventure environment. With the rejections of adventure game genre from mainstream popularity in the use of term has been more like a hybrid/silent term of action adventure has been more liberal.  

Grand Theft Auto V game cover image 

The first game that I will be talking about is GTA V. This game stands for grand theft auto V. The game was designed from Rockstar Games. The game was released on September 2013 on PS3 and Xbox 360, which made around $1 billion dollars for the first couple of days of the sales alone. Later on they upgraded to a newer version after one year when it was released. They did this for “next gen” short for generation for PS4 and Xbox 1 which was released on November 2014 and for PC was on April 2015.

The image above is an example of a mission 

It is the first main entry in the GTA series since GTA IV which was its predecessor which was released in 2008. The gaming is set within the fictional state of San Andreas, based on Southern California. This setting was used previously on GTA San Andreas. The single players story follows when three criminals trying to do a heist while they were under pressure from government agency. The open world design lets players to doing anything freely from city, downtown, open countryside and the fictional city of Los Santos which is based as Los Angles. 

The image above are the 3 main characters that you can play

 When it comes to the gameplay players can play 3 of the characters on first or third person perspective. On story mode people complete missions, linear scenarios with objectives that have been set so to progress further through the story. Other than that players can play freely roam the open world to see what to do. People can do thigs such as buying clothes or weapons they can have a haircut. They can use melee attacks such as explosive and firearms to fight off enemies. When players get killed they are respawned back the hospital as a supply of resources to increase the health of the character. The list of non-characters players you will come across with are Lamar, Ron, Lester, Solomon Richards these characters are allies of the 3 main ones. The other characters that are the enemies are Wei Cheng, Devin Weston, Steve Haines and Harald “Stretch” Joseph. When it came to creating the creation and conception of the characters, Rockstar gaming decided to take a step up by giving players three protagonists to switch between the game. The concept of having three characters in connected protagonists was plan or invent during the development of GTA San Andreas in 2004 but the company felt like they dint have any technical power or ability or confidence to release it.

Game world image 

When it comes to perspective and Camera view in this game, throughout in GTA V the perspective is context sensitive but however most of the game the perspective that the player views the character is in third person on PS3 and Xbox 360 but on PS4 , Xbox 1 and PC you can do it on first and third person whereas when the player moves around then the view is changed. You are able to see the body of the character that you are playing so you will know where are going. When it comes to HUD in GTA V on the bottom left you can see a map on where you are in. Below the map you see your health and armour so that you can see the character on how much health you have.

Image of the HUD in Grand Theft Auto V 

When you click the menu screen in GTA V the options that you will get is setting where you can change the controls, audio, camera,display,notifications,saving and setup, motion sensor function and Facebook. You can also switch from story mode to online if you feel like you have finished it and go online to play with your friends and other players. When it comes to the terrain in GTA V it renders a cube map of the environment which means it is generated in real time at each frame, its purpose is to help render realistic reflections. It takes a panoramic pictures which is put on the tripod and imaging that you are standing on to of it which shoots 6 faces of the cube one by one at the pictures at a city by 90 degree each time it does. When it comes to the architecture in GTA V there are building structures, monuments which you would expect in real life in a metropolis city with a 3D layout on the buildings, mountains, desserts, sea  and outside fields. The objects of GTA V are most missions have optical mission objectives in story mode. Completing missions will help you to progress you things such as characters and unlock activities like flight school, racing or buying new clothes. In online its similar to story mode where you can do heist or updated things like doomsday, smuggler run or area wars which you take part and unlock features and more money bonus points to buy things such as a house/apartments, vehicles and prizes.  

Grand Theft Auto V Menu screen image

There have been many controversies surrounding in GTA V which its developers had issues. Such as several controversies that is related to its violence and depiction of woman. There is a mission that require the players to use torture equipment in a hostage interrogation. This mission received a lot of criticisms from anti-torture groups and politicians. The game became a subject to portrayal of woman on widespread online.  

GTA V online activities 

Assassins Creed Brotherhood game cover image

The second game that I am going to talk about is Assassins Creed Brotherhood. It is also a action and adventure video game. This game was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. This is the third major instalment in the Assassins Creed Series. The game was released on November and December 2010 on PS3 and Xbox 360. Later on it was made available on Microsoft Windows in March and June 2011. The plot of the game story is about the Assassins who fight for peace with free will and Templars who in a strong feeling of wanting to have peace through control.

When it comes to the Game World and Objects like in Assassins Creed Brotherhood in the game are ancient building in Rome that date back on the 16th century whereas the terrain of the game are surrounded by rivers open green fields and other towns. When it comes to the architecture in Assassins Creed Brotherhood the game mainly uses ancient Greek and Rome mixed together that look and date back to the 16th century. When it comes to object the main object is to complete the quest and the missions. 

The 3 images above are the characters of the game 

When it comes to characters in Assassin Creed Brotherhood the Character that you can play is Desmond  Miles who is the main character of the Assassins Creed franchise. Ezio Auditore Da Firenze who is the nobleman of Florence and the main protagonist of the Assassin Creed ll ‘trilogy”. There are other 21 characters the players can choose which are Courtesan, Barber, Priest, Noble, Prowler, Executioner, Doctor, Blacksmith, Captain, Smuggler, Engineer, Footpad, Thief, Hellequin also female Hellequin which is available on through uPlay and Mercenary. The list of non-playing characters that in the game are Cristina Vespucci who is Ezio lover and considered the most beautiful woman of Florence. Duccio de Luca is another non playing character. Juno is another non-playing character, who is one of those character who came before Desmond and his group of assassins come across and meet.  

When it comes to perspective and camera view in Assassins Creed Brotherhood is its set in an open world and presented from a third-person perspective with a primary focus on using Desmond and Ezio’s combat power and stealth abilities’ to eliminate the targets and freely explore the open environment of Rome.

In Assassins Creed Brotherhood it is the first game in the main series to feature the multiplayer mode. The players go through Templars training in  the Absteog facility the multiplayer mode also contains a levelling system where the player can  unlock rewards by earning experience points during the matches and obtain new levels. The abilities are active strikes which can be used again only after the cool down time. When it comes to perks they are passive skills which can be used to be equipped before the match even starts and they are active at all time. The streak bonuses are also included and players can be awarded for reaching a certain number of successful and failed contracts. This multiplayer beta is exclusively to PS3 users which was announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010.

Image of the HUD in Assassin Creed Brotherhood

When it comes to HUD in Assassins Creed Brotherhood there are things such as a map which is located on the bottom right hand side of the screen. The map helps you to explore places in the map and if you get lost you are able to use the map to guide you to places. This makes it useful for players 

Image of the menu screen in Assassins Creed Brotherhood

Here is the menu screen in Assassins Creed Brotherhood. Here are some cut scenes that you will come across in Assassin Creed Brotherhood. 

The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt game cover image 

The third game that I am going to be talking about is The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. It is also an action and adventure game which was developed and published by CD Projekt. This game was based on The Witcher series of fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. The game was released on  May 19th 2015 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One and PS4. The game received critical praise enthusiastically and publicity for its gameplay visual, world design, narrative and combat. However it received lesser criticism due to technical issues, later most of which were later repaired. The plot of the game is Geralt who is the main character re-joins his long-lost lover , Yennefer in the town of White Orchard.

Map of The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt open world image 

When it comes to game world and objects in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt in Terrain there is a landscape where it is a fantasy world surrounded by lake, forest, trees, humans, elves, dwarves, monsters and other creatures co-exist on the Continent. While moving around you can come across with small towns. When it comes to the architecture the game itself is surrounded by an open world countryside’s in Europe such as Poland, Amsterdam and Scandinavia that allow you to explore it. The main object is to complete the quest and progress up to different levels in the game.  

The 4 images above are the characters in the game

When it comes to characters in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt the playable character is Geralt of Rivia who is the main character of the game. The list of non-playing characters are Ciri, Triss Merigold, Emhyn var Emreis, Keria Metz and Gaunter O’Dimm. When it comes to perspective and camera view in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt its set in an open fantasy world and presented from a third-person perspective. The players control Geralt of Rivia a monster hunter who is known as a Witcher. Geralt walks, runs, rolls, dodges, run, climbs, jump, and swims.

Image of the HUD in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt

When it comes to HUD in the Witcher 3 Wild Hunt you will have things like the map which is located on the top right hand side. On the bottom left you will have additional/quick equipment such as a crossbow,2/3 thunderbolt and Ekimmara decoction. On the top left you will have a red bar which will be a level progress on which level you are in.  

Image of the menu screen of The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt

Here is a menu screen in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. Here are 6 options in the menu screen which are continue which means when you pause the game. New game is when you want to start off fresh from the beginning of the mission. Load game means when you save the game and continue to start from there. Downloadable content is when you can download a content. Exit means when you want to stop playing the game.                                            

Here are some of the cutscenes from the Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. 

3 images Below are the cut scenes The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt

[tasksweekly]

[TASK 107: URUGUAY]

In celebration of Uruguayan Independence Day on August 25th, here’s a masterlist below compiled of over 280+ Uruguayan faceclaims categorised by gender with their occupation and ethnicity denoted if there was a reliable source. If you want an extra challenge use random.org to pick a random number! Of course everything listed below are just suggestions and you can pick whichever faceclaim or whichever project you desire.

Any questions can be sent here and all tutorials have been linked below the cut for ease of access! REMEMBER to tag your resources with #TASKSWEEKLY and we will reblog them onto the main! This task can be tagged with whatever you want but if you want us to see it please be sure that our tag is the first five tags, @ mention us or send us a messaging linking us to your post!

THE TASK - scroll down for FC’s!

STEP 1: Decide on a FC you wish to create resources for! You can always do more than one but who are you starting with? There are links to masterlists you can use in order to find them and if you want help, just send us a message and we can pick one for you at random!

STEP 2: Pick what you want to create! You can obviously do more than one thing, but what do you want to start off with? Screencaps, RP icons, GIF packs, masterlists, PNG’s, fancasts, alternative FC’s - LITERALLY anything you desire!

STEP 3: Look back on tasks that we have created previously for tutorials on the thing you are creating unless you have whatever it is you are doing mastered - then of course feel free to just get on and do it. :)

STEP 4: Upload and tag with #TASKSWEEKLY! If you didn’t use your own screencaps/images make sure to credit where you got them from as we will not reblog packs which do not credit caps or original gifs from the original maker.

THINGS YOU CAN MAKE FOR THIS TASK -  examples are linked!

Stumped for ideas? Maybe make a masterlist or graphic of your favourite faceclaims. A masterlist of names. Plot ideas or screencaps from a music video preformed by an artist. Masterlist of quotes and lyrics that can be used for starters, thread titles or tags. Guides on culture and customs.

Screencaps

RP icons [of all sizes]

Gif Pack [maybe gif icons if you wish]

PNG packs

Manips

Dash Icons

Character Aesthetics

PSD’s

XCF’s

Graphic Templates - can be chara header, promo, border or background PSD’s!

FC Masterlists - underused, with resources, without resources!

FC Help - could be related, family templates, alternatives.

Written Guides.

and whatever else you can think of / make!

MASTERLIST!

F:

Cristina Morán (1930) Uruguayan - host, voice and actress .

Olga Delgrossi (1932) Uruguayan - singer.

Estela Medina (1932) Uruguayan - actress.

Adele Gleijer (1933) Uruguayan - actress.

Lily Safra (1934) Uruguayan [Russian-Jewish] / Czechoslovak - philanthropist and socialite.

Henny Trayles (1937) Uruguayan - actress and comedian.

Renée Pietrafesa Bonnet (1938) Uruguayan - pianist, organist, harpsichordist, composer, and conductor.

Vera Taylor (1938) Uruguayan - actress and youtube personality.

Pelusa Vera / María de los Ángeles Vera Montecoral (1940) Uruguayan - actress and model.

Ethel Afamado (1940) Uruguayan - singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer, and poet.

Carmen Novoa (1941) Uruguayan  - artist, painter, award winning writer and poet.

Isabel Pisano (1944) Uruguayan - actress, journalist, and writer.

Nancy Guguich (1944) Uruguayan - actress and composer.

Gabriela Acher (1944) Uruguayan [Turkish Jewish] - actress and comedian.

Vera Sienra (1947) Uruguayan - musician and poet.

Estela Magnone (1948) Uruguayan - composer and singer.

Julia Möller (1949) Uruguayan [Norwegian, possibly other] - tv presenter, model, and Miss Uruguay 1969.

Teresita Minetti (1949) Uruguayan - singer.

Raquel Pierotti (1952) Uruguayan - singer.

Lucila Ramos Mañé (1953) Uruguayan - mezzo-soprano, art historian and musicologist.

Carmen Posadas (1953) Uruguayan [Spanish] - writer.

Marta Albertini (1954) Uruguayan - actress.

Gisele Ben-Dor (1955) Uruguayan [Polish Jewish] - musician.

Margarita Musto (1955) Uruguayan - actress, director, and translator.

Elli Medeiros (1956) Uruguayan - actress and singer.

Sandra Massera (1956) Uruguayan - playwright, theater director, actress and teacher.

Diane Denoir / Diana Roches Mehler (1957) Uruguayan [Austrian] - singer.

Laura Canoura (1957) Uruguayan - singer and composer.

Graciela Rodríguez (1957) Uruguayan - actress and humorist.

Adriana Ducret (1958) Uruguayan - singer, actress and teacher.

Laura Sánchez (1958) Uruguayan - actress, comedian and theater teacher.

Mariana Ingold (1958) Uruguayan - singer, instrumentalist, and composer.

Ana Barrios Camponovo (1961) Uruguayan - actress, writer, and illustrator.

Marihel Barboza (1961) Uruguayan - composer and singer .

Liliana García (1962) Uruguayan - actress and model.

Alicia Alfonso (1963) Uruguayan - actress.

Estela Golovchenko (1963) Uruguayan [Russian, possibly other] - actress, director, and playwright.

Laura Martínez (1964) Uruguayan - actress, tv presenter, and dancer.

Gabriela Toscano (1965) Uruguayan - actress.

Roxana Blanco (1967) Uruguayan - actress.

María Carámbula (1968) Uruguayan - actress.

Sara Bessio (1968) Uruguayan - actress.

María Mendive (1968) Uruguayan - actress, director, and broadcaster.

Rossana Taddei (1969) Uruguayan - composer, singer, guitarist, performer and visual artist.

Laura Santullo (1970) Uruguayan - writer, scriptwriter and actress.

Victoria Zangaro (1970) Uruguayan - model and driver.

Samantha Navarro (1971) Uruguayan - singer, guitarist, and composer.

Malena Muyala (1971) Uruguayan - singer-songwriter.

Ana Prada (1971) Uruguayan - singer.

Tina Ferreira (1972) Uruguayan [Afro Uruguayan, Spanish, possibly other] - dancer, vedette, and journalist.

Andrea Noli (1972) Mexican [Uruguayan, Romanian] - actress.

Inés Saavedra (1972) Uruguayan - singer-songwriter and guitarist.

Veronica Loza (1973) Uruguayan - artist and set designer.

Mariana Vázquez (1974) Uruguayan - teacher, singer and composer.

Ana Patricia Rojo (1974) Mexican [Uruguayan (Spanish {Canary Islander, Castilian}) / Peruvian (Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish, Italian, German)] - actress and singer.

Male Caballero (1974) Uruguayan - tv host.

Erika Büsch (1974) Uruguayan [German, possibly other] - singer, guitarist, and composer.

Claudia Schmitd (1975) Uruguayan - tv host.

Noelia Campo (1976) Uruguayan - actress and television presenter.

Kenya Mori (1976) Uruguayan [Japanese, Lebanese, Basque, Spanish] / Mexican - actress.

Veronica Perrotta (1976) Uruguayan - dramatist, theater and film actress.

María José Siri (1976) Uruguayan  - soprano.

Laura Gutman (1976) Uruguayan - composer, musician and audiovisual producer.

Claudia Fernández (1976) Uruguayan [Spanish, possibly other] - actress, model, tv hostess, and vedette.

Eunice Castro (1976) Uruguayan - actress, model, tv hostess, and dancer.

Mónica Farro (1976) Uruguayan [Spanish (including Galician), Portuguese, Italian, possibly other] - actress, model, vedette, dancer, and producer.

Natalia Oreiro (1977) Uruguayan [Spanish (including Galician), Italian, possibly other] - singer-songwriter, actress, and model.

Alika / Alicia Dal Monte Campuzano (1977) Uruguayan / Paraguayan - singer.

Veronica Blume (1977) Uruguayan / German - actress and model.

Natalia Cigliuti (1978) Uruguayan - actress.

Natasha Klauss (1978) Uruguayan [Lithuanian–Russian] /  Colombian - actress.

Jimena Márquez (1978) Uruguayan - playwright, theater director, actress and lyricist.

Bárbara Mori (1978) Uruguayan [Japanese, Lebanese, Basque, Spanish] / Mexican - actress, model, producer, and writer.

Andrea Ghidone (1978) Uruguayan [Spanish (including Canary Islander), Italian, possibly other] - actress, model, vedette, cabaret star, and dancer.

Noelia / Noelia Lorenzo Monge (1979) Uruguayan / Puerto Rican [French, Spanish] - singer-songwriter.

Mama Bee (1979) Uruguayan - youtuber (Eh Bee).

Valeria Lima (1980) Uruguayan - singer.

Maia Castro (1980) Uruguayan - singer and composer.

Paula Morales (1982) Uruguayan - actress.

Leryn Franco (1982) Uruguayan [Paraguayan] - model, actress and former athlete.

Manuela da Silveira (1982) Uruguayan - tv host and comedian.

Virginia Dobrich (1983) Uruguayan [German, possibly other] - actress, model, cabaret star, vedette, and dancer.

Florence Zabaleta (1983) Uruguayan - actress.

Laura Chinelli (1984) Uruguayan - singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist.

Laura Prieto (1985) Uruguayan - actress, model, singer, tv personality, and dancer.

Valentina Burgueño (1985) Uruguayan - actress.

Victoria Franco Fernandez (1985) Uruguayan - model.

Amparo Velazquez (1986) Uruguayan - actress.

Florencia Colucci (1986) Uruguayan [Italian] - actress and director.

Nadia Theoduloz (1986) Uruguayan - model and Miss Uruguay 2004.

Andrea Vila (1987) Uruguayan - actress and model.

Maika Ceres (1987) Uruguayan [Spanish, Portuguese, Italian] - singer-songwriter, pianist, tamborine player, and flutist.

Sabrina Martínez (1988) Uruguayan - professional model and beauty queen.

Belén Baptista (1988) Uruguayan - actress.  

Patricia Callero (1989) Uruguayan - instagrammer (patriciacallero).

Johana Riva (1990) Uruguayan [Armenian] - model and Miss Uruguay 2014.

Vanessa Pose (1990) Uruguayan / Cuban - actress.

Luciana Mocchi (1990) Uruguayan - singer, guitarist, bassist, and composer.

Eliana Olivera (1990) Uruguayan - model and beauty queen.

Déborah Rodríguez (1992) Uruguayan [Unspecified African] - athlete and fashion model.

Vanesa Britos (1992) Uruguayan - singer and dancer.

Micaela Orsi (1993) Uruguayan [German, possibly other] - model and Miss Uruguay 2013.

Belen Sogliano (1993) Uruguayan - model.

Guadalupe Romero (1993) Uruguayan - singer, music performer and composer.

Camila Vezzoso (1993) Uruguayan - model and Miss Uruguay 2012.

Priscila Madera (1994) Uruguayan - model and instagrammer (priscilamadera).

Cami Rajchman (1994) Uruguayan - singer.

Agustina Añon (1995) Uruguayan - model.

Luciana Lamas (1995) Uruguayan - youtuber.

Ziksua (1995) Uruguayan - youtuber.

Bianca Sánchez (1996) Uruguayan - model.

Rafaela Quintanilla (1996) Uruguayan - instagrammer (rafaelaquintanilla_).

Sheila Rodriguez (1997) Uruguayan - singer (Miway).

Sofia Leon (1998) Uruguayan - singer.

Cindy Arijon (1999) Uruguayan - instagrammer (cindiddy).

Olivia Herdt (2000) Uruguayan - model.

Mackenzie Aladjem (2001) Uruguayan / Jewish - actress, singer, and dancer.

Agustina Padilla (2001) Uruguayan - singer.

Soni Nicole Bringas (2002) Uruguayan [Basque, possibly other] / Spanish - actress and dancer.

Ivy Fox (?) Uruguayan - actress and songwriter.

Florencia Jones (?) Uruguayan - actress and dancer.

Karina Perez (?) Uruguayan - actress.

Natalia Valerie (?) Uruguayan / Brazilian - actress.

Mirella Pascual (?) Uruguayan - actress.

Carole Facal (?) Uruguayan / Swiss - singer.

M:

Walter Kliche (1926) Uruguayan [German, Italian] - actor.

Villanueva Cosse (1933) Uruguayan [Italian, possibly other] - actor, director, and writer.

Ugo Ulive (1933) Venezuelan [Uruguayan] - director, actor, playwright and novelist.

George Hilton (1934) Uruguayan - actor.

Julia Amoretti (1935) Uruguayan - actor.

Julio Calcagno (1937) Uruguayan - actor, theater director and writer.

José Serebrier (1938) Uruguayan [Russian Jewish, Polish Jewish] - musician.

Eustaquio Sosa (1939) Uruguayan - poet , composer and guitarist.

Pepe Vázquez (1940) Uruguayan - theater actor and director.

Yamandú Palacios (1940) Uruguayan - composer, guitarist and singer.

Carlos Perciavalle (1941) Uruguayan - actor, comedian, producer and conductor.

Roberto Jones (1942) Uruguayan - actor and director.

Braulio López (1942) Uruguayan - singer, songwriter and guitarist.

Roberto Darvin (1942) Uruguayan - guitarist and singer-songwriter .

Alberto Restuccia (1942) Uruguayan - actor, performer, dramatist, theater director and teacher.

Rubén Rada (1943) Afro Uruguayan - singer, percussionist, and composer.

Julio Frade (1943) Uruguayan - actor, pianist, comedian, and radio host.

Hugo Fattoruso (1943) Uruguayan - singer, pianist, guitarist, bassist, accordionist, harmonicist, synthesizer, arranger, and composer.

Pepe Guerra / José Luis Guerra (1943) Uruguayan - popular music composer , guitarist and singer .

Jorge Denevi (1944) Uruguayan - director, actor and dramatist.

Tabaré Arapí (1944) Uruguayan - singer, composer, writer, history professor and radio conductor.

Rimer Cardillo (1944) Uruguayan - artist.

Jorge Bolani (1944) Uruguayan - actor.

Dino / Gastón Ciarlo (1945) Uruguayan - singer, guitarist and composer.

Jorge Barral (1945) Uruguayan - musician.

Carlos María Fossati (1946) Uruguayan - folk singer , composer and guitarist.

Martín Sastre (1976) Uruguayan - film director and artist.

Homero Francesch (1947) Uruguayan - pianist.

Mario Gas (1947) Uruguayan - actor and film director,

Alberto Reyes (1948) Uruguayan - pianist.

Cacho Labandera (1948) Uruguayan - singer and guitarist.

Urban Moraes (1949) Uruguayan - composer, bassist and singer.

Carlos Benavides (1949) Uruguayan - singer, songwriter and guitarist.

Jorge Bonaldi (1949) Uruguayan - guitarist, singer and composer of popular music and music journalist.

Héctor Numa Moraes (1950) Uruguayan - singer-songwriter and guitarist.

Eduardo Fernández (1952) Uruguayan - guitarist, arranger, and composer.

Sergio Fachelli (1952) Uruguayan [Italian] - singer-songwriter.

Robert Perera (1952) Uruguayan - harpist.

Mario Carrero (1952) Uruguayan - singer-songwriter and guitarist.

Julio Mora (1952) Uruguayan - singer.

Eduardo Larbanois (1953) Uruguayan [French, possibly other] - singer-songwriter and guitarist.

Alvaro Salas (1953) Afro Uruguayan - drummer.

George DelHoyo (1953) Uruguayan - actor.

Freddy Ramos / Federico Ramos (1953) Uruguayan - guitarist, producer, composer, and arranger.

Enrique Graf (1953) Uruguayan [German] - pianist.

Roberto Diringuer (1953) Uruguayan - singer, performer, guitarist, director, teacher and Uruguayan folklorist composer.

Álvaro Pierri (1953) Uruguayan [Italian, possibly other] - guitarist.

Jaime Roos (1953) Uruguayan / French - singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, and composer.

Rubén Olivera (1954) Uruguayan - composer, guitarist and singer.

Leo Maslíah (1954) Uruguayan - composer, pianist, singer and writer.

Héctor Guido (1954) Uruguayan - actor and director.

Fernando Kliche (1954) Uruguayan - actor.

Hugo Trova (1955) Uruguayan - singer-songwriter.

Beto Satragni (1955) Uruguayan - musician, composer and bassist.

Esteban Klísich (1955) Uruguayan - guitarist , singer-songwriter and composer.

Gabriel Carámbula (1955) Uruguayan - musician and guitarist.

Jorge Esmoris (1956) Uruguayan - comedian and actor.

Osvaldo Laport (1956) Uruguayan [French, Spanish, possibly other] - actor.

Jorge Nasser (1956) Uruguayan [Lebanese] - singer and composer.

Omar Varela (1957) Uruguayan - actor, director, and playwright.

Tabaré Rivero (1957) Uruguayan - singer, composer, poet, actor and theater director.

Petru Valensky (1958) Uruguayan - actor, comedian and communicator .

Daniel Maza / Daniel Omar Correa Suárez (1959) Uruguayan - bassist and singer.

Ariel Caldarelli (1959) Uruguayan - actor, theater director, teacher, musician and writer.

Mauricio Ubal (1959) Uruguayan - singer.

Roberto Birindelli (1962) Uruguayan - actor.

Mandrake Wolf / Alberto Wolf (1962) Uruguayan - singer and musician.

Humberto de Vargas (1962) Uruguayan - actor, radio announcer, television host and singer.

Walter Bordoni (1962) Uruguayan - composer, singer, pianist and guitarist.

Jorge Schellemberg (1962) Uruguayan - musician, composer, singer and teacher.

Marcelo Buquet (1963) Uruguayan [French, possibly other] - actor and former model.

César Troncoso (1963) Uruguayan - actor.

Franklin Rodríguez (1963) Uruguayan - actor, theater director, playwright and teacher.

Ricardo “Canario” Martínez (1963) Uruguayan - singer, songwriter and guitarist of popular music.

Gastón Rodríguez (1964) Uruguayan - composer, guitarist and singer.

Pablo Routin (1954) Uruguayan - singer and composer.

Saverio Guerra (1964) Uruguayan - actor.

Carlos Darakjian (1964) Uruguayan - singer, composer and pianist.

Jorge Drexler (1964) Uruguayan [German Jewish / Spanish, Portuguese, French] - singer-songwriter and actor.

Gabriel Peluffo (1965) Uruguayan - doctor, teacher, musician and singer.

Freddy Bessio (1965) Uruguayan - murga singer.

Gustavo Núñez (1965) Uruguayan - bassoonist.

Rafael Antognazza (1965) Uruguayan - musician and composer.

Federico González Peña (1966) Uruguayan - pianist and keyboardist.

Jonathan Del Arco (1966) Uruguayan - actor.

Fabian Delgado (1966) Uruguayan - musician, presenter, producer, singer-songwriter and businessman.

Ricardo Olivera (1966) Uruguayan - singer.

Smurf Lombardo / Eduardo Pedro Lombardo (1966) Uruguayan - musician, composer and singer.

Waldo  / Álvaro Oscar Navia Molina (1966) Uruguayan  - actor, comedian and driver.

Pitufo / Edú / Pitufo Lombardo / Edú Lombardo / Eduardo Lombardo (1966) Uruguayan - singer-songwriter, guitarist, percussionist, and composer.

Marco Banderas (1967) Uruguayan - porn actor and singer.

Pedro Dalton (1967) Uruguayan - singer, writer, painter and draftsman, leader and founder of the alternative rock band Buenos Muchachos.

Luis Alberto Carballo (1967) Uruguayan - actor, comedian, and television host .

Alejandro Balbis (1967) Uruguayan - singer, guitarist, producer, and composer.

Pablo Minoli (1970) Uruguayan - guitarist, producer, and composer.

Diego Delgrossi (1971) Uruguayan - comedian and actor.

Tabaré Cardozo (1971) Uruguayan - singer and composer.

Jorge Echagüe (1971) Uruguayan - actor, presenter, singer, dancer and producer.

Erwin Schrott (1972) Uruguayan [German, possibly other] - singer.

Leonardo Preziosi (1972) Uruguayan - actor, playwright and theater director.

Julián Legaspi (1973) Uruguayan / Peruvian [Basque, possibly other] - actor.

Sebastián Teysera (1973) Uruguayan - singer and principal composer.

Álvaro Armand Ugón (1973) Uruguayan - actor.

Leo Lagos (1974) Uruguayan - musician, audiovisual creator, radio host and humorist.

Darío Iglesias (1975) Uruguayan - composer, singer, guitarist and pianist.

Gustavo Cardozo (1975) Uruguayan - actor and martial artist.

Sebastian Arcelus (1976) Uruguayan / Italian, Greek, Serbian, Montenegrin, Russian, German - actor and singer.

Diego Azar Oyenart (1976) Uruguayan - composer and musician.

Guillermo Lockhart (1976) Uruguayan - television presenter and writer .

Gustavo Camelot (1976) Uruguayan - actor, writer, director and producer.

Federico Veiroj (1976) Uruguayan - director, scriptwriter and film producer.

Daniel Hendler (1976) Uruguayan [German Jewish] - actor, director, and screenwriter.

Gustaf van Perinostein (1976) Uruguayan - actor, comedian, announcer, presenter, and scriptwriter.

Ezequiel Fascioli Sosa (1977) Uruguayan - musician.

Federico Diaz (1977) Uruguayan - actor, singer, and conductor.

Martín Méndez (1978) Uruguayan - bassist and songwriter.

Damián Genovese (1978) Venezuelan [Uruguayan] - actor and model.

Gaston Rivero (1978) Uruguayan - singer.

Lucas Sugo (1978) Uruguayan - singer and composer .

Christian Palin (1978) Uruguayan [British, possibly other] / Finnish - singer.

Max Capote (1978) Uruguayan - singer-songwriter.

Gabe Saporta (1979) Uruguayan [Turkish Jewish, Polish Jewish, Austrian Jewish] - singer and bassist.

Francisco Fattoruso (1979) Uruguayan - singer, bassist, and composer.

Marco Sartor (1979) Uruguayan - guitarist.

Pablo Sciuto (1979) Uruguayan [Portuguese, possibly other] - singer-songwriter, guitarist, drummer, and composer.

Gerardo Begérez (1981) Uruguayan - actor, theater director and dramatist.

Mateo Chiarino (1983) Uruguayan - actor, director, and writer.

Santiago Sanguinetti (1983) Uruguayan - playwright, actor and teacher.

Alejandro Claveaux (1983) Uruguayan [French, Spanish] - actor.

Gonzalo Yáñez (1983) Chilean [Uruguayan] - singer, guitarist, and producer.

Maximiliano Martinez (1984) Uruguayan - actor.

Nicolás Furtado (1988) Uruguayan [Portuguese, possibly other] - actor.

Alex Vargas (1988) Uruguayan / Danish, English - singer-songwriter and record producer.

Claudio Facelli (1992) Uruguayan - musical.ly star.

Javi Ayul (1992) Uruguayan - singer and youtuber (VIRAL).

Fabrizio Vigevani (1992) Uruguayan - instagrammer (fabriziovigevani).

Agustin Casanova (1993) Uruguayan - singer (Marama).

Maximo Cattivelli (1993) Uruguayan - drummer (Toco Para Vos).

El Reja (1994) Uruguayan - singer.

Fer Vazquez (1994) Uruguayan - singer.

Federico Vigevani (1994) Uruguayan - youtuber (Dosogas).

Mathi Sellanes (1995) Uruguayan - youtuber (Dosogas).

Sebastián Muñoz (1995) Uruguayan - drummer (Toco Para Vos).

Gonzaa Fonseca (1995) Uruguayan - youtuber.

Fede Puñales (1995) Uruguayan - rapper and youtuber.

Anto Puñales (1995) Uruguayan - youtuber.

Pablo Battro (1995) Uruguayan - drummer (Toco Para Vos).

Juanpa Barbot (1996) Uruguayan - youtuber (Dosogas).

Fabri Lemus (1996) Uruguayan - youtuber (Dos Bros).

Felipe Sardina (1996) Uruguayan - pianist (Toco Para Vos).

Pablo Arnoletti (1997) Uruguayan - drummer (Marama).

Kevin Macri (1997) Uruguayan - model and instagrammer (kevinmacrii).

Yao Cabrera (1997) Uruguayan - youtuber (Viral TV).

Martin Sorrondeguy (?) Uruguayan - singer.

Juan Nicolón (?) Uruguayan - actor, comedian, and writer.

Leo Castro (?) Uruguayan - actor.

Oscar Spalter (?) Uruguayan - actor.

Alfredo Kndrask (?) Uruguayan - YouTuber (Urugayolnocherente).

Jorge Temponi (?) Uruguayan - actor, comedian and communicator.

Charly Sosa (?) Uruguayan - musician, businessman and singer.

Bob Humid / Robert Feuchtl (?) Uruguayan -producer, DJ, sound-designer and mastering-engineer.

Problematic:

Teddy Sinclair / Natalia Kills / Natalia Cappucini / Verbalicious / Natalia Keery-Fisher (1986) Afro Jamaican / Uruguayan - singer, guitarist, drummer, and actress - Bullied an X-Factor contestant.

#uruguayan fc #latinx fc #poc fc #rph #fc list #task: 107 #task: uruguay

[shadxwcd]

@ecglesoul​ asked: ❛  i wanna see what happens when i don’t give up.  ❜ - Cristina

❥     feeling   things   ,   a   sentence   meme   . | Accepting

It was easy to get lost in him again, the intoxication only more intense over the years passed. Though this time, her head had far more control of her as her heart swooned. Her love returned from the dead and finding her was picked from her dreams. From her prayers. It was too good to be true, especially to a woman now burned by a failure of her marriage.

She wanted to believe in his words, but she knew better. Her next words were harsh, but she needed to see his resolve strong. That these weren’t just words to seduce her into a night of remembrance and nothing else.

“How do I know that you won’t? You left me for years, what stops you from doing so again?” Permanent tears now blinded her blue eyes, filled with all the conflicting emotions going on inside her.

She did not know what kept him away, but what if it returned? Or he just changed his mind? Could her heart take it?

Even now, against the cold wall of a Venetian alley, it all still seemed so surreal. As if he would disintegrate and she would wake from a dream. What if this was her only chance to get him? So many worries swirled in her head.

“I will not put myself through that again.”

#. | the beauty of florence (cristina) #. | living once again without care (au) #. | freedom and youth (cristina/federico) #ecglesoul

[antigonies]

Rules: list the ten songs you’ve been listening to the most lately, then tag some mutuals.

Tagged by @tosfumarewords (like a million years ago..sorry). Thank you, love!!

I. Florence and the Machine - Big God 

II. The Carters - Apesh*t

III. Lana del Rey - Beautiful People, Beautiful Problems

IV. Florence and the Machine - Hunger 

V. Concha Buika - No Habrá Nadie en el Mundo

VI. Ariana Grande - God is a Woman 

VII. Harry Styles - Medicine 

VIII. Cristina Aguilera ft. Demi Lovato - Fall in Line 

IX. Kaleo - Way Down We Go

X. Todrick Hall - Trust No Bitch / Wanted

I tag @deerbheth , @xshayarsha , @facinaoris, @o-bliv-ious , @archeozoic , @lyness-vii , @amandinouuu , and whoever feels like doing this.

#i...really haven't put a lot of thought into my music choices lately #but this list is a mood #things i'm tagged in #music #personal

[queerchoicesblog]

A Remedy For Melancholy

Hiya folks, here’s a new chapter of the wlw story set in the Italian Renaissance suggested by @scottishqueer for the wlw writing project...hope you will enjoy it!

If you do happen to like this miniseries, please consider spreading the word!

Previous chapters: After The Storm, The Florentine Lady

Previous series: Ancient Greece

____________________________

I keep thinking of her words and the sadness in her voice and eyes. That lady is suffering: the thought haunts me for days before I can come up with a plan. She reminds me of a story I used to hear as a child: a wolf terrorised a village, howling and hissing at whoever dared to approach him, but one day a brave young girl ventured to him when he was sleeping and discovered the reason of his wrath: a thorn stuck under his paw. When she removed it, the wolf stopped being a threat to the village. Now, I have no idea what kind of thorn is hurting Cristina and if I can cure her melancholy, which -I know- is a matter for phlebotomists, but I want to help her.

She's a lonely foreigner in a most extravagant city: she needs help. And she feels lost: she spends too much time in her head, I need to find a way to distract her. I realise I know basically nothing about her tastes, I only recall her talking of attending poetry readings in Florence. Well, it's a start.

I decide to send her a copy of a poetry book we own: she can borrow it and return it to me whenever she pleases. We can discuss it together, if she wishes, I add. I conclude that she must come visit me: I doubt she has any idea of what a Masquerade Ball means here yet she can't commit the capital sin of coming unprepared. I'll gladly help her choose the right costume if she allows me.

Her answer arrives sooner than I expected: she thanks me for my kindness and agrees to visit me whenever it suits me. My plan is working, at least for now!

As I wait for our meeting, I gather ideas: I like designing costumes. And drawing but it's a pretty useless talent for a lady: the fair sex is not made to be called artists. We may be musicians, playing and singing during court gatherings, but nobody has ever heard of a woman painter. Maybe in the world to come?, I think and the thought pleases me.

I'm sewing in the garden when a servant informs me my guest has come. She's waiting for me in my apartments, he says. I collect my work and needles and head back there.

The first thing I hear approaching is the sound of laughter. I would recognise his laughter anywhere. When I open the door and look into the living room, I see my little Tommaso covering his face with his hands before taking them away laughing. Cristina is sitting on the couch facing him and as soon as my son uncovers his face she hides hers behind my book for a moment. When she lets it fall on her lap, Tommaso cheers and jumps excitedly before resuming their curious game.

I smile, amused and touched. It's a joy for a mother to see her son happy. She first spots and makes to stand but I gesture her to sit. I greet her, joining them into the room and Tommaso runs at full speed towards me, hugging my knees. I take it into my arms and pepper his face with kisses.

"Hope the welcoming committee didn't bother you much" I say to my guest, still smiling. "I forgot I sent my maid to run errands for me and this cheeky little one was supposed to be sleeping now"

My son shakes his head as if he understood what I just said and we both laugh.

"Your son?" Cristina asks, a hint of shyness in her voice as if she caught a glimpse of my private life she wasn't supposed to see.

"Yes, Tommaso" I confirm, kissing his cheek, red from all the fun he had. "My little prince, the light of my life"

Cristina smiles at the two of us.

"He's beautiful. He has your eyes"

"Do you think so?"

I look at my son's smiling face to check. It's the first time someone noticed a thing like that.

"Why, yes. The shape, the color...he took them all from you. Your husband's eyes are smaller in size and a nuance darker than yours and his. Maybe it will be more evident as he grows up"

The idea of sharing something with my son makes me unbelievably happy.

"Do you have children?" I inquiry, taking a seat as Tommaso adjusts in my lap.

"No, no...t yet"

I think I spot a blush forming on her cheeks as she diverts her eyes. Maybe it's a topic that makes her uncomfortable. I'm not surprised in the least that she immediately changes the topic of our conversation.

"I came to return you the book you kindly gave me"

"Did you like it? No, Tommaso, away with that paw" I say, patting my son's hand and placing the book out of his reach on the table.

"Yes, I didn't know this poet"

"He performed last year at court. A pity you missed his reading...but maybe he will come back soon. Duke Alfonso is an admirer of his work and the poet is young, I'm sure we will see and read more of him"

"I'll look forward to it, and I'll tell my friends in Florence about him"

Florence is an ever-fixed thought in her head. She must feel so homesick, poor thing.

"In the meantime, you can focus on the upcoming ball" I suggest chirpily.

"You're quite fond of the masquerade ball, aren't you?"

She sounds amused by my excitement over the ball, but there are no hints of mockery in her voice.

"But of course! How could I not be? It's the main attraction of the whole year at the castle! You'll love it too, I'm sure of it"

"We'll see..." she teases.

"Oh hush, even Venetian guests have gaped in awe through the years" I silence her, giggling but proud. "Speaking of the ball, you must come prepared though! What are you gonna wear?"

Cristina shrugs.

"I haven't decided yet"

"But the ball is just round the corner! It's too late to order a costume!"

"I'll modify a dress I already have then"

I frown at her words.

"That's a risky move...but after all you're new, no one will notice you adapted a dress" I consider. "Cristina, the whole point of the ball is to impress: disappoint the guests and you'll have a miserable time"

"This masquerade certainly sounds thrilling" Cristina laughs but I can tell she's hiding a certain nervousness.

"But I'm here to help you" I smile encouragingly, remembering my plan. "Would you mind...?" I add, gesturing her to help me with Tommaso.

I gently place him into her lap and he makes a cute surprised sound. I search for my sketches in my bedroom then go back to my guest. Tommaso is quiet now and he's brushing a hand on her cheek, adoring.

"It seems my little prince took a liking for you" I smile, sitting next to her.

A hint of pink colours her face when she mirrors my smile and flashes one to my son who cheers and rests his curly head on her shoulder.

"There, I made this for you. If you need inspiration for your costume"

Cristina wraps an arm around my son and takes my sketches in her free hand. She examines them, her eyes wandering over the sheet.

"You...did this for me?"

She's genuinely surprised someone has a kind attention for her...it's sweet and sad at the same time. I regret being rude to her when we first met. I nod.

"They're...gorgeous. Thank you, Emilia"

I like the newfound softness in her eyes as she smiles at me.

"What are you wearing at the ball?" she adds.

"Oh, as if I would tell you now! You'll have to guess...that is, if you can find me. It's a masquerade, no?"

#wlw writing #wlw writing project #wlw miniseries #original work #lgbtqa+ #italian renaissance