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unmaskedagain · 4 years

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Ladybug: A Young Avenger

Hey Everyone, I got prompt for a civil war ML crossover fic but I was really into Team Iron Man on Ao3 for longest of times and, after endgame, I kind of need some team fluff. So I tweaked the prompt. It’s still team Iron man; just… not the way you’d expect. (Also did anyone know else know that Penny’s last name was Rolling?)

It took Tony Stark all of five minutes to figure out Ladybug’s identity.

“Jarvis, buddy?” Tony called out.

“Yes, sir?”

“What’s up with teenagers and being bug-themed heroes wearing inappropriate costumes?”

The A.I took a moment before answering, “…I, for one, blame Vine.”

Tony sighed. First fifteen-year-old Peter Parker aka Spiderman. He took the kid on an as an intern the second he learned about Spiderman. Now fifteen-year-old Marinette Dupain-Cheng aka Ladybug.

He groaned.

What could he do? He needed help.

Captain America needed to be stopped. The Winter Solider needed to be taken down. Team Cap had gone too far.

It was war.

Getting Harley Keener, a mechanical mastermind to agree to be his intern was a bit like chewing nails but Tony always knew the kit would agree. Getting Peter Parker, a child genius with a bright future as a scientist, to agree to be his intern was a piece of cake. Honestly Tony could’ve asked for the kid’s soul in repayment and Peter would’ve asked if he wanted on a silver plate or if plastic was okay? Getting Riri Williams, an engineering prodigy to be his intern, was easy. Too easy; her mom practically threw her at him, all while making him swear into a recorder that he wouldn’t sue. No matter what. Introducing the kids to his labs made him feel like Willie Wonka hand-delivering the golden tickets.

They were all future scientists and engineers like Tony. They grew up worshiping at the altar of Stark Industries like ever future MIT graduate did.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng, on the other hand, was an entirely different beast who played an entirely different game. She was a fashion prodigy who had designed for stars like Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale. She had interned for Style Queen Audrey Bourgeois, had her clothes walk the runway during Paris fashion week, and had a summer job that somehow lasted over a year, working for Miranda Priestly, the editor-in-Chief for Runway Magazine when the scary woman took over Paris: Runaway. Said job ended when Miranda when back to New York. Marinette only prayed to the fashion gods. So when Tony Stark, god of the nerds, showed up at her door, she only blinked once.

Said girl sat between her parents, with cool blue eyes glaring at him suspiciously. Luckily Tony was smart enough to bring Pepper with him.

Pepper Potts smiled at the family in front of her; two bakers and the daughter, who made the most delicious macarons that she ever tasted. “So you see, after Tony came across Marinette’s wonderful re-design sketch of his suit on her website, he was very impressed with her talent.”

“But to take Marinette on as an intern?” Sabine asked. “Excuse me, but Marinette has always leaned towards the arts than science.”

Tony gave the woman his best charming smile, “What is science if not another form of art. We both create, strive to better our talents, work to make names for ourselves; experiment and test out hypothesizes. Granted no one in my field ever created the disaster that was crocs.”

Marinette narrowed her eyes, “Didn’t your father help on the Manhattan Project?”

Silence.

Pepper cleared on her throat. “Tom, Sabine, before anyone agrees to anything I’d like to go over safety procedures in place. Would you mind stepping outside with me, I could use a bit of fresh air.”

Tony and Marinette just stared at each other as the three left the room. When the front door closed behind them, Marinette leaned forward, “What do you want?” Her patience had reached its end.

“Aren’t you being a little rude?” Tony smirked.

“Aren’t you a little old?” Marinette snapped back. “What do you want?”

“I want Ladybug’s help.”

Marinette flinched back in shock. Her heart raced in her chest. “How do you know?”

“I’m Tony Stark,” He shrugged easily, picking up a mint chocolate Macron. “I know everything.”

Marinette fought the fear racing through her, and steeled herself like Miranda and Audrey had taught her, “So Iron Man’s wanted Ladybug as an intern? So what does Iron Man get? What does Ladybug get? What does Tony get? And what does Marinette get?”

“You made clear distinctions,” Tony said approvingly, his business-side gearing up. “But I am Iron Man.” He said. “You come to New York for this spring break and for the summer. I get Ladybug’s help in handling a personal issue that has developed within the Avengers. Ladybug gets training from the Avengers. Marinette gets to add Stark Industries and a personal letter of recommendation from Tony Stark to her resume.”

“On the condition, that identities stay secret from the media,” Marinette crossed her arms. “I don’t suppose I can hide it from the rest Avengers for very long. And I get an additional letter of recommendation from Pepper Potts. Pepper takes my friend Chloe on as an intern; she’s the hero, Queen Bee. And only one who knows my identity, besides you. Also, I actually do get to help design your next suit. My expenses?”

Tony smirk widened. The girl knew how to cover her bases. She even wanted to have an Ally with her should things take a turn. “All paid for by me. First-class all the way. You and Chloe will stay in the Stark Tower on the same floor as the other interns.”

“Other young superheroes, you mean?” Marinette guessed, causing Tony’s eyes to twinkle in joy. “Spiderman, Iron Heart, and WarIron. Based on their sizes, I had guessed they were young; teenagers probably. Why didn’t you ask Chat Noir too? Or why aren’t you? Because you’re not, you would’ve mentioned it by now?”

“You mean the Agreste kid?” Tony said, not noticing Marinette’s eyes widen in surprise. “He’s not serious enough for me. I play games but he goes too far. Surprised you haven’t dumped him yet. Get a better partner.”

Marinette took a bit of a macron to get a moment to think. Adrien was Chat Noir. In retrospect, it made a lot of sense. Both were socially immature, and a bit naïve. Each had an idealistic view of things and didn’t let the real world break them of it. For example Adrien and his dealing with Lila’s lies. Chat Noir and Ladybug turning down his advances.

“Very well,” The bluenette finally agreed. “I agree to be your intern. Shall we discuss my salary now or later? Well, need to before I or my parents sign any contracts.”

It was Tony’s turn to narrow his eyes. Not one; not a single one of his interns: Harley, Peter, or Riri ever asked about how much they’d get paid. They’d all assumed it was an unpaid internship and was surprised when their contracts included a salary. “You’re a shark.”

Marinette hummed, “You should see me when there’s blood in the water.”

That was something Tony was looking forward to seeing.

The official paperwork was signed three days later; Marinette was officially a Stark intern. Due to go to Orientation for spring break in New York in a few weeks.

Those weeks flew by. She let Fu know she’d have to go back and forth for a few weeks. She didn’t bother telling anyone else. Her friendships in the class had dwindled dramatically. While most weren’t her outright enemies, her classmates tended to avoid her. If they couldn’t do that, they were beyond cold to her. It was Lila’s doing. She got her hooks into the class, who all wanted to tie themselves to the golden goose, and when it was clear that Lila and Marinette didn’t like each other, they picked sides. They chose their meal ticket over their lifelong friend.

Honestly, it made Marinette almost wish that Lila had lied about her instead; accused her of being a bully or something. Anything. Because at least then her ex-friends would have somewhat of a reason to be ex-friends. Even if it wasn’t a very good one. Instead, they were just bad friends all on their own.

Still, Marinette didn’t mourn their loss as she sat in the back of the class with Chloe on a Sunny Tuesday morning, and they were living for New York that Friday. She had a steadily rising career in Fashion. She had worked under Miranda Priestly and Audrey. From them, she learned it was best to drop fair-weather friends and how to spot wannabes, fame-seekers, and gold-diggers from three miles away.

She was happy with Chloe as her bestie. The girl had turned a new leaf and proven her loyalty to the point where Fu made her a permanent hero. And the Blond had been ecstatic when Pepper Potts had shown up at their door. She had hugged Marinette a full five minutes for getting her the internship. All while screaming with joy.

Both girls were excited to go. Though Marinette did encounter one downside. The night before, Jagged Stone and Penny Rolling; or as Marinette deemed them #RollingStone, called her. Or rather Penny did the talking. Jagged was trying to wrestle his newest jacket away from Fang’s teeth. Penny offered Marinette a chance to spend her spring break traveling around on tour with Jagged, as his personal stylist. Marinette had no choice but to turn the job down. She loved her honorary Uncle Jagged but she already signed the contract.

That morning Lila had spun another set of lies. The first was about helping Tony Stark fix his Iron man suit when she was traveling in America. The second was about the newest song Jagged Stone wrote about her. It was exhausting to listen to but the class hung on every word.

Bustier had just finished her first lesson of the day when she invited Alya to stand up.

The glasses-wearing girl grinned at the class, “So as everyone’s aware; there’s a class pool party is this Saturday; first day of spring break, baby!” The class cheered. “Everyone who’s invited should’ve gotten their invitation. Don’t want any drama,” She cast a cold look to the two girls at the back of the class. “Invite only. So no party crashers. Marinette, Chloe what are you doing this Saturday?” Alya smirked at her call out that the two girls weren’t invited; that they were the only ones who weren’t.

As if on cue, the classroom’s door burst opened and in walked Tony Stark, followed by a very apologetic looking Pepper, “Marinette; it’s time to go! Grab Pepper’s minion and let’s go.”

There were gasps from the class. Max sat up straight. Iron Man was in front of him, in his class, this was the best day of his life.

Marinette just sighed, “Did you kick the door open, Tony?” Disapproval clear in her voice.

“…No?”

“I can’t go now!” Marinette explained. “I have class. We weren’t supposed to leave until Friday, remember.”

Tony waved her off, “Details. Spring Break starts now. Queenie, Mari; chop-chop! New York is waiting!”

Bustier decided to step in. She may not always be the best teacher but she refused to allow a strange man, even if that man was Tony Stark, to take away any of her students. “Mr. Stark, can I ask what you want Marinette and Chloe for?”

Thankfully, it was Pepper that answered as she closed back the classroom door, “They have been employed as interns for Stark Industries. They’ll be attending orientation during their spring break at Stark Tower.”

Max actually fell out of his seat. Because this couldn’t be happening. Stark industries rarely ever took high schoolers’ as interns. Tony Stark only chose the best of the best. How could Marinette land the job?

“Marinette’s my intern,” Tony grinned. “Blondie’s Pepper’s. Who else is gonna teach her how to rule the world.”

A slow smile spread across Chloe’s face, “With an iron fist.”

Tony pointed at her, “You scare me. Pepper get your intern!”

The other students were amazed. Marinette was Tony Stark’s intern. Chloe somehow got Pepper Pott's attention. What had they missed? Why didn’t Marinette tell them? How?

“That’s what we’ll be doing this Saturday, Alya,” Chloe drawled. “In New York, hanging with the Avengers.” Causing Alya to flush with anger. “We couldn’t come to your pool party even if we wanted to. Which we don’t.”

“He found my sketch of a potential Iron man suit design,” Marinette explained, continuing the story Tony had told her parents. “He loved it and offered me the job a few weeks ago.”

“Weeks?” Nino asked. “And you didn’t tell us? Dudette, not cool.”

Alix nodded, her arms crossed, “Yeah I thought we were friends!”

Marinette and Chloe just looked at them like they were stupid.

Alya put her hands on her hips, “Mr. Stark, why didn’t you ask Lila Rossi to be your intern? She helped you with your suit before. She’d be much better than Marinette!”

The girl in question face turned bright red, “This can’t be happening.” Lila muttered.

Tony looked honestly confused, “Lila? Who’s Lila? No one ever helped me with my suit except the kids I already got as interns.” He looked at Pepper. “Do I know a Lila Rossi?”

Pepper shook her head, and turned fierce eyes towards Lila, “Miss Rossi, please refrain from lying about Tony Stark and or Stark Industries. Or we will sue you on the grounds of defamation.”

Lila squeaked. Sue? She couldn’t be sued. Her mother would kill her if she got a lawsuit from Tony Stark.

It was the rest of the class’s turn to look confused.

However, before anyone could ask any follow-up questions, the classroom door burst opened again. Jagged Stone strutted in, followed by a very apologetic look Penny and happy Fang with, what looked to be, the arm of a leather jacket.

“Marinette!” Jagged yelled. “What’s this about you not coming on tour? I need my favorite stylist, love.

Marinette just sighed, “Did you kick the door open, Jagged?” Disapproval clear in her voice.

“…No?”

The bluenette just shook her head, “I have plans this Spring break. I’m sorry.”

“Plans?” Jagged whined. “What could be better spending your Spring Break with a Rock Star? You can even bring your Blonde. Penny could use an assistant!” He paused, finally noticing it wasn’t just kids. “The bloody hell is Tony Stark doing here?”

The two famous men eyed each other. The women they came with just looked so done with the world.

Tony crossed his arms, “I got custody of Marinette for Spring Break; you snooze, you lose.”

“What?!” Jagged hissed. “She’s my designer.”

“She’s my intern!”

Jagged glared, “I knew her first. By rights, I get custody.”

“I have a contract that says otherwise!” Tony taunted the Rock Star. “Her future is Stark Industries.”

“Her future is Rock and Roll!” Jagged yelled back.

Both men glared at each other.

“Pepper!”

“Penny!”

Both women groaned. How was this their lives? Why what was this their lives? What bus full of nuns and orphans did they rob in a past life?

Penny smiled, “Marinette means the world to us. I’m her honorary Aunt Penny,” She held out her hand for Pepper. “Jagged’s her honorary Uncle. We’ve known her for years. Contracts were already signed?”

Pepper nodded, “Tony doesn’t play when it comes to his interns. He won’t budge. Trust me; we’ve done this three other times. Marinette’s his kid now, all but legally.” For now, Pepper didn’t bother to add. Every now and then she found discovered a new set of adoption papers with one of the interns’ names on it; one time she found three sets for all three. Plus if Tony kept hinting any harder, May was going to gut him. “She’ll be in New York for Spring break and all of the summer.”

“Summer!” Jagged whined. “He gets custody for summer too! No!” he shook his head. “Not happening. Call our lawyers, Penny. We’re going to family court!”

Tony blew him a raspberry. Tony Stark blew Jagged Stone a raspberry. The class could only blink, trying to process what was happening.

Marinette just wanted the earth to open up and swallow her.

“Marinette already designed your clothes for the tour,” Penny tried to placate. “They’re amazing. We can call and skype if we need any additional tips. We have a concert in New York over spring break so we can go and see.” They didn’t. But Penny would be damned if she could have one booked within the hour. Anything to stop jagged from mention family court again. “Most of our summer is free too, we can visit Marinette whenever we want.”

Jagged huffed but didn’t say anything.

“Well not whenever you want,” Tony teased.

“Family court!” Jagged hissed.

“Tony!” Pepper said warningly. She was not going to let this going to court. No matter how lovely Marinette was. “Be nice.”

Tony pouted.

Marinette raised her hand, “You guys know that legally my parents still have custody of me, right?” There was no answer. “Right?!” Nothing.

The bluenette just sighed.

Alya took that moment to break in, “Jagged, don’t you want to say hi to Lila? She’s right here,” Alya pointed to her bestie. “Oh, can we listen to the songs you wrote for her? Can you tell us how she saved your cat from getting hit by a plane?”

The look Lila gave Alya could’ve killed a thousand men.

Jagged looked affronted, “Lila? Who’s Lila?” He looked at his fiancé. “Penny, do I know a Lila?”

“No!” Penny glared fiercely at Lila. “Jagged Stone has never written a song about an underage girl before. He has never owned a cat. What parents and airline would careless enough to allow a child to rush onto a runway for a pet? Refrain from spreading any further slander. Or we’ll hit you with a lawsuit so fast you’ll get whiplash.”

“I’m allergic to cats by the way,” Jagged told the class. “All fur actually. That’s why I got Fang here.” He pointed the crocodile who had made its way to Marinette for cuddles. “I’ve had him for twenty years. He’s the only pet I’ve had all that time.”

Marinette rolled her eyes and took the crocodile in her lap.

“Twenty years?” Kim’s eyebrows furrowed. “Whoa, that’s long that we’ve been alive.”

Nino glared at Lila, “Yeah it is.” He finally realized the girl was lying. Most of the class had in fact.

“Enough of this,” Tony waved. “Marinette, Chloe, time to go. Leave the dinosaur.”

Bustier took a deep breath, “No one is taking Marinette or Chloe anywhere. Until I get a note from their parents verifying that is. I’m going to have to ask you all to leave.”

Penny and Pepper nodded understandingly. Jagged and Tony just looked shocked.

“But I’m Tony Stark!”

“I’m Jagged Stone, love!”

Bustier just rolled her eyes and shooed them out of her class. It took some handling, and eventually, the women had to drag the guys out. The teacher shut the door with a sigh of relief. She brushed off the imaginary dirt on her clothes. “Marinette,” She called. “If you could tell any future visitors to wait until after school to pick you up, with a note from your parents that would be most helpful.”

“Sorry,” Marinette blushed, a deep dark red.

Bustier walked back to her desk before pausing. “Is that Crocodile still in my class, Marinette?”

“…Yes.”

“I think he’s here for the rest of the day,” Chloe shrugged. “Unless you want to invite Jagged back?”

Bustier paused. No. Never again. “No. No. Fang can stay for the day.”

When the lunch bell rang, Marinette found that it was easier to avoid her classmates' questions, as they were too busy yelling at Lila. It wasn’t long after that Ladybug had to take down Lila’s seventh akuma form.

Marinette and Chloe left that night to New York. Somehow he managed to convince their parents that missing three days of school to study in the most advanced building in the world was a good thing.

When they got to Stark Tower, they were given a quick tour. Then Pepper took Chloe to show her where she would be working. And Tony took Marinette the workshop where three other kids were already working.

The oldest one glanced at her and snorted, “God he kidnapped another one.” He was the tallest in the room with dark brown hair and a smirk on his face.

The other two snickered.

Tony looked affronted, “Oh please; your parental units practically threw you at me.

The younger looking boy smirked, “Aunt May threatened to shank you next time you took me out of school early.” He had light brown hair and big brown eyes

The genius pointed, “You tell Aunt Hottie to leave me alone.”

“HI, I’m Marinette!” She waved happily. “He keeps mentioning he has custody. And I’ve become moderately concerned.”

“And you should be,” The other girl in the room laughed. She was a pretty brown-skinned girl with black wild curls. “Name’s Riri.”

“Harley,” Said the first boy who spoke.

“Peter,” The other boy introduced.

Marinette nodded and eyes them, “WarIron,” The pointed at Harley. “Iron Heart,” Then at Riri. “Spiderman, right?” She pointed at Peter.

The three looked at Tony with questions in their eyes. Tony raised in hands in surrender, “Hey, I told her nothing.”

Harley eyed the new girl, “You’re from Paris, right?” She nodded. “Ladybug, I’m guessing.” Marinette blushed. “Welcome to the Young Avengers, I guess. Why’d he bring you in?”

Marinette shrugged, “He said to there was a personal problem happening with the Avengers. He wanted my help.”

The teen froze. Peter just shook his head, “You didn’t, Tony!”

Tony looked sheepish.

“What?” Marinette asked.

Riri rolled her eyes, “That personal problem? It’s called ManHunt.”

“I’m sorry?” Marinette asked. She was going to have to hunt a man?

“It’s a game,” Harley explained. “Team Iron Man versus team Cap. One team hunts the other in a sort of hide and seek type of thing and tries to capture as many members as they can. Last time we played it, Team Cap crushed Team Iron man. It’s why Tony brought us all in. Revenge.”

Said Man didn’t look one bit ashamed, “Rules were since Thor and the Big guy are gone I can bring in whoever I want to replace them.”

Marinette tossed up her hands, “You brought me here to play a game?” Unbelievable.

“No,” Tony said. “I brought you here to take out the Winter Soldier.”

“Say what now?”

“Welcome to orientation,” Was All Tony said to her question.

The kids trained together for a week; Chloe, a girl named MJ who was Pepper’s other interns, and a boy named Ned who was a tech intern, were brought in as well. When it turned out that Kagami was in New York City for a fencing tournament. Tony was happy to bring in the scary girl as well. (And somehow get her mother to agree to let her stay for Spring Break) He made practice stealth and learn hand signals. Tony drilled them on the Team Cap’s strengths and weaknesses. They reviewed videos of previous missions until they had everyone’s fighting style memorized. Tony went over body anatomy aka where the best place to hit them was. They memorized plans and scenarios to take out each specific member of Team Cap.

The teens spent a lot of time in the lab creating gadgets to use against the Avengers. Each one straight out of a spy movie.

As far as Tony was concerned this was War. And there would be no prisoners.

Team Cap consisted of Captain America, The Winter Soldier, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, The Falcon, Antman, along with several Shield employees which included Fury, Melinda May, and Coulson.

Team Iron man consisted of Ironman, War Machine, Vision, Maria Hill, The Wasp, Quicksilver, Daisy Johnson, and a bunch of names Stark employees: I.E the interns. (Black Panther refused to participate. Though he and sister would watch from Wakanda.)

Each team had a total of thirty players; no more, no less.

The game would take place at the compound. Anything area within the compound legal territory was free to use. The living room would be home base and were all ‘out’ people had to stay. Until they were freed. Or until every member of the hiding team was captured and then it was Game Over. Everyone could communicate with their own team using special mics; normally only taken out for missions. However, those imprisoned in the home base couldn’t communicate with their team.

On Saturday, just before sunset; the main superheroes of the avengers met up. Tony facing Steve. Rhodey glaring at Bucky. Vision versus Wanda. Hawkeye to QuickSilver. The wasp against Ant-Man and the Falcon.

Steve smiled, “Tony.”

“You ready for war, Cap?” Tony asked.

“Training exercise,” Steve corrected his husband. “I trust your team is ready.”

Tony smirked, “Oh you have no idea. Your little spies are already hiding in the shadows.”

“Like your team isn’t?”

The alarm went off.

Tony suited up, “You have 1000 seconds, Steve.” His helmet shut. “I’d get running.”

Steve rolled his eyes. His team split up, running into the growing shadows.

The game had started.

Marinette waited, hiding in the shadows on the roof. Her ladybug costume was all back with little red polka dots; mostly easy to move around body armor. This wasn’t her actually Ladybug suit; Tikki, while willing to create a new suit design, decided it wasn’t a good idea to involve magic. So Marinette designed herself a new suit, and Tony help her trick it out.

Tony had pointed out the all-good hiding spots located in the Compound. She was the overly large landing pad. She forced herself to stay completely still. Even when she saw the Falcon take flight with WarIron right on his tail.

The smallest of moments caught on the corner of her eye, the glint of metal. An arrow, she realized. She smiled. Hawkeye.

She watched the man take stock of the room, looking in every possible place a person could hide. Unfortunately for him, Marinette had a bit of luck on her side.

“All clear on the roof, Cap,” Clint said into his mic. “I’ll keep a lookout from up here.” There was silence as he listened to Cap’s orders. “Okay. Will do. Stay invisible, got it. Over and out.”

The second the conversation had ended, Marinette through a smoke bomb at his feet. Before Clint could even finish saying, “What the he-” Marinette was on the attack. Using the smoke to her advantage, she swung her yo-yo at Hawkeye’s feet. The String wrapped around his legs, tripping him. Five seconds later, Hawkeye was hogtied on the ground.

Marinette touched her mic, “Tweety Bird down. Bringing him to home base now!”

“Copy that, Ladybug,” Tony said. “Be careful.”

Clint looked up at his assailant; expecting to see Tony or the Wasp, any avenger. Instead what he saw, was a teen girl with a scary blue-eyed glare on his face, “Who are you?”

Marinette leaned down, “Your reckoning.” She hissed.

“What the fuck!” He said as he was thrown over the girl’s shoulder and carried to home base.

When Marinette got to home base, she saw Harley putting a rather put out Falcon on the ground, Spiderman with five webbed up shield agents, Chloe had brought in two, Kagami and Riri brought in six. MJ and Ned both brought in one random shield agent. Marinette tossed Hawkeye on the couch.

It had been twenty minutes, Clint knew by the clock on the wall. Twenty minutes since sunset and the game had started. And they had already lost just over half their team to a bunch of teenagers.

Clint couldn’t help but wonder what the hell had Tony unleashed on them.

“Foghorn Leghorn secure,” Harley said into his mic. “Tweety in his cage. The shadows are all accounted for.”

“I’m Tweety,” Clint told Sam.

Sam paused. “…Am I Foghorn Leghorn?”

“Wasp and Vision on their way with The Blue Fairy,” Tony’s voice rang their ears. “They’ll play guard dog. QuickSilver is down; Miss Tuffit got him. Seven minions gone; Captain Hook and his jolly crew got them. Over and out.”

“Queen Bee, MJ, guard the Home base until they get here,” Harley ordered. “Guy in the chair, Mj, back on monitor duty. Fulfill mission Top hat ASAP.” They nodded and left the room.

Top hat was important. The two were trying to hack into Team Cap’s communications, once they did; it was game over.

“The rest of you complete the assignment,” He told them.

Then all split up again. Vision and Wasp arrived with Scarlet witch just as they were leaving. All three avengers gave the kids confused looks as they left.

It would take Marinette another hour before she came across another member of Team Cap. And she didn’t so much as come across, as she did respond to Peter’s cry for help.

“Captain Sparkles!” Peter yelled in their earpiece. “Training yard. I’m trying to hold hi-No I won’t give you back your shield! Hurry! Over!”

“I’m around the corner,” Marinette hissed into the mic as she ran for the yard. When she arrived it was just in time to catch the shield that was flying at her face.

She held the shield tightly in her hand, feeling like Wonder Woman, as she stared down Captain America.

Steve looked at the young girl who had joined the fight, “My shield, miss?” He was aware that Spiderman had landed behind him.

Marinette smiled sweet. Then she launched the shield at him with such brute force, he was lifted off his feet. “The Name’s Ladybug.”

Steve didn’t catch the shield in time and it bounced back to Spiderman.

Captain America glared at the two teenagers.

Then the fight was on.

Spiderman hits Steve with his shield, distracting him. The shield falling to the ground. Ladybug barges Captain America backwards. Steve shoulders her to the floor. Marinette lands on the ground; pain flaring across her shoulder. Spiderman punches Steve who just lifts him and slams him against the ground. Spiderman raises a fist but Steve twists it. A web shoots out of his hand, the sound of a small explosion fills the training yard.

Marinette takes the distraction to trip Captain America and jump up. As Steve falls to the ground, Marinette uses the electro-shooters that Riri made and shocks the dear life out of him. It wasn’t enough to bring him down but then Peter added in his own shocking web-shooters.

Yet Steve still looked ready for another round of their fight. Marinette quickly picked up the shield and slammed it across his head. Steve Rogers fell forward in a slump.

Spiderman webbed up with quick-drying cement.

Both teens breathed heavily; struggling to catch their breath, tense from the fight. Marinette could even find it in herself to unclench the shield.

“Captain Sparkles is down, over,” Marinette said into the Mic.

“We’re bringing him in, over,” Spiderman added.

There was a moment of silence.

“…What the fuck?” They heard War Machine say.

When Marinette walked in with the shield in one hand and helping Spiderman carry Cap with the other, the avengers present quietly lost their shit. Kagami nodded, where she stood over Fury who looked more pissed than ever before in his entire life. Chloe stood over Coulson, who just looked put out. MJ and Ned looked overly pleased. Their mission had been a success but it only lasted long enough to get Fury and Coulson. After that, Team Cap was smart enough to ditch the communications, figuring something was up.

“Who’s left?” Spiderman asked in the Mic. “Over.”

“Stoneheart,” Kagami answered bitterly, referring to Melinda May, into the Mic so the team could hear them. “She took out Daisy and got away. Hill is after her now.”

“Jon Snow and Miss Tuffit,” Chloe said referring to the Winter Soldier and Black Widow. “Iron Man and WarIron are after Small fry. War Machine has eyes on Miss Tuffet.”

“I’m closing in on Miss Tuffit, over.” War Machine said.

Marinette looked at her team, pressing on her mic, “Guy in Chair, Mj, I want you on Stoneheart’s tail. Spiderman go be back up for the War Machine. Iron Heart, meet me on the Location 12. Over.”

“What are you going to do, over?” Harley asked.

Marinette clenched the shield in her hands, “I’m going to go tell Jon Snow that Winter Is Over. Queen and Dragon with me. Over.”

The battle with the Winter Soldier was epic. The showdown happened in the gym. It turned out they weren’t hunting for the Winter Soldier, the Winter soldier was hunting for them. The second they walked into the gym, the doors closed behind them.

Bucky jumped down from the rafters. He stared at the girls. He had seen them fight. None of them fought with any ounce mercy but plenty of skill. But they were clearly just kids. Just Dames in over their heads. He’d go easy on them. “Shall we, Ladies?”

Ladybug, Queen Bee, Iron Heart, and Dragon shared a look before giggling.

The Winter Soldier only just barely stood a chance.

The girls laid Bucky gently on the floor on home base. He grunted and glared at them.

A few minutes later, Tony and Rhodey walked in with the Black Widow. The last of Team Cap.

Tony smirked, “Game over.”

Rhodey shook his head, “Record time; two hours and four-two minutes. Beats the last one by about seven hours and sixteen minutes.”

Then they debriefed. Video of the fights and footage was seemed was shown so everyone could see where they could improve. The image of tiny Ladybug clocking Captain America in their head with his own shield was rewinded and watched seven times.

Tony fell over laughing, “I’m putting on Youtube!”

“I will divorce you!” Steve snapped but couldn’t fight the smile on his face.

Once The random agents of shield and Stark industries left, Steve glared at Tony. His team had gotten demolished. In record time. “You brought in outside heroes, that’s not fair.”

“No,” Tony laughed. “I brought employees of Stark Industries as agreed upon. Everyone meet WarIron,” Harley lowered his helmet. “Iron Heart,” Riri lowered his, “You know Spiderman already,” Peter took of his mask and waved. “MJ, and Ned” Both teens nodded. “Ladybug,” Marinette took off her mask. “Queen Bee,” Chloe glared as she removed hers. “Dragon!” Kagami took off her black mask. “The interns. Otherwise known as the Young Avengers.”

“Oh, fuck you too Stark,” Clint complained. “Did you see what they did to poor Bucky. He’s the deadliest assassin in history, and I felt they went a little rough.”

Bucky nodded with a wince, “Can I have my arm back.”

Steve looked at the bluenette still holding his shield, with a charming smile.

Kagami glared. She held the metal arm like trophy. “Spoils of War.”

Marinette giggled.

Being a intern was going to be fun.

#ml fic #ml salt #adrien salt #marinette dupen chang #Marinette deserves better #Avengers #stony #tony stark #team iron man #peter parker

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juice-boxs-imagines · 5 years

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Hey sweets! So, the captains go camping. Kinda like those corporate retreats where they test their mettle by being in the wildness for a week. Who is the natural survivalist? Who can’t cope? Who surprises themselves by rising to the challenge & adapting with some impressive skills? Have fun! ❤️😘

Lol, these ask! I had too much fun writing these! When I was making them, I kept finding myself saying this the same thing in each ask or making too many references to others, so I decided to combine them and address each captain and lieutenant by their respective Division. I wrote these as if they all went on the same camping trip together. I hope readers enjoy them just as much as I did! 😂😂😂

Ah! And thank you @shadowsnlace for letting me use your hc!

SHUNSUI KYORAKU AND NANAO ISE

The head captain is a lazy bum even while camping. You'd think he's helpless and can't fend for himself, but in reality it’s just that his laziness knows no bounds. He'll try to mooch off Nanao, but she won't let him. So his next go-to will be poor Jushiro (who doesn't have the heart to turn him away). Nanao will nag Shunsui for bumming off of Jushiro. She’ll use a can of mosquito repellant as a substitute book for whacking Shunsui in the head each time she deems he needs it. Nanao will have a camping guide in her hand at ALL times, and she will utilize Shunsui as a pack mule when they're heading to their campsite with their fellow campers. Shunsui will be whining having to carry literally everything, while Nanao leads the way with a map in hand.

-Shunsui: Why are you so mean, my little Nanao-chan? 😭

-Nanao: I refuse to let you get the both of us lost in the middle of the woods!

Alas, despite Nanao’s greatest efforts, Shunsui will be drunk before its time to make the s’mores. Before they had left the Seireitei, Nanao had gone behind Shunsui and removed all of his packed n̶e̶c̶e̶s̶s̶i̶t̶i̶e̶s̶ sake. Unfortunately for Nanao, however, she and Captain Hitsugaya failed to do the same thing for Rangiku- and drunkards help drunkards. Nanao will be fuming next to a certain snow-haired captain.

SUI-FENG AND MARECHIYO OMAEDA

If it were not for special circumstances, these two would have never stepped foot outside of the Seireitei. Sui-Feng can't be bothered by something as “childish” as camping, but what got her into kahoots with this was listening to her lazy Lieutenant nag about how camping is not an appropriate activity for a “rich and handsome” man. T̶h̶i̶s̶ g̶a̶v̶e̶ S̶u̶i̶-F̶e̶n̶g̶ a̶l̶l̶ t̶h̶e̶ e̶x̶c̶u̶s̶e̶ i̶n̶ t̶h̶e̶ w̶o̶r̶l̶d̶ t̶o̶ b̶u̶l̶l̶y̶ h̶e̶r̶ l̶i̶e̶u̶t̶e̶n̶a̶n̶t̶. Similar to Nanao, Sui-Feng utilizes her lieutenant as a pack mule. The only difference is, Omaeda is carrying HER, too.

-Omaeda: Captain, why do I have to carry you AND all of the stuff?

-Sui-Feng, is sitting on top of the luggage strapped up on Omaeda’s back: Shut up, and follow the other pack mule in front of you (s̶h̶e̶ i̶s̶ t̶a̶l̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ S̶h̶u̶n̶s̶u̶i̶).

Later on, Omaeda soon learns that the double-tent that captains and lieutenants are sharing will be off-limits to him; Sui-Feng will say it is part of his training. Poor Omaeda has to sleep in his sleeping bag outside; Sui-Feng uses the extra space in the 2nd-Division themed double tent as an open room just in case Yoruichi decides to go camping with them. There is a cat bed and an extra sleeping bag, so that Yoruichi can decide which form she'd rather sleep in. Sui-Feng spends the rest of the night fantasizing about sharing a tent with Yoruichi. Forces her enslaved Omaeda to find wild catnip just in case Yoruichi drops by for a visit.

ROJURO "ROSE" OTORIBASHI AND IZURU KIRA

The only thing Rose packs for the trip is his guitar. He doesn't see a need for anything else. Kira, the ever worrisome cinnamon roll, will borrow Nanao’s camping guide to make sure he has everything. He also visits Unohana to get a brief lesson in identifying dangerous plants, like poisonous mushrooms and poison ivy. He also asks Hanataro if he can borrow the best, most up-to-date medical kit the 4th Division has.

Kira will haul a wagon for their stuff, and Rose will be in the wagon, singing and playing guitar songs to the passing scenery. After they get to the campsite, Rose will help Kira pitch a tent, but he will want their duo-tent to have a more “dramatic” feel to it. So he leaves to gather some beautiful plants and flowers to decorate the area. Kira has a mini heart attack when he recognizes one of the plants as poison ivy. Kira freaks out when he further realizes that of all things, he forgets to bring poison ivy cream- something that is not included in the medical kit. Rose and Kira have to go see Captain Mom (Unohana).

Later on, Rose will insist to play his music, even though his fingers still suffer from poison ivy.

-Kira: But, Captain, you're still-

-Rose: No, Lieutenant! The show must go on!

-Retsu: I'll be over here when you next need me.

RETSU UNOHANA AND ISANE KOTETSU

Retsu will find enjoyment in any activity that involves interaction with the great outdoors. Isane will be nervous, but if she sees her captain taking this into her ever present grace, Isane will give it a whirl. Unohana will use Minazuki to transport her and Isane’s needed essentials. Given her history, Unohana will be an expert living off the land. The only problem there will be is if she can't spice her food the way she likes; Unohana prefers strong foods, so she will be packing a basket special for adding savory spices and seasonings to her dishes. Meanwhile, she will realize Isane is following her like an imprinted duckling, so Unohana will encourage Isane to start trying new and different things. This is when Isane will find that she is a prodigal child at identifying wild plants. Isane won't initially realize it's because of all of those lessons from Unohana over the years; In her free time, Unohana travels into the Rukon to gather wild herbs, so Unohana can do the same. Unohana will chuckle and begin to teach Isane new stuff.

Later, Isane will grab her camera to find Nemu to go take pictures of stuff around the campsite, and Unohana steals the opportunity to turn the two of them into kindred spirits by mentioning bird-watching. Unohana “convinces” Mayuri to let Isane and Nemu borrow his binoculars. Later on, while everyone is making s’mores, Unohana will sit next to Ukitake and sip tea while watching her younger friends and colleagues go about with their shenanigans. She will also scold Isane if she eats too many sweets, and she will scold at Zaraki for letting Yachiru eat s’mores for dinner.

After the camping trip, Isane will want to start going with Unohana to the Rukon, as a result of finding her new talent.

SHINJI HIRAKO AND MOMO HINAMORI

First thing that comes to mind: Poor Momo. She has the worst possible partner.

Shinji is not an outside person AT ALL, and he has awful camping experiences in the Human World thanks to Love, Kensei, and Lisa. Shinji makes sure to bring along all sorts of spider killer and bug repellant. (Kensei anticipates this and goes behind Shinji to replace all the poison with sugar water.) Momo gets to choose the tent and she picks a watermelon themed duo-tent that makes Shinji whine. Momo ends up leaving early to walk with Isane, so Shinji soon finds himself on Team Pack Mule.

Once at the campsite, he expertly assembles the obnoxious tent before deciding to go for a swim in the lake. He then has to visit Captain Mom when he comes back with his back covered in leeches. Being extremely anti anything that wiggles and crawls, Retsu has to stomach his whining and squirming while showing him medical assistance. Shinji now can't be caught dead anywhere near the “dangerous” lake. Even Rose tells him he's being dramatic; Now everyone is staring at Rose like HE’S the weirdo.

Momo will sit with Isane and Sajin while Isane explains all the different kinds of wild plants to be found in the woods. Momo then learns about some white flowers and brings them to Toshiro. She discovers Toshiro holed himself up in his tent because “its too hot” and he's “being eaten alive by bugs.” Momo spends the rest of her time drawing Toshiro out to have some fun.

Later on, Momo is eating s’mores with extra chocolate. She happily takes in the s’mores Toshiro rejects from Jushiro. The child in her asks Jushiro for stories by the campfire. Momo is too sweet and innocent for this world.

Later on in the night, Shinji wakes up with the spider the size of a baseball crawling on his face and the rest is history. Momo ends up spending the night with a knocked out Rangiku in the 10th Division tent. Shinji ends up getting pitied by the pure-hearted Sajin and earns a safe place in the dog-themed tent. Lisa and Kensei are blue in the face trying to hold back from laughing.

BYAKUYA KUCHIKI AND RENJI ABARAI

Believe it or not, Byakuya has an initial impression to camping comparable to Omaeda. However, Byakuya is surprisingly open-minded to new things (that are reasonable, of course). He gets looped into the trip when he overhears Rukia and Renji talking about it. Oh? Camping? Where he can show off his independent, manly skill? Where he can exercise his artistic sense in the arts of knots and wood carving? Count him in!

Byakuya will carry only his backpack. Renji joins Team Pack Mule with Shunsui and Omaeda, because you can't expect Byakuya to do THAT. Byakuya enjoys the hike into the mountains to the best spot to pitch camp. He buys a camping guide just like Nanao’s, as well as a map of the local area. While walking through the woods, he will drink in everything: sights, sounds, smells. It's all inspiration for this artistic man.

The duo-tent that Byakuya and Renji share look more like the parent-and-child duo-tents; Byakuya’s tent is huge, and Renji’s looks like it's the kiddie part. The Kuchiki Clan seal is bold on Byakuya’s, while the 6th Division flower is on Renji’s.

After the tent is pitched, Byakuya’s interest will perk when he notices all of the interesting stuff by the lake-side: shells, freshwater crawfish and crabs, birds, and mudskippers. Who knew a lakeside would be home to so much activity?

Meanwhile, Renji will occasionally squabble with Rukia for antagonizing her about her chappy theme tent, and later he, Ikkaku, and Iba find themselves in the mixes with Rangiku’s issued sake challenge.

SAJIN KOMAMURA AND TETSUZAEMON IBA

Sajin will be a natural at camping. Due to his wolf-side, he will feel more at home in the the woods than he does in the scrutinous society of the Seireitei. Having a heart of gold, he’ll offer to carry Iba’s things to him, but Iba won't let him. Sajin and Iba will follow Scout Leader Nanao as she leads the group to the camping site and they agree to pitch their dog-themed duo tent right next to the lake so they can have that awesome view the next morning.

Sajin will want to go hiking, and later he'll bump into Isane while she is exploring the woods and looking for rare plants and herbs. He gets caught up in listening to Isane talk about different herbs and their uses. He'll lay in the grass, staring up at Isane with big bright eyes and nodding occasionally, completely engrossed in everything she is teaching him.

Meanwhile, Iba will get wrapped up with Ikkaku and Renji; those fools are seeing who will be the last to get drunk, a competition originally started by Rangiku.

LISA YADOMARU

Lisa is chill as fuck, just like her old boss, Shunsui. Only difference is, she can get off scot-free with bumming off others. She had perfected the art of slipping past Nanao’s bullshit-sensory radar. Lisa can pitch her own tent, and as she is without a lieutenant, she just has a single tent. Which, believe it or not, is just FINE by her.

Half of Lisa’s packed essentials are actually porn mags. She doesn't bother with packing food because she knows Kensei will be packing his kitchen. After she sets up her tent, she will sit by Rangiku and the two of them will be sipping sake and cooing at half naked girls in magazines. Shunsui will slyly join them eventually. Unlike Shunsui and Rangiku, Lisa can hold her liquor, so she won't be drunk by the time it's time to bust out the s’mores. That's around the time she'll hatch her evil plan with Kensei.

KENSEI MUGURUMA, MASHIRO KUNA, AND SHUHEI HISAGI

Mr. Sexy won't have any problem going camping. As in matter of fact, having lived in the Human World, he's done it before with the other Vizards. So this is a piece of cake. He and Shuhei split the load of stuff together and follow Scout Leader Nanao to the best camping spot available. Shuhei will eagerly follow his role model and he listens diligently while Kensei teaches Shuhei camping basics. Mashiro tags along, too, but she steals Sui-Feng’s idea and hitches a ride on Kensei. Kensei will nag and complain, but Mashiro will get her way.

Later on, Kensei will have attracted a mini-crowd to his cookfire when he makes a makeshift grill out of a thin slab of rock over a fire. People start bringing him stuff to cook up, and Chef Sexy has no issue in doing so. Retsu allows him to use some of her packed spices, and when Kensei starts cooking the meat Zaraki and Ikkaku brings him, Toshiro the meat lover is first in line. After everyone has had their fill, Kensei joins forces with Lisa and the two of them go spider hunting.

Later that night, the entire camp will wake up to Shinji and Momo screaming about spiders crawling around in their dual-tent. The spider prank was meant for Shinji; poor Momo was just collateral damage. Sorry, Momo.

TOSHIRO HITSUGAYA AND RANGIKU MATSUMOTO

Camping? To be honest, Toshiro is just like Sui-Feng on this one. A captain of the Gotei 13 cannot be bothered with such things when there are important duties to be- Wait, all of the other captains are going camping too? Maybe it's not so bad after all. And he cannot possibly say no to Momo. Toshiro decides to use a wagon like Rose and Kira to tote his and Rangiku’s things, with the intentions of them taking turns pulling it. Unfortunately for Toshiro, it doesn't take long for Rangiku to pull a Rose and hitch a ride in the wagon, and thus Toshiro is an official member of Team Pack Mule. Only difference is Rose is serenading the trees and she is making Z’s (I have a Seuss-Muse! 😎).

Toshiro ends up having to pitch the 10th-Division theme tent himself. Rangiku wakes up ready to party and she suddenly starts pulling out a whole liquor store from the bag Toshiro THOUGHT he packed up some paperwork in.

-Rangiku, giggling: Oh, I had to make room for the party essentials, Captain!

-Toshiro: MATSUMOTO!

Shunsui: *casually slides in for the sake*

When it gets super hot, Toshiro is needed to make some ice. Kensei also takes advantage of this, and Toshiro gets his earnings in meat. This boy is a meat lover, and he pitches a fit when a tipsy Rangiku eats off his plate. He also gets yelled at by Mayuri when his “annoying, stupid ice menace” obscures the view of the Mayuri Tree. Sorry, Mayuri.

Later on, Toshiro is pouting with Nanao while watching Rangiku and Shunsui waste themselves into the “young, infant night.” Toshiro tells Rose to quit messing up his self thought narrations with dramatic descriptions of the night. He also has to fend off Jushiro’s attempts of feeding him s’mores and sweets.

KENPACHI ZARAKI AND YACHIRU KUSAJISHI

Yachiru: Ken-chan, let’s go camping!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is all it takes to get Zaraki camping. To be honest, though, Zaraki technically goes camping ALL the time. Yachiru often gets the two of them lost in the middle of the woods and have sometimes had to spend the night somewhere in the middle of the Rukon. To Kenpachi, THIS time, they were sleeping in the middle of the woods on PURPOSE. That concept misses him by miles, but he'll do it to make Yachiru happy. Besides, SOMEBODY has to protect the camp from cave bears! But, Kenpachi will refuse to carry anything other than Yachiru on his shoulder, thus Ikkaku gets put on the list of things to bring camping and is promptly enlisted for Team Pack Mule. (Yumichika will refuse to go camping; It's not good for his beauty.)

Ikkaku is also tasked with pitching the tent. Mr.Muscles can't be bothered with guides to setting up tents though; he tries to get it done himself until finally Renji and Kira have to show him how it's done.

Meanwhile, Zaraki goes cave bear hunting, and he brings back a lot of meat for Kensei to cook. Retsu makes sure to get her share of his kills. She asks “politely” and who can say no to such a sweet woman?

MAYURI KUROTSUCHI AND NEMU KUROTSUCHI

Only a fool would invite Mayuri camping. First of all, it’s a miracle he decides to even GO, but coincidentally the camp trip date aligns with the days he was supposed to leave the Seireitei to collect fresh, new specimens. Naturally, Nemu tags along and joins Team PM with Shunsui, Omaeda, Shinji, Renji, Toshiro, and Ikkaku. Mayuri brings with him a portable, inflatable tent. Sadly, it didn't last 10 minutes; Yachiru thought it was a bouncy house and it exploded upon impact. There was no way Sui-Feng was giving up the extra space in her tent, so Mayuri gets Nemu to build a treehouse. Said treehouse is built in under an hour and it is where Mayuri will spend most of his time when he isn't out looking for v̶i̶c̶t̶i̶m̶s̶ animals.

Meanwhile, Nemu will be getting whisked away by Yachiru doing god-knows-what. When Yachiru isn't having her doing something that is for Nanao’s despair, Nemu and Isane will get their cameras and go bird-watching together.

Meanwhile, Mayuri will find himself in kahoots with Kenpachi. Zaraki unwittingly took an axe to Mayuri’s tree to make firewood out of it; Mayuri will have none of it.

-Mayuri: You ignorant baboon, don't you see me up here?

-Zaraki: *grunt* ‘Ey, Ikkaku, get a load of this. It's a jive-talkin’ monkey in a tree. Interestin’ huh?

-Ikkaku: Captain, that's Captain Kurotsuchi.

-Zaraki: Same thing.

-Mayuri: Specimens. All I wanted was specimens.

JUSHIRO UKITAKE AND RUKIA KUCHIKI

Camping?! Jushiro will be THRILLED to go camping! He doesn't even mind letting Rukia pick out a chappy themed duo-tent for them to share. Jushiro is the one who makes sure there are enough s’more ingredients for everyone, and he throws in extra sweets for Yachiru and Toshiro just in case. Captain Unohana goes behind him to make room for his medicines and their favorite brand of tea. Rukia adds their load to poor Renji, as she is Byakuya’s younger sister.

Jushiro will be walking with Nanao, chattering about all the fun stuff he'll be able to do with Shunsui the pack mule. Rukia watched Byakuya pitch his tent carefully and managed to pitch Fort Chappy single-handedly. The crappy themed duo-tent came with chappy-themed sleeping bags, equipped with these giant bunny ears. Jushiro is thrilled by how soft it is.

Jushiro finds fishing to be a wonderful thing to do while camping, and he brings the meat to sexy Chef Kensei to clean, prep, and cook. Later on, he busts out the s’mores for everyone and sits next to Retsu sipping the tea she slipped in his bag. She also makes sure he takes his medicine, as he is too excited and occupied to remember to do so himself. Jushiro attempts to feed a certain snow-haired captain s’mores (but ends up feeding them to Momo instead, as well as telling her embarrassing stories about Shunsui in their old, Academy days). This makes said snow-haired captain pout even more.

Meanwhile, Rukia likes to explore the lake-side with Byakuya, exploring all of the nice things there. She is also on constant defense of Fort Chappy against Renji’s jokes.

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reddustdiary-blog · 5 years

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Here we go...the Red Dust Diary begins.

I’ve never considered myself to be overly ambitious. Definitely not very brave. I have always had quite simple and humble aspirations for my life. Family, friends, happiness. Some art for my walls. I’ve never wanted my name in lights or a mansion as my address. Maybe one day I’d like to have two bathrooms and enough space to go out to the clothesline naked without scaring my neighbours, but otherwise I’m not too extravagant! So this change in our lives seems rather left field. Who knew one day I’d uproot our lives and leave everyone and everything I’ve ever known to chase work? I’m a teacher by trade, graduating back in 2010, but I never like to call myself one. It seems a bit fraudulent to call myself a teacher because I got my degree and not long after decided I wanted a baby of my own, so we welcomed our little Maverick. Then with almost uncanny precision we added his brothers Marshall and Murray to the mix at 2 year intervals after that. With three little boys under the age of 5, I was content. I loved my life as a stay at home Mum, and I’ve always felt so grateful I had that opportunity. But until some relief work in 2018, I had never worked as a teacher in a paid capacity, and the concept of starting now was enough to make me break out in hives! Every year that passed made teaching seem farther away, and I started to wonder how and when I’d ever do it. Being a stay at home mum was hard some times, but starting a career after years at home was downright frightening. So here we are in 2019 and my family of five are moving from the safe and familiar Sunny Coast and heading for the red dust and hot winds of Julia Creek in Outback North Queensland. Nearly 18 driving hours away from every address I’ve ever had. Talk about jumping in head first. I’ll be the Kindy teacher there this year, and my husband is a Linesman, so together we both managed to secure jobs in this little town of just over 500 people. And I’m excited to teach, excited to actually do it after years of wondering how I ever would, and excited to do it in a place that is unlike anything else I’ve ever known. It’s an adventure to be sure, even if it’s a bit terrifying at the same time! I hope I don’t stuff it up! Leaving was a hard decision though. Oh how we laboured over the decision! Should we stay, should we go? What about the boys? Would they be okay? Would we all be able to make friends? Would our hearts manage to not shatter into a million pieces to leave all our loved ones behind? Would they forget us if we left for a few years? Would time and distance erase us from their lives? Man, I really hope not. I am still haunted by insecurities about all of these things. Leaving was so brutal, goodbyes tortured me into wanting to hide under my covers and just pretend it was all just a crazy dream, not our reality. Even when I stood in our empty house, our first family home, I couldn’t quite believe we were doing this. Like holy shit, are we actually DOING this? Really?! Now as I sit in a Motel in Rockhampton, our first stop in our big move, I’m still in disbelief that we have left. It’s surreal on every level. It’s funny the things that are bringing me comfort though as we make this huge change. My travel mug in my hands. The ridiculous indoor plants I refused to leave behind that I’m trying to keep alive wrapped in wet newspaper. My irritating as hell cat who purrs like a tractor and hates to travel. My three year old who waits until we go out to poo (like really? You couldn’t have done that at home mate?). Kit Kat Gold chocolate. Some things don’t change even when your postcode does. Well the chocolate will change because I doubt they stock it where I’m going, so I better enjoy it now! The truth is it’s not just work we are chasing out there in the hot sun and red dust. It’s adventure, the chance to try something new, to test ourselves, to experience something big and exciting as a family before our kids are too old to live in tiny places without a high school. It’s the chance to, for the first time, make smarter career choices for me. To finally acknowledge that the right path isn’t always the safe one, and that sometimes playing it safe is too dangerous to do any longer. I am so lucky my husband is so keen for this wild ride too, and so eager to give me my time in the sun (a really, REALLY hot sun!) because there is no way I’d be brave enough to do this crazy change without him. He has always been the daring and spontaneous one, while I just try desperately not to die. I usually just cry and hold on tight to him as we jump into whatever madness he’s jumping into! This time we are holding hands as we jump, while our three boys climb all over us and run rings around us, and generally make things louder and crazier and way more beautiful. So here we go. Julia Creek beckons - in two more days our new town will be there to welcome us, the prickles probably poking through our thongs and the sun scorching through my clothes adding some instant freckles to skin that belongs in Scotland or Ireland (somewhere it rains most of the time) not the outback. And while I’m scared beyond belief, a funny bubbling excitement keeps nipping at the heels of my fear, and like a new puppy it won’t go away. Here’s hoping that excitement stays when I’m confronted with my mustard coloured house that has no grass. Eliza x

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empressxmachina · 5 years

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by Imperial-Radiance (aka me)

"Damn, I can't believe I haven't been ambushed, yet. It's a good thing I planned ahead because, whew, that's rough."

The day had finally come for one of the biggest games of the year - not the Championship and not Nationals, but the rivalry gridiron game of the season. Of course, it was all in fun, but the heat and intensity of all the fans were always at their peaks during these games, especially since the two schools were relatively close to each other.

Madeline, or Madi as her friends and family referred to her as such, had already had the experience of what these games were like, but she and the rest of the people there representing her Kingston University Royals were even more happily hyped as they demolished their rivals in score, and she wasn't even on the sidelines to see it.

Madi and her twin sister Caroline had been the best of friends since birth, and the only time they had ever separated in their lives was their choice of schools. Once diverged, their number of similarities decreased from there, but despite being away from each other, they maintained to share a few commonalities like major choice, clubs, GPA, and more. However, the one main difference that had resulted in Madi running in a panic right to her sister in the middle of the game was Cari's sudden relapse.

Read more on DA, or...

She was so relieved that her coach was so understanding to let her go and care for her, but the time it took for Cari to return to some sort of stability using her specialized health kit was a lot more than she wanted.

"The things I do for my sister," Madi sighed, trying to hustle back to her team's temporary locker room to change back into her cheerleading uniform before getting back on the bus to return to her own school. "I'm glad that I got it to her in time. But, God, I am not living for this insanity!"

While the cheers of the Royals could've been heard from Cari's dorm room as they won and Madi tended to Cari's needs, the groans and yells from the Nash U. Knights' majority surrounding her on all sides and the reputation they had whenever they lost were things that she didn't want to experience firsthand, especially after barely making it out alive after their last clash on her own campus. As soon as Cari kicked her out to care for herself rather than call for help - the immense pride the sisters had was always their downfall - Madi found herself in the eye of an accumulating storm of brawling and spats.

Only by the grace of God, her sport-influenced speed, and her non-school-affiliated sweats worn over her uniform, she made it back to the stadium's public but reserved, empty, co-ed locker room unscathed, practically collapsing on a bench in exhaustion.

"Oh, thank God!" she panted, setting a hand on her side and the other over her heart, slipping her backpack off herself onto the floor. "I, uh, better get out of here before some nasty Nashers barge in on me or something. But, why did Coach have to make that cursed policy of having to be in full uniform during all parts of travel? Is she trying to kill me!?"

With a groan, she stood up, getting ready to disrobe her casual wear until she suddenly felt how dry her throat had become and how tired she was. She was about to go look for a water fountain until she remembered the unopened can of soda she had grabbed from the squad's cooler while they were taking a cheer break. Unfortunately, the jostling of the bag as she ran to and from her sister didn't come to mind, resulting in it exploding upon opening.

"Oh. Oh, God!" Madi exclaimed, stammering from the flow of carbonation shooting onto her face, the rest of her body, and the floor. "St-Stop! Jeez!" The amount of liquid in and on her person eventually built up to the point where she was coughing some of it out and her hand was too slippery to maintain a grip on the can, causing her to drop it. The spray of soda spread to lower levels of her clothes and doused her backpack before crashing and fizzling out on the floor where the can broke in two on impact. "Shoot, I need to get this mess up, or the school's going to get charged. Wait, my uniform!"

Trying to juggle two problems at once, Madi took off her sweatshirt and pants as quickly as possible and threw them onto the elongating puddle on the floor before running to a sink to dab the not-as-large stains on her uniform with water. As she focused on her clothing, she was unaware of the growing stickiness and hardening of the soda on her exposed skin and hair. Taking a shower occurred nearly every night, anyway, but having to go into the strenuous and lengthy routine that was treating, washing, and drying her uniform was something that she hoped wouldn't have to happen.

She had gotten to the point where visible stains on her clothes had faded to half of their previous intensity when the familiar sound of a notification chirping from her phone reached her ears. Knowing how late she was and figuring that her team was probably worried about her, she cut off the sink faucet and ran for it. When she returned to her stuff, she was happy that her clothes were doing what she had wanted - absorb as much of the spilled drink as they could. Much of the liquid mess had retreated into the fabric. Still, seeing how the list of fabrics also included her bag wasn't relieving, bringing another sigh out of her as she grabbed and shook her phone that was poking out of a shallow, brown pool like a rock in a mud puddle.

Remembering how the captain of the team tended to snap at some of the smallest issues, Madi hesitated at unlocking her phone to see her new message. But, she was a big girl, and if she wanted any chance at possibly being a leader next year or a front-row starter at Nationals, then she was going to have to answer, and so she did. However, the message she read had only little to do with her as it had been sent to the entire team.

"Huh? A recall?" she read, confused and worried. "'Due to adverse effects in direct correlation to being exposed to the following drinks, DO NOT CONSUME THEM.' Well, that's not ominous at all. Another health scare, oh boy!" Madi started simply going back to cleaning herself until she thought about the drink company and expiration dates in the text. "Wait, my drink doesn't apply to that, right? I didn't drink my soda since it fucking-erupted on me, but it said just 'being exposed' was an issue. Hmm."

She turned back to the mess on the floor, and after looking at the can fragments, she felt that something was off. Nevertheless, she went for the bottom half of the can to check its information. Its size seemed much larger than what she remembered when opening it – looking more like the 12-ounce size rather than the 7.5 fluid ounce type that she could've sworn she picked up – but the labeling was a greater concern because it fit right into the drink batches in question. However, as soon as Madi made her realization, she found herself on the floor, putting all her hard stain removal work in the trash as she fell face first into a soda stream and darkness.

When Madeline and Caroline were younger, they and their family would frequent to the lake that a family friend of theirs had property on. Each visit was lovely, except for the one where the twins were a bit too confident in their swimming skills and drifted too long and far into the lake. Madi couldn't forget the feeling of water filling every orifice more and more as her appendages gave out over time and the heavy coughing that tested her lungs as their father swooped them back up above the surface to receive air once again. She imagined that Cari had similar experiences, but they had never discussed it - the memories were too bad.

So, why was she thinking of them now?

Madi's vision faded in from black as light reached her eyes once again, but in conjunction with the light, a sensation of liquid also came to her, flowing into her slightly open mouth, a nostril, and an ear as a surprise, forcing herself to pop out of lethargy and raise up to breathe. As her sights cleared, she could feel wetness falling from her head, down her curves, and into what felt like a sticky lake around and beneath her. Gumminess and saturation in all her orifices were two feelings that she never wanted to have, and her outfit now being painted in a shade like the fluid surrounding her and stuck to her skin like latex, along with almost drowning, only made it worse.

"What the hell is this?" Madi screamed, throwing her hands up and down, rippling the aqua around her upon impact. By doing so, she became aware of how heavy all her muscles felt - each one needing more force than usual to move - as if she had been in a twenty-four practice... or trying to keep from drowning. "Where even am I!?"

To figure out her location, she looked around, only to find blurry white as far as her eyes could see, except for the dirty collection in which she sat. This was something she only saw in movies and creepypastas, and it got her terrified, not knowing where to go or what to do - sitting in a blank, unknown, quiet room alone, almost. It was almost quiet, except for the sloshing noises that her movements made and a faint bubbling that couldn't have been too far from her.

Madi searched for its source, running her hands through the dark goop and feeling around or anything out of the ordinary. When she detected nothing, she decided to trudge toward the sound, not bothering to stand up as he figured that she would just fall back down. So, she got on all fours and began to crawl.

With each movement, she could see her optics slowly improve, introducing more and more colors and shapes into view. However, her good news was countered by the difficulty of dragging through the murky goop, comparable to those barbed wire mud crawls she saw soldiers do in a documentary once. As much as she wanted to quit, she knew that locating the sounds were more important, and so she persevered. In not too long of a lumber, she found the origin of the bubbling - her submerged phone vibrating and blinking below the brown surface.

"What the-? This still works?" she questioned in utter shock.

Pulling her cellular device out into open air, through the strain it took to do so, Madi saw that the waterproof case she had on it stood up to its claims, along with the tens of messages from her coaches and squad family asking where she was and if she was okay. It devastated her to know how so many people were worried about her, but she was even broken by the fact that her hands were so gluey that she couldn't make precise movements on its screen to respond to them that she was at least alive. Each touch appeared to open every app she wasn't trying to interact with, thus frustrating her to no end. She only had a brief calm when the camera application open, and only a brief calm it was.

The back camera was on, and through it, she saw that her eyesight had returned to normalcy, seeing her pile of sweats and bag in the distance as she had left them. She sighed in bittersweet relief, understanding that she was still in a Nash University locker room like before. However, she noticed how they appeared to be farther away from both herself and each other than what she last remembered as well as the lockers, floor tiles, and bench being much wider and/or taller, almost comedically large. Intrigued, Madi turned off the camera and chose to look at the bench at her side for herself, just to then find herself awestruck and lock-jawed at not only a wooden bench that seemed to tower over and overshadow her like a building but also a not-as-high yet still twice her sitting height, sliced, metal, hollow cylinder in front of her with jagged edges that could make her bleed infinitely and the same brown slop streaming from it into the pool around her.

It didn't take long for her to realize the truth, looking back and forth to other spectacles of the room - the other half of the cylinder behind her also pouring liquid, the skyscraping and never-ending lines of lockers, the heavenly white lights way up high, and the walls that seemed impossible to reach no matter how far or quickly she ran - but she just didn't want to believe it.

"This is some sci-fi shit," Madi mumbled to herself. "There's no way I've... freaking shrunk. How in the-?" She paused her questioning when she remembered the one cryptic message she had received earlier that evening and looked at its reference - the colossal can, taunting her with its girth. "Youdid this!" she yelled at the metal container with a shaken voice, frightened at how in this wide, empty room, her voice neither carried nor echoed at her dimensions. "No wonder there's a fucking recall! This is literal chemical warfare! What the hell!?"

With the recall in mind, she could only hope that no one else had been affected by it, especially with a whole school full of enraged Knights stomping around. After all, how else would they have known about it, in the first place? But, Madi tried to keep a relatively cool head, hoping by the grace of God that she was the only one, even though there was much greater chance that anyone else would've had someone nearby to care for them in her scenario. Would she ever be that lucky?

"What do I do?" she wondered, analyzing the situation. "I can't move. My everything hurts. I barely know my way out of here, if I can even get there without passing out, getting lost, or worse."

Her sentence nearly faltered as she started visualizing the most terrible scenarios, all of which a Nash Knight of any age finding her, a cup-sized K.U. cheerleader, or them coming across her unknowingly, perhaps even literally. Each idea brought its own chills down her spine.

“I'm totally screwed!" she continued. "The only things I can do are speak and hear, I guess, but who knows how well those would do against a 'normal-sized' person."

Though, after saying her somewhat positive qualities aloud, she gained a bit of hope and curiosity, looking down at the phone in her hand.

"Yet, this thing is small as hell, and it still works," she regarded, rubbing a syrupy finger across the screen and seeing how it was more responsive than before, perhaps calibrating to her new touch and feel. "There is no logical reason, I think, that this thing should still have a signal or a working battery, and yet it does! It can't hurt to call for help, but if I can even get through, who do I call?"

Looking at her contacts, scrolling down the page to the best of her ability, Madi juggled who would be the best choice. Her ICE numbers were her parents and Cari, but with Cari needing to heal on her own and their parents being far away, none of them would be able to get to her before it got dangerous. Her next choices were anyone on her squad and the coaches. They had already shown their unease toward her absence, so it would make sense for them to want to help her in her time of need. However, as she only listed full names of people in the list without prefixes, titles, or grouping, she would have to go at least halfway through before reaching one of them.

"Jeez, did every single cheerleader this year have to have a name that starts after M!?" she moaned, failing time and time again to use the letter quick scroll on the side of the screen, eventually resorting to flicking her thumbs and indexes to go down the hundreds of numbers, email addresses, and names.

As the list grew longer, her fingers became pained, and her head starting to go dizzy, not able to take in so much changing information and action at once as well as her viscid finger pads only allowing bits of movement at a time. So, she had to stop at some point to work out the kinks in her hands. However, when she did, she wasn't aware of where her fingers landed and how they had started a dial tone. It was only when a familiar voice broke the silence did she comprehend that her prospects had come true, even if the way of doing so was unexpected.

"H-Hello?" a disembodied male voice called out through what sounded like a party. Madi gasped, knowing only a few people that could be that orotund in a crowd but only one with a voice like that. She looked down at her cell and thanked God at the name on its screen. "Madi, are you there?"

"Yes? Yes, I'm here!" Madi tried to answer back through tears, nearly dropping the phone in anticipation and excitement. "P-Please tell me you can hear me. Please."

"Uh, yeah. You're coming in fine on my end, even through the craziness on this bus." Madi had to hold back crying out loud from happiness, even though she wanted to express it.

"Oh, thank God! I honestly can't believe I reached you. Are you nearby?"

She figured that with nearly a hundred players on the team, including him, and them constantly giving their hardest and being switched in and out during the game for as much as she could remember and hear from Cari's room, that it would take a lot of time for them and the squad to reenergize, grab food, and re-board the buses to go back to the Kingdom aka K.U.'s main campus.

However, her interlocutor then lowered her sentiments when he continued, "Uh, I'd say 'close' is pretty dependent on where you are. I mean, the team and I are still in the parking lot, but we're going to be heading off soon. Why do you ask? We're all going to end up back at K.U., right? Did something happen to y'all or the bus?"

Madi realized that the squad's coach bus must've already left. It was the tradition for the cheerleaders to return first to join the JV and smaller squads that were already on campus to support the team, win or lose, but she didn't think they'd just leave without her.

"Uh, I don't think so?" That was all she could say about them, considering that she wasn't there to know for sure. "I hope not, or do I? I don't know."

"What's with the lack of clarity? That's not like you." Madi couldn't help but agree. However, it was all that she could be. Nothing was going right or making sense. "What's wrong?"

There was so much that Madi could say, and she knew that explaining her body issue would've probably been the most logical thing to describe, but there was no way that he would believe her. So, she went on a just-as-true but somewhat indirect route.

"I-I'm not on the bus?" she admitted lowly.

"What!?" her friend yelled, most likely being the cause of the quieting background noise. In a more hushed tone, he resumed, "Why? Where are you, then?"

"I'm in the NU locker room, and I can't move."

"You can't? They're not keeping you hostage over one loss out of, like, eight games so far, are they?" he asked in a whisper-shout. "No one hurt you, right?"

"No," Madi replied bluntly. "No one's here, but there's nothing to stop them from doing so if someone does show up. I came in here a while ago, but I passed out, and I'm just coming to." Explaining the horrific doings and possibilities raised Madi's already-high stress levels even higher, and she had to pause to compose herself. "No one touched me, but it sure feels like someone did."

After saying that, the other side of the call went coldly silent. Madi prayed that the call didn't drop, and she was too scared to look on the phone and check for herself.

"Jake? You're still there, right?” she tried worriedly.

A few seconds passed before the man, Jake, answered back,

“Yeah, I'm here. I'm just moving stuff out of my way. I didn't think I'd have to go back to the front of the bus until we got back, but here I am doing just that. I’ve got to let the coaches know about you, girly - mine and yours. We may need some backup going back on that cursed ground."

"Wait, what?" Madi cried, not expecting Jake to tell someone. "No, no! Don't tell anyone about this! That's just asking for trouble!"

"How is a search party for you more dangerous than me going in alone? Sure, a coach makes the plays, but the players do them, and I don't think the one player that scored the turning point of the game that led to their ultimate demise should go in alone on rival turf."

On one hand, Madi felt that his thought was selfish, but she also understood what he was saying on the other. She hadn’t thought about what would happen after Jake or someone else found her as she was, but having more people dealing with her, especially those she didn't know or trust, was just something that she didn't want.

"Plus, you know there are, like, five locker rooms in the proximity of the stadium, right?" Jake continued. "You never said which one you were in, so more people looking would make finding you a lot easier."

"Don't sass me with your valid logic! Jake, I'm having a crisis right now!" Madi shut him down before breaking down herself. "Jackson, please. With everyone I know, and everyone that must deal with me, why would I call you of all people first if I didn't need you and only you?" Of course, she knew him being her callee was a lucky coincidence, but she would never admit that. Her argument was too good.

It proved to be true as Madi was met with another silence before sighing broke through the phone,

“Madi, you better be in some deep shit, because I'm not going to risk myself getting suspended for basic pettiness."

"I swear that this is as real as it gets, as much as I don't want to believe it, myself," she promised tautly. "I can't do this on my own. I'm scared."

"Don't be. I'm coming for you," Jake assured with a smoky tinge. "Just sit tight unless you have no other choice, and I'll find you."

"Please do."

And then, the call ended, leaving Madi alone to collect her thoughts and wait on the sidelines of a soda can for whatever or whoever was going to come with nowhere to turn and nowhere to run.

#g/t #my writing #sideline #sw #shrunken woman #aka the smut fic #contains smut and small girls and sports and stuff

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rodpupo2 · 3 years

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Research: Draw Draw Draw Project.

Mike Parr Mark making artist

Parr's performances explore physical limits, memory and subjectivity. They often depict self mutilation or extreme physical feats.

Parr spent his childhood in rural Queensland, Australia. He was born with a deformed arm, and this physical feature is prominent within his art work.

Parr’s impression taking is a striking contrast, both emotionally and visually to his video/ installation work, composed of beautiful engravings featuring many different types of lines, using the mark making technique. Parr was fascinated with observation and the possibilities and responses of memory distortions.

Parr’s early work was designed to get a reaction from the audience, although he also focused on exploring issues of identity, memory and states of being. He particularly used his body as a performative tool, often using his prosthetic arm and testing his body’s physical limits through resistance challenges.

In the early 1980s he started a collection called “the self portrait project”, Parr’s self portrait studies first took the form of painstakingly hand drawn copies of performance photographs. Subsequent drawings acknowledge accidental blurs and smudges, with parr generating purposeful distortions through the introduction of a mirror and manipulating the grid.

Life after death collection, combines charcoal, pastel and acrylic on paper; it depicts the artist’s face over and over, in varying states of distortion, as though disappearing or disintegrating.

Paul Verdell

Is an American artist, who is specialized in drawing portraits of many different people that he can find as reference, by using different kinds of colors and lines with his crayons.

Verdell was born in Long Beach, California. At the age 13, his family moved to Fremont, Ohio.

Paul Verdell paints and draws a variety of people with plenty of personality. Like most artists, he has drawn since he was little, but didn’t make a real go of the medium until he was in his mid 20s. That he was decided to go back to school, enrolled in Bowling Green State university, and took a painting class when the first semester came around. Paul eventually developed his unique artistic style, by doing drawings, that him doesn’t consider that good, but he is comfortable with that style. His mark making technique is assertive, created with force and with energy. Paul’s work may seem as if it has loss control imbued within the lines, but his artworks are also vividly representative of the person or object he’s depicting; it’s delicate balance that he’s mastered without purposely pushing his style in a certain direction.

What I like most about his work, is his use of colors, with oil pastels , where he creates different tones on the skin of his characters, using the technique of mark making, which is perhaps more impressive, since it is a very different or unconventional technique for making portraits, that’s why it’s so interesting.

With time, he realized how much colour and expressiveness the textured medium adds to the canvas, and started to experimenting with more and more different types of colors.

The artist isn’t trying to make a statement with his work. In his words, “I’m just here to paint. The viewer can take whatever that want to take out of it”.

Saul Steinberg

Romanian artist by birth was one of the most important artists of 20th century. A designer and cartoonist in the publishing industry from 1936 to 1999, he spent a considerable part of the 20th century publishing in prominent magazines on the world stage, specially in the New York. The famous cover for the New Yorker that showed the view of the world according to the average American.

In his drawings, Steinberg’s lines seem to reinvent themselves as they progress, creating different kinds of shapes and sizes, sometimes using one single line.

Steinberg’s greatest contribution was his demonstration that the drawn lines is equivalent to thought. Indeed, Steinberg is rarely concerned with outward physical appearance and is much more interested in what and how people perceive what they see. His interest in the human psyche isn’t academic. His playful, childlike doodle quality maintains an elegant deftness that succinctly describes a wide range of subjects. His quirky way to draw, sometimes reminiscent of Dada art, also crossed over into the fine arts world.

much of the humor and mystery in his work occurs in the way he relates humanity’s lack of understanding.

Urban Sketching

The drawings of urban spaces are gaining more and more admires, and this work certainly has a good baggage to please this audience, as it addresses a range of drawing techniques, which ranges from elementary theory to the more specific technique used by illustrators this modality.

Techniques and perspective tips combined with the composition tips presented in the work, are a combination that certainly makes all the difference when choosing and enhancing the scene that we will sketch, whether it be designing buildings, mansions, parks, people, animals, etc. the inclusion of the curved perspective is also another highlight, as it goes beyond the usual three vanishing points that the author usually address. The techniques, in this sense, are not many, but the author certainly selected those that generate the most impact. The watercolor for example, is his primarily tool, where he uses for the most of his drawings.

This book has been very useful for me for a long time, even today I use it as a reference. I always preferred to draw on my desk, with a reference photo. But I know that I need to let go, and learn to draw outside, just by watching, and trying to finish quickly.

I live in São Paulo for a while, and sometimes when I walk I always have a small sketchbook in my pocket and a watercolor kit. Sometimes I paint trees, sometimes buildings with interesting shapes and colors, from time to time some birds. Anyway, I learned a few things from this book, although I still prefer to draw in my studio, calm and do the drawing with all the time in the world, it is very important that I draw what is around me, so that I learn to train my eyes, in addition to drawing totally random things, which sometimes the internet cannot provide.

Alexander Calder Animal Sketching

Alexander Calder is a renowned sculptor and inventor of mobiles, and here he brings the simplicity of lines and spirit of movement to the art of animal sketching.

The purpose of the book is to help people like me to draw animals as we can see them.

Calder captures the emotions and attitudes of animals in a few quick lines, the person can quickly obtain a lasting groundwork in animal sketching.

This book really helped me, because I drew animal few times, and I was always thinking in the proportions and finalizing the drawing, but I learned that before doing that perfect drawing, I have to understand the movement and the poses, not necessarily making a masterpiece right in the begging, but train and have some fun on doing it.

This book contain several animal sketches, like cats, dogs, deers, cows, horses. All this animals doing different poses and actions for training.

Juan Linares

Juan Linares is a Spanish illustrator and painter, who specializes in drawing mainly different environments (Urban sketching), from streets to buildings with a different style of architecture. He mainly understands the perspective and depth of the environment. Uses various types of materials, such as acrylic markers, even alcohol-based pens. But his preferred tool, of course, is watercolor, which he always uses, when walking in the streets of his city Barcelona, where he paints narrow streets, with the small bistros, from the famous La Sagrada Familia church made by Gaudi.

Linares says, that he’s been drawing professionally since 1984. Starting his architecture studies. He drew in sketchbooks, notebooks, and in blackboards. He has a preference in drawing food and buildings.

What I like about Linares's drawings, is the way he can put light and shadows, besides the buildings being magnificently well done, very carefully and calmly (he explains that if you are drawing in some environment it is good to be calm, and patience without feeling the need to finish quickly).

He has traveled to some places in the world, including Brazil itself, where he sketched the museum of Niterói, designed by the architect Oscar Niemeyer, besides the Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.

Juan Linares is a great artist, and I really admire the passion he puts in each of his drawings. And I wish to see more of his works, of famous architectures of the world.

Laura Carlin

Laura Carlin was born is Glastonbury, England. She studied at Buckinghamshire university, followed by The Royal College of Art.

Laura has illustrated many children’s books for Walker Books Ltd, including The Iron Man by Ted Hughes which won many awards, specially praising for Laura’s illustrations.

She has also drawn for a whole host of publications including The New Yorker, The Guardian and Vogue, among many others.

Laura’s works frequently touches on emotionally complex subjects and adult themes of loss , social injustice and environmental change.

As an illustrator Carlin has worked with several contemporary children’s authors including Nicholas Davies for her book The Promise about a young thief whose life has changed after stealing a bag of acorns and Michael Morpurgo’s book The Kites are Flying ! , a story centered on the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

One of the reasons why, I like so much her work, it’s because she has the ability to convey a plethora of emotions through the smallest details on the pages, combining with childlike drawing style and with a sentimental narrative, it’s very brave of her, to do books for children, with such difficult themes to explore.

Research: Show and Tell Project

Frank Frazetta

Frank Frazetta was an American illustrator and painter, who became extremely well known for having defined the look, of the character Conan the Barbaro, created by Robert. E.Howard in the 1930s.

Frank was born in Brooklyn, New York, and from an early age he showed his skills as an artist. As a child, at the age of 8, he studied at a small art school called Brooklyn Academy of Fine Arts.

His illustrations are inspired by the great painters of the late 18th and 19th centuries, who portrayed mythological legends.

For me it’s not just the wonderful color palette he used, the wild and original streak or the phenomenal technique he developed. Of course, these things are fundamental, but in my understanding, the most important thing is that he defined practically everything we know in terms of visuals, mainly in the fields of fantasy, witchcraft, barbarism and even a little bit of science fiction.

His paintings defined some characters that we know today, like Tarzan and John carter, that he brought a new life to the characters of Burroughs, not to mention the images of Conan, who made the illustrator famous. Imagine that before him, the Sword and Sorcery look did not exist. The Conan that appeared on the covers of books since the 30s of the last century gets to laugh today. Frazetta was the first to understand the world created by Robert E. Howard.

The reason I chose frazetta as a reference is because I like fantastical worlds so much, and I love to learn anatomy, and frazzetta understood a lot of that, with his extremely vibrant colors, and extremely strong characters, who faced terrible monsters, who disturbed the peace.

Claude Monet

Claude Monet is the main and most dedicated representative of the impressionist movement. He always preferred paintings outdoors, regardless of weather conditions,in order to capture all the effects of nature. Early in his career he was misunderstood, especially by his family, resulting in financial difficulties for years. Only around the age of 40 did he start selling his paintings, he died as a rich and well known artist.

He started to paint from a very young age which earned him some money, selling caricatures, with the money he bought painting materials. In 1858 he met Eugene Boudin, a landscape painter who encouraged him to paint outdoors. The following year he moved to Paris to specialize his techniques. At that time Paris attracted the most varied artists in the world and there Monet met Camille Pissarro and Manet among other avant-garde artists.

In 1874, the first impressionists exhibition was held in Paris, featuring works by Monet, Renoir, Degas and Cezanne. The term Impressionism, derives from Monet’s painting called Impression, Sunrise (1872).

It was the art critic Louis Leroy to call the artistic movement: Impressionism. It was a way of understanding this type of painting that did not follow the standards established by the academy and its realistic paintings.

When looking closely at an impressionist work, you see only separate brushstrokes that look like blotches without contour. Seen from afar, the brushstrokes organize for our eyes creating shapes and luminosity.

His works of art followed, as a main theme, the landscape of nature.

He worked harmoniously with colors and lights, creating beautiful and strong images. In the artistic context, is good to mention the series of paintings that he made on the Cathedral of Rouen (1892-1894), where the artist portrayed the constructions at different times of the day, with variations in brightness.

Monet and the impressionist artists, were no longer interested in themes related to the nobility, to the church, or to producing portraits that were true to reality. They wanted to see the painting as work in itself.

Ridley Scott

Ridley Scott is one of the most well-known film directors of all time. He made several films of different genres, but his most well-known genre is science fiction, making films like Alien, Blade Runner, The Martian and Prometheus.

But before before of being a director, Scott was applying to the Royal College of Art, one the most acclaimed art colleges at the time, to be a designer.

Scott always liked drawing , but he saw that he had no way of being a painter. His teachers always argued that his paintings were more illustrations than paintings.

So he saw that the Royal College of Art, had a particularly strong Graphic Design Department, which would give him a more specific creative target and a broader canvas. He was accepted by the college, and started his studies in 1958 and finished in 1961.

In his words, he considered design college to be extremely competitive, everyone in his class tried to compete with each other to see who was better. And Scott realized that he needed to fight hard to be among the best. “It could be very competitive, with no much being given away and everything kept close to you chest. You observed all the time, watched everyone else did and tried to do better and be the most original”.

Since graduating, Scott has said that he has become extremely perfectionist, and has tried to do as much of his work as a designer and a filmmaker in the best possible way.

After working as a set designer, and director in British television, he began in 1967 to direct commercials, eventually numbering more than 2,000 for his own company. His attention to visual stylization in his commercials, including distinctive atmospheric lighting effects, continued into the feature films that he began to directing in 1977.

In 1979 Ridley Scott releases what is considered his debut film and his masterpiece, the movie Alien. Starring Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, Scott is credited with having a heroine take point in the ensuing hunt aboard the Nostromo spaceship. Scott’s paintings and illustrations are close to pointillism with tiny points that result in images of high definition and extreme detail.

A highly detailed approach marks his style. His eye for composition, lighting, and design seems to explain his ability to visualize a movie in his mind. He claims to have and eidetic memory and the ability to recall images with high precision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjD82nKybUA

Roxie Vizcarra

Roxie Vizcarra is an artist, who worked as the senior illustrator of Rockstar Games, who worked closely on the iconic Grand Theft Auto v and Red Dead Redemption 2 marketing campaigns.

The Peruvian-American artist was just out of college- she earned her bachelor’s degree from the Parsons School of Design in New York- when she was approached by Rockstar games in 2009.

Vizcarra was Rockstar game’s first female illustrator. The first project she worked on was Grand Theft Auto IV: Liberty City.

The first game Vizcarra worked on since its inception was the original Red Dead Redemption, released in 2010.

Vizcarra draws her art from spaghetti western movies and holds the work of “Golden age” illustrators such as Bob Peak and Robert McGinnis in high regard.

For most of her career, Vizcarra’s process began by drawing in sketchbooks (she’s a fan of traditional ink), which she then uploads and adds digital colors through Photoshop.

However, for a year or two she has been using Procreate on the IPad, which is very flexible for her purposes. She also takes references photos when she doesn’t have a clear idea of what the illustration should look like, either of others or of herself, in the desired pose.

Vizcarra shows unusual humility; she insists on not taking credit for herself and repeatedly refuses to attribute specific drawings to one person or another, or to go into the why’s and how’s of illustrations.

Vizcarra’s work is really interesting, and it explores the more of the side of markenting. In making covers and posters extremely flashy for the public, and in addition to using references to posters from old western movies, maybe that is what attracts me the most. I really like the western theme, and I always liked the way she created the poster for games like red dead redmeption 2 and GTA, with extremely warm colors, with references of very old artists, who perhaps few remember, but she always tries to put some of them into her work.

Show and Tell Digital Collage research

Terry Gilliam

Is a famous American-British director, screenwriter, animator, artist and comedian, and who is known for directing and acting in some of the films of the English comedy group Monthy Python, in addition to making films that are extremely difficult to understand, as if madness were the main character in all his films.

Terry Gilliam began his career as an animator and photographic cartoonist; one his first jobs was for the Help ! Magazine.

Gilliam preferred cut-out animation, which involved pushing bits of paper in front of camera instead of photographing pre-drawn cels. The process allows for more spontaneity than traditional animation along with being comparatively cheaper and easier to do. He also preferred to use old photographs and illustrations to create sketches that were surreal and hilarious.

Gilliam was one of the founders of Monty Python. At first, he was accredited as an animator ( his name appeared separate from the remaining 5 members in the credits), later he also joined the series as an actor. Their animations linked the sketches of the program and defined the group’s look in other types of media ( such as Vinyl discs, book covers and the opening sequence in the films).

Gilliam polished a unique style, created fantastic worlds, worked with great stars for the biggest studios, and sweated tight budgets to execute his vision, not always sharp but always brilliant.

Caco Neves

Caco Neves uses digital collage as a platform, he created, for the past 10 years, illustrations for zines, magazines, advertising pieces, vignettes for TV and the web and, more recently, he was summoned by the Vogue art team to create the cover for the Vogue Experience 2017.

After spending a season in London, where he learned to give movement to his creations with the techniques calls Motion Collage, Caco returned to Brazil and, in a moment of creative rest, when he was creating for himself and not for a client, worked on a psychedelic vignette, then he sent it to MTV, to see if they liked the style, and they asked to use this commercial but to make some adjustments.

For Caco, the success of digital collage in the last decade is a reflection of the time we live in. “ The internet brought access to images- digital collections became public- and photoshop became popular.”

He has worked for several national and international companies, and his work is very dear to his collaborators, very much for his creativity, and for the choice of technique.

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redvioletpanda-art · 7 years

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Ash’s Inktober Art Supply Megalist

a Because Inktober is such a huge event and because it’s relatively new and doesn’t have a huge masterlist of art supply lists associated with it, I have decided to post and maintain a masterlist of art supplies ranging from inks, pens, and sketchbooks to use as well as art supply stores online and other useful hints based off of my own, my friends, and other helpful artists who have given me pointers on this site.

INKS

Author’s Note: Anything called India Ink is waterproof by default most of the time. Shellac based ink tends to have a sheen, though there are exceptions. Most if not all color ink aside from black and white will not be light fast.

Dr. PH Martin’s Black Star India Ink

It is water proof and lightproof and does not contain a sheen like most other illustration inks, which means it won’t have light reflections when you scan or photograph your work. I have used it in dip pens and brushes, and it works well even when diluted with water to create shading effects. It has a rich black tone.Not entirely copic proof.

Koh-I-Noor Water-resistant Inks

These inks are water-proof and ideal to use in dip pens. It isn’t lightfast, at least the color versions aren’t, but the black and white inks are. Black and white are opaque colors while the other colors (numbering 17 in all) are transparent, similar to watercolors. Unlike a few others on this list, they come in plastic bottles rather than glass.

Yasutomo Black Sumi Ink

It’s a good brush ink, although there are some drawbacks. One would be the fact that if exposed to air long enough it will get thick, as well as the fact that it has a strong scent due to the fact that it does contain various eye and skin irritants, so don’t get any on your hands. It is very waterproof though, and works nicely if you know how to use it. It is not copic proof. It does come in a plastic container. There’s a vermillion color I haven’t used, but looks nice and bright.

Windsor-Newton Inks

Basically the go to for all and any illustration inks you’ll ever worked with. This is the ink you’ll use in art class (at least the art classes I’ve been to). They come in two different sets, though you are most likely to see the first set. They also come in metallic colors, which is a good thing if you want to go fancy. They are waterproof, but not light proof, so care must be taken when displaying them. They come in glass bottles that do not tip over.

Deleter Black 4

The ink for manga artists. It’s not only a rich solid black, it’s also resistant to fading from erasers, as well as being copic/marker proof. Excellent to use with dip pen and brush. Also waterproof, like most Deleter brand inks.

Keimei Manga Pen Ink

Not only is it waterproof and copic proof, it also has a matte finish, excellent for scanner in your work.

PENS

Staedler Pigment Liner

Lightproof, waterproof, and smear proof. Similar to microns, but from what I’ve heard better. It is erasable though on certain surfaces. Does not bleed through and won’t dry out for 18 hours if left uncapped.

Sakura Pigma Microns

Won’t feather, won’t bleed through, and a favorite of many artists. It is not Copic proof however, so try to use them after using copic. I’m not too big of a fan of these, as the think nibs do break if you use them on sharp curves and such.

Marvy Le Pen

This is becoming a surefire favorite of mine. Not only is it quite cheap, it’s also waterproof and copic proof (the permanent pen however, is not copic proof). It has a stronger nib than the Micron and it does comes in a brush tip, unlike a few others.

Windsor-Newton PITT

One of the more famous pens used for illustration, the PITT pen comes in a variety of nib sizes as well as brush pens. They are waterproof, lightfast, and acid free. They are not copic proof however, and should be used after a copic drawing.

Pentel Technica Stylo Pen

I think these pens are servely underrated. Not only are they a cheap alternative to a lot of other pens on this list, they are also waterproof and copic proof. They come in a variety of sizes and excellent with any medium, including watercolors. However you need to watch out as the ball point can get clogged up. I own at least four and they have lasted me for at least a year.

Pentel Color Brush Pen

Waterproof and really neat for those who like using brush pens, these are nice for those who travel around and use ink. It’s technically a brush pen with a reservoir of black ink you can squeeze out. Warning, there’s a few setbacks, as it does take a while to dry if laying in thick amounts of black ink. It is not copic proof, but can be used on top of copics. A good note of caution is not to squeeze too hard as the ink will drip right out. If the ink runs out, you can refill it with your own ink.

Copic Multiliner

If you are using copics, you should definately have a number of these at your disposal. They are waterproof, smearproof, and won’t bleed through paper. The other good part is the fact that they come in a SP version which can be refilled and reused, although they’re more expensive.

Sakura Gelly Roll

The white pens are excellent for making highlights and contrast.

Watercolors and Markers

Copic Markers

Literally the go to markers and my favorite markers to use overall. They come in a wide variety of colors and types and can be refilled. However they are pricey, but I feel like all in all they are worth the extra cash. Many come in pre-made sets in certain color combinations, though I would start in either a blue palette, a red palette or a grey palette to test them out. Like many markers, they will bleed through, and I would use either marker paper or a thick paper to use them on.

Sharpies

Not too much of a fan of these. but they are cheap and found everywhere. They come in a range of sizes and types, but like most markers, they bleed through paper. They are waterproof and fast drying.

Windsor Newton Watercolors

These come in either pans or tubes, but I use a mix of them. The ones I use are cotman, which are the cheaper version and comes in a plastic travel palette kit which can be put in a lot of places. I have added a number of tubes, due to the number of colors avaliable. They have rich and vibrant colors. The pan colors don’t mix as well in my experience, but the tube colors work lovely. The fact that they come in travel kits is the main reason why I put them on here.

M. Graham Watercolors

A professional set of watercolors, and they have super rich colors. They only seem to come in tubes, which aren’t as good for travel.

Ecoline Liquid Watercolors

I wasn’t sure to put these in inks, but given that they are called watercolors, I’m putting them here. They are dye based and bright and come in wide mouth jars. They can also be dluted with water. Unlike any of the watercolors here, you can use them in dip pens and airbrushes.

Sketchbooks

Author Notes: The paper to get is paper that is 100 gsm and up, as anything 100 gsm and up will hold to water better. The higher you get the better the paper will hold to washes and won’t buckle.

Moleskien Cahier Journal

I personally find the whole Moleskien brand pretty expensive, but they are recommended by the Inktober site. However, you’ll need to watch out as ink won’t dry fast and markers will bleed through the paper

Bee Creative Mix Media/Marker

I really like this paper as it’s thick and holds up to watercolors and markers well. It also doesn’t warp as badly as the watercolor version of this sketchbook. It has a thick black cover but it is wirebound so watch out for shoving it into backpacks and bags.

Bee Sketchbooks

These tend to have thicker paper, and good tooth for pen and ink, copics and illustration.

Canson Sketchbooks

A lot of these are good for watercolors and pen and ink, especially the Mix Media Art Book, Artist Series Mix Media, and the field books. The XL series is also great for those looking to save a little for a big bang.

Derwent Sketchbooks

These are a thing, but unfortunately the only one I can find at the moment is one that has premade designs in it.

Online Stores

Oozak

I have used this store in the past and it has some great deals on Copics

Jetpens

A new store I have discovered, it offers a large variety of pens, inks, and nibs

Blick’s

A very famous art store, they do offer gifts in your online purchases and have some good shipment deals

Poses and Reference

Senshi-Stock

Offers a lot of awesome poses, must be on DevArt to view. They also have a Pateron if you want to support them.

Pose-Maniacs

Rather limited, but good for some poses

Photo Reference for Comic Artists

A site I just discovered which has lots of royalty free pose references ranging from action and everyday to clothing reference

Music

Dark5 Radio

Offers dark syth-techno tunes

Electronic Gems

Some really good tunes here

Artzie Music

Mainly Future Funk and Vaporwave

Walt Ribeiro

Ever wanted to hear “Take on Me” done by an orchestra? This is the place

NOTES

Have at least two erasers at your disposal, one of them should be a kneaded eraser as they lift graphite marks and do not leave a dusty mess.

It’s alright to draw with pencil first

Take breaks to drink water and stretch every 30 minutes or so

It’s good to invest in B nibs and manga art nibs if you plan on using bottled ink. Maru and school points are the best for manga and illustration style.

Round and liner brushes are the best brushes to use for inking lines

You can plan ahead your drawings, sometimes it helps.

Listen to music while drawing helps in getting some ideas.

Official Page for Inktober

Thanks to @ancaxbre , @ayasunflower ,and @ps-art for suggestions

#inktober #art supplies #inktober art supplies #ink #copic #art #art supply masterlist #inktober masterlist

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arplis · 4 years

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Arplis - News: Virtual reality pops up at Denver museums, festivals and even VR escape rooms

Samantha Doerge was shutting down the Denver Film Festival’s virtual reality floor last fall when a woman shuffled in with her elderly mother, asking if Doerge would run the hour-long, three-part “Spheres” program one last time. ” ‘We’re sorry to be here so late,’ ” Doerge, a programming coordinator for the festival, remembers the woman telling her. ” ‘But my mother has wanted to be an astronaut all of her life and couldn’t because of an astigmatism. This is as close as she’ll ever get.’ Of course, I was more than happy to stay open for her.” “Spheres,” which has captivated audiences and critics at the Telluride, Sundance and Venice film festivals, invites viewers to don the now-standard virtual reality goggles and take a celebrity-narrated trip through the cosmos. Created by Eliza McNitt and executive produced by Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”), “Spheres” employs digital animation to render the big bang and other astronomical events in spectacular detail, bringing participants as close to space travel as they’ll likely ever get. The effect of narrative experiences like “Spheres” is uniquely powerful, said Doerge, who has helped program the Denver Film Festival’s virtual reality offerings the last couple of years. She also assisted with the debut of “Spheres” as Telluride’s first-ever VR offering in 2018. “When this woman, who had to have been 85 or 90 years old, came out of it, she was just crying,” Doerge said. “The word she used was ‘magical.’ “ Long in the wings, VR has increasingly inched into the spotlight at festivals, museums, theaters and bars as its complex technology — bulky headsets, servers and software — has grown rapidly cheaper and more compact. When it returns Oct. 30-Nov. 11, the Denver Film Festival will offer eight separate virtual reality experiences at its Festival Annex at the McNichols Building, with another four provided by its VR sponsor, Boulder-based Reality Garage, a lounge and makerspace that produces its own VR content. In recent years, the entrance of Facebook, Microsoft, Sony and other global players into the industry has rapidly accelerated VR’s consumer-friendliness while spurring artists and programmers to dream up new interactive concepts. Investors are also licking their pixelated chops at forecasts that predict the global market will increase from about $8 billion in 2018 to $44.7 billion in 2024, according to a recent report. And as Doerge knows, virtual reality isn’t just for gaming and entertainment. Her husband, a technology specialist for Children’s Hospital Colorado, uses VR to transport sick kids from the confines of their beds to Altspace, a social platform that offers simulated meet-ups and activities. “It’s there so kids can do things like have dinner with their families,” Doerge said. “These are mundane things we take for granted, but sick kids can check into Altspace and no longer feel this alienation from their childhoods.” Of course, that requires the other participants to don VR headsets, too. But as people get used to seeing VR at places such as Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum (which offers simulated plane rides), the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (in its new “Extreme Sports” installation), and the casino-like environs of Dave & Buster’s, the idea of bringing it into the living rooms gets less intimidating. In other words: Much like table tennis or life-sized Jenga, it’s another trendy entertainment — albeit a pricey, fast-evolving one. Related Articles “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” director Rian Johnson will be at opening night of Denver Film Fest “Knives Out,” “Marriage Story” will bookend Denver Film Fest’s 2019 red carpets Denver Film Festival reveals 2019 dates, tribute to late artistic director Brit Withey “There’s no headset at home, but that’s been a request for Christmas,” said Mandi Hoffman, a Denver mother overseeing nine middle-schoolers last week at VR Social, a virtual reality arcade in Broomfield. “We don’t have a lot of space, so I’m a little worried about how it would work. But we love VR. We visited a VR art exhibit in Montreal, which was incredible, and we like to do the VR games at the Punch Bowl Social on South Broadway.” Hoffman’s son, Henry, was there celebrating his 11th birthday with school buddies — all of them playing a sci-fi combat game and loosely tethered to the ceiling by cords on their headsets. The scene prompted Hoffman’s daughter Millie to acknowledge a common criticism of VR: Why should kids hook themselves up to machines for entertainment, even in poor weather, when indoor playgrounds, trampoline parks and “American Ninja Warrior”-style obstacle courses are so widely available these days? “Clearly from the outside, when you don’t have the headset on, it looks completely different,” Millie, 14, said as she stood in the bare-bones, LED-lit arcade space. Next door, a quintet of near-motionless people sat in a darkened room playing a virtual escape-room game. “But once you get inside it’s a heightened reality — fantasy games, fighting off robots, things you don’t get to experience when you go to (a business like) Jump Street or Lava Island.” Basic VR emulators such as Google’s Daydream Viewer, which mimics the look of VR by turning your phone into a display screen, retail for about $100. Gaming-friendly VR headsets, like the new Oculus Quest, range from $400 to $1,500 for crisp, stereoscopic imagery that offers the illusion of three-dimensional interactivity. Provided by Wings Over the RockiesVisitors to the Blue Sky Gallery in Centennial experience a virtual plane ride as part of Wings Over the Rockies’ VR programming. (Provided by Wings Over the Rockies) That’s a pricey buy-in compared to a board game or night at the movies, but nothing can match the experience, proponents say. Blotting out natural stimuli with eyepieces and headphones is one thing, but adding to the sensory immersion with physical elements, motion-tracking, controllers and other features can take something like a video-game escape room to new heights of interactivity — and meaning. “As a technology, it’s extremely exciting for us,” said Lauren Cason, creative director of Interactive at Santa Fe-based art company Meow Wolf. “If you’ve ever been to a VR exhibit or seen a demo, you’re going to be sitting in a blank room with a thing on your face, and it might not have much to do with the space you’re in.” Meow Wolf, however, has been busy researching and developing new XR (or “extended reality”) concepts that will allow guests to blur the lines between their physical and digital worlds at the company’s interactive art-playgrounds. That includes its forthcoming Denver location, a 90,000-square-foot, $60 million, four-story complex under construction at Interstate 25, Colfax Avenue and Auraria Parkway viaducts. “There’s technology out there — like HoloLens, Magic Leap, Spark AR, Apple’s AR (augmented reality) kit, ARCore and others — that allows you to superimpose three-dimensional digital objects onto real-world objects, and then have an interplay between those real and fabricated worlds,” said Cason, a veteran of MIT and Apple. “We believe that’s the future of these immersive, experiential spaces.” Or the present. Last week, the Washington, D.C., location of Madame Tussauds wax museum announced its new “Alive in AR” augmented-reality experience that uses smartglass technology to animate its celebrity and historical statues. That includes everyone from Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. to Tyra Banks, who come to life with the aid of 360-degree video, holograms and custom soundscapes. “While some attractions have experimented with AR on handheld smartphones, Madame Tussauds D.C. is embracing the more immersive and hands-free smartglass technology,” said ARtGlass founder and CEO Greg Werkheiser in a press statement. So how long will it be before we see that in Denver? Possibly sooner than you think, Meow Wolf officials said, although they declined to reveal specific details about Denver-based XR offerings, or say how much the company is investing in those technologies. “We’ve had several interesting tests and successes that are pointing toward something larger,” said Emily Montoya, a co-founder of Meow Wolf. “A couple of years ago, we took a VR experience called The Atrium to South by Southwest, which allowed people to experience our (Santa Fe-based) House of Eternal Return. And last year we took Navigator (a ‘mixed-reality sculpture’) to L.A.’s L.E.A.P. Con, which was sort of a giant-robot headset experience.” Navigator, which invited participants to climb behind the controls of a car-sized, spider-like robot, combined VR, AR and physical features to create the experience of operating a giant robot in real time. This sort of “spatial computing” is a clear emphasis for the company moving forward, Montoya said. “One of our biggest interests is incorporating theatrical storylines into the technology,” she said. “We already have the capacity to create such fantastic physical spaces and controls, so why not start there?” The same criticisms that detractors have for VR — its largely sedentary nature, its contrived imagery and sound — could just as easily be leveled at all manner of film and gaming, defenders say. And VR’s unlimited adaptability in the virtual space means, for example, that deaf people can use sign language to communicate with one another, or that wheelchair-bound people can fulfill dreams of walking, running and even flying. Recent advances have broadened VR’s applications to the point of mainstream appeal, from VR headsets going wireless to virtual learning, workplace training and even theater – such as last month’s “Virtue of Reality” production from the University of Colorado’s Experience Design MFA students. There’s limitless room for experimentation, backers promise. Just not, you know, in the literal sense. “At my core, I am a cinephile and I love movies,” said Denver Film Fest’s Doerge. “But one thing that’s so exciting about VR is that your brain doesn’t make a distinction between what’s happening to you and what’s happening in the headset, so the emotional response you can get from a VR experience is very powerful. I have watched grown men burst into tears because it was so captivating.” She hopes to further evangelize for the format at the Denver Film Festival’s VR-focused panels at Civic Center’s McNichols Building on Nov. 9. One is a general creator panel, while the other explores its uses in pediatric health care. Both are fundamentally rooted in storytelling, she said. “One of the most successful and basic VR experiences out there is called Job Simulator,” Doerge said. “It’s also the first one I ever tried about four years ago. In it, I was basically a 7-Eleven cashier, but what shocked me was how consuming it was, because I almost had to reintegrate into my own reality after taking off the goggles. It’s been an uphill battle with VR into the film world, but whether it’s storytelling or escape, it has this unique ability to transport you, even when you’re fully aware that you’re wearing the headset.” Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox. #TellurideFilmFestival #Museum #ThingsToDo #News #MeowWolf

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/virtual-reality-pops-up-at-denver-museums-festivals-and-even-vr-escape-rooms

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alderfae · 5 years

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So, I am a frugal lady (read: broke bitch) and I carry this lifestyle choice into my hobbies. I am by no means a master spinner, but I’m in love with the hobby, and I wanted to share some tips I’ve figured out in my journey along the way. These are especially useful for beginner spinners, like myself, who are just starting out and not quite ready to invest in more expensive equipment yet. So, without further ado, here are some inexpensive options for your spinning journey!

1. Buy a drop spindle kit.

I didn’t do this with my first spindle (I bought one from Amazon, and purchased the fiber separately), but I did with some other spindles I own. Why? Because kits come with EVERYTHING you need. You get your spindle, your fiber, and instructions on the most basic kits. I’ve seen kits that include a niddy noddy, a lucet, spindle bowls, etc. It depends on the maker you purchase the kit from. I just found a great kit on Etsy that comes with 4oz of hand-dyed merino, a top and bottom whorl spindle that also doubles as a support spindle, and it comes with a bowl. The whole kit is around $20, which is a great price for what you’re getting - especially if you are a beginner because you get 3 different spindle options to really test out which method is your preferred one! I’ll include the link for this kit, and some other favorite products at the bottom of this post!

2. Use pet brushes for carding and making rolags.

They’re cheaper than hand carders. I actually have two mini pet brushes I purchased from the Dollar Tree, and I use them to make mini rolags that I tuck away in a smaller tupperware in my purse! Just make sure you get one with metal teeth that are similar to carders - they work best! You can also pick up a couple dowels from the hardware store for about 75 cents each to use for rolling the rolag/puni or whatever you call your little fiber bundle!

3. Practice on inexpensive, accessible fibers.

Don’t go spending money on something fancy when you’re still trying to learn - yet another good reason to buy a spindle kit that comes WITH fiber! Once I used all of the wool I had bought, I was itching to try some other fibers. One fun thing you can do is buy a fiber grab bag. One of my favorite stores on Etsy sells grab bags with around 12 oz of fiber for $20. You get all kinds of bits from merino wool, tussah silk, and even some sparklies in there to make art yarn! Something I’ve also experimented with is buying super chunky yarn and carding it and making rolags. Buy a wool blend if you are just starting and wish to do this. I find the 100% acrylic yarns to be a little slippery and tricky, but VERY soft! The key is to find a chunky yarn that is essentially a huge ball of roving. You should be able to draft the fibers out of the yarn very easily, and some chunky yarns aren’t even plied. These skeins usually run around $10 at big box craft stores, but I’ve used coupons on mine and gotten them for $5 a piece. I’ve found that using these giant chunky yarns are a really easy, inexpensive way to practice spinning. Then when you are ready for some lovely hand-dyed yarn, you’ve built up your skillset and you aren’t wasting expensive fibers.

4. Utilize your local library

I’m actually a librarian, so this was something I did from the get-go. Check your library for books on yarn and hand-spinning. My library had quite a few books in-house on yarn making, but the real gold mine of information was in the Ebooks collection. I was able to download a TON of great books to my phone to read while spinning and traveling, without having to carry around a heavy book. I highly recommend checking out Respect the Spindle by Abby Franquemont and The Spinner’s Book of Yarn Designs by Sarah Anderson.

Also, a lot of libraries are investing in tech resources, like 3D printers. I am fortunate that my library has a 3D printer, which allows me to make a lot of spinning tools easily, and at a low price. I’ve made several drop spindles and spools to hold yarn using free designs from Thingiverse! If your library does not have a 3D printer, but you are interested in a 3D-printed spindle, I highly recommend checking out Turtle Made on Etsy! She makes great spindles and they’re budget-friendly!

So, that is about all I have to offer today. I am still learning a lot as a new spinner, and it is such a fun hobby!

Links to all the goodies:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/704805815/complete-beginner-drop-spindle-kit-mini?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=drop+spindle+kit&ref=sr_gallery-1-24

https://www.amazon.com/Respect-Spindle-Infinite-Yarns-Amazing/dp/1596681551

https://www.amazon.com/Spinners-Book-Yarn-Designs-Techniques/dp/1603427384/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=yarn+designs&qid=1569689794&s=books&sr=1-1

https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=drop+spindle&dwh=805d8f914196ec1

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TurtleMade?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=521323924

#spinning #fiber arts #yarn #knitting #crochet #handspinning #drop spinning #drop spindle

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itsyokythings-blog · 5 years

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My Five Acres. Travel. Adventure. Yoga. My Five Acres. Travel. Adventure. Yoga. - Travel. Adventure. Yoga.

You might have heard that Canada is an expensive country to visit and that Vancouver is at the top of that list. But it is possible to do Vancouver on a budget! Read this post by a Vancouver local to get creative ideas for free things to do in Vancouver — that are tons of fun too.

This is a guest post by Lesley from Freedom56 Travel. She is an aspiring nomad who currently makes her home in Vancouver.

1. 3. 5. 7.

With a dizzying array of indoor and outdoor activities to try, Vancouver is a playground for locals and tourists alike. If your wallet is fat, there is no end to the exciting restaurants, events and parties awaiting you in this world-class city.

But, maybe your wallet’s a little slimmer or you prefer to spend your time more sustainably? Or maybe you’re saving for a life of nomadic adventure, like I am? The good news is, there are plenty of fun things to do in Vancouver that cost very little or are completely free.

Grab my suggestions below for budget Vancouver fun, from free yoga, to great game nights, to extreme hiking!

Read on to discover the best…

Free Things to do in Vancouver

Pin this for your Vancouver adventure.

Also don’t miss these posts:

Vancouver Bike Routes to enjoy the city → 17 things to do in Vancouver in the summer → 11 best things to do on Vancouver Island →

1. Test Your Mettle in Vancouver’s Mountains

BCMC Trail

Free, open June–September, daylight hours

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ben Clarke (@benthomasclarke) on Apr 16, 2016 at 10:53am PDT

One of the best things to do in Vancouver is to get outside into the extraordinary nature surrounding the city.

You might have heard of the Grouse Grind, that famous Vancouver hiking trail where locals secure bragging rights for the fastest time and post sweaty selfies at the top, high-fiving their friends.

But have you heard of the BCMC Trail? This 4.5km trail offers a less busy, less touristy alternative to the Grouse Grind with the same potential for sweaty selfies and high-fives. Both these hikes are very challenging and steep, so only suitable for fit and experienced hikers with proper shoes!

Open from June to September, the BCMC (BC Mountaineering Club) Trail starts off at the same place as the Grind, which is easily accessible using the local bus.

The BCMC soon diverts to the right onto the Baden Powell trail. This trail is well marked and leads you to the same destination as the Grind — the Grouse Mountain Chalet.

The BCMC trail is a more technical route than the Grind, with more roots and rocks to navigate, but the terrain is less monotonous than the never-ending stairs of the Grind. You can bring your dog (no dogs are permitted on the Grind), too! The BCMC is slightly longer than the Grind, averaging 10 minutes longer on ascent, around 1.5 hours in total. You can also descend the BCMC, although most opt to take the Grouse on the way down.

The best part about climbing the BCMC trail is that the usual Grouse Grind crowd is absent. It is more of hiking trail and is not marketed as a tourist attraction.

Both the Grouse Grind and the BCMC trail offer a great workout, but if you’re looking for a more traditional hiking trail without the crowds, try the BCMC trail.

2. Enjoy the World’s Longest Waterfront

Vancouver Seaside Greenway

Free, always open, perfect for a sunset stroll

You’ll get exceptional views walking the seawall in Vancouver.

Vancouver’s Seaside Greeway is the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path! It’s a great option for walkers, cyclists, and even roller bladers.

Now 28km long, the Seaside Greenway encompasses the famous Stanley Park Seawall, the Vancouver Convention Centre, and Spanish Banks Park. You can stroll your chosen section or rent a bike to explore the entire path.

(Note: Biking in Vancouver is one of My Five Acres’s favourite activities!)

Be aware that the Seawall is divided along its length to give cyclists and inline skaters their own space. If you’re walking, stay on the pedestrian side of the path. Cyclists should go slowly and watch out for stray pedestrians!

Starting from the beginning at Canada Place in Coal Harbour, you can stroll into Stanley Park and join locals and tourists out for their daily exercise. You’ll get to see the beautiful Lions Gate Bridge and the North Shore s, passing by Second Beach and HMCS Discovery along the way.

Leaving Stanley Park 9km later, you’ll find yourself on the English Bay side of downtown, passing by Sunset Beach Park. If you’re looking for romantic things to do in Vancouver, an evening stroll along this section of the seawall, with the city lights twinkling on the water, is ideal.

From here, you can hop on the Aquabus to go Granville Island.

Or, keep walking and the route will take you all the way past Science World and into the new Vancouver neighbourhood that was the Athletes Village for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

If you’re still feeling keen and energetic, continue past Granville Island and into Vanier Park and Kits Beach. Here, you can try beach volleyball, bake in the sun, and swim in the ocean or the iconic Kits Pool. The bike route continues beyond Kits Beach through to the UBC area and Pacific Spirit Park.

3. Walking Meditation in a Greek-Style Labyrinth

St. Paul’s Anglican Church Labyrinth

Free, Tue–Fri 8:30–9:30am, Sun 10am–noon, 2nd and last Friday each month, 7pm–9pm

The St. Paul’s Labyrinth in Vancouver is based on this traditional style of labyrinth. Photo by David Clay Photography, own work, CC BY-SA 4.0.

If you Google “labyrinth” these days, you’ll find results that include films, artwork, operas, TV mini-series, card games and more.

However, in Vancouver’s St. Paul’s Anglican Church, you’ll find a Labyrinth that adheres to the original meaning of the word — an ancient pattern first found in Greek mythology and widely used all over the world in the decorative arts.

The Labyrinth at St. Paul’s Church is a 13m replica of the medieval labyrinth found at the 13th century Chartres Cathedral in France.

Opened in 1996, the labyrinth is used for a form of walking meditation.

Painted on the gym floor and almost 500m from start to finish, the labyrinth is open to the public and is used for a variety of purposes, which include reflection, healing, celebration and more.

On the last Friday of every month, there is live music to enjoy while you experience the serenity of walking meditation. Recent guest artists have included cellists, pianists, throat singers, and harpists.

On my recent visit to the Labyrinth, I really fell in love with the experience! There was a soothing atmosphere in the Labyrinth space and the physical movement of walking through the labyrinth seemed to calm my mind. I’ll definitely be returning.

4. Test Your Board Game Chops Against Local Gamers

The Storm Crow Tavern

Mon–Sat, 11am–1am, Sun, 11am–12am

The Storm Crow Tavern in Vancouver is like a sports bar, but for geeks. Photo via Storm Crow Tavern.

The original Nerd Bar in Vancouver, the Storm Crow Tavern on Commercial Drive has a low-key environment that welcomes everyone from gob-smacked tourists to nerdy metalheads.

You’ll never see a hockey game on the TV here. Instead, you’ll find Game of Thrones, Star Trek or other science fiction and fantasy shows.

The Storm Crow encourages guests to play board and card games, and has literally hundreds of different games available, divided into appetizers (less than 30 minutes), light fare (up to 60 minutes), and main course (more than an hour).

Nerd Heaven

Everything from backgammon to Carcassonne to a Lord of the Rings Trivia Game is on the menu. If you’re keen to try something new, you’ll find it at The Storm Crow.

This is technically one of the almost free things to do in Vancouver, because you will need to order something. But the staff won’t mind if you just get a coffee and play a game with your friends. If you’re coming alone, there will be plenty of friendly people (Canadians are the friendliest!) looking to add another person to their game.

The Storm Crow often hosts special event nights, too, so check their Facebook page for all the latest. A visit to the Storm Crow is one of the most fun activities in Vancouver.

5. Move Your Body at a Karma Yoga Class

You can always hold your own yoga session right on Vancouver’s amazing beaches.

If you’ve always wanted to try yoga, or just want a welcoming place to practice while on holiday, there are plenty of places for free yoga in Vancouver.

Lululemon, which was born in Vancouver, offers complimentary yoga at several locations in and around Vancouver. Confirm with the store if you plan to attend.

Sundays: 8:45am at Robson Street 9:30am at Oakridge

Mondays: 8pm at Kitsilano

Tuesdays: 6:30pm at Lulu Lab (Cambie)

Thursdays: 7:30am at Robson Street (ESL focus)

Some stores also have running and guided meditation classes, so if you’re looking for other active free things to do in Vancouver, check in with them.

Unity Yoga Tea house on Commercial drive offers weekly Karma Classes that only require donation of non-perishable item for the food bank.

For a very “Vancouver” experience, try Rooftop Yoga in downtown Vancouver. This is a donation-based studio, with an emphasis on embodiment of self-hood, offers two evening classes alternating weekly.

6. Take a Free Walking Tour

Various Locations Around the City

Free, a tip is expected if you enjoy the tour

You may well stop by the exceptional Vancouver Public Library on your free Vancouver walking tour.

Central Vancouver is a relatively small area and a great place to walk. There are lots of local walking tour companies offering tours to some of the best Vancouver tourist attractions. While there is no fee upfront, the tour guides welcome tips at the end of the tour if you enjoy it.

Vancouver’s original free walking tour company is the Tour Guys. They host a variety of tours of downtown Vancouver and Granville Island that run seasonally from March to September. Their walking tour of Chinatown is particularly popular, as Vancouver’s original Chinatown was the largest in Canada, and second only to San Francisco in North America.

Another well-rated free walking tour operator is Freetour.com, who offer a great All-Canadian Free Walking Tour. This 3-hour tour hits all the highlights of downtown Vancouver, including the Gastown Steam Clock, the Terry Fox Memorial, and Dr. Sun Yat Sen park. This introductory tour to Vancouver runs daily (except Mondays).

7. Get Involved in Volunteerism

Various Locations, Go Volunteer Website

Free, choose a time that suits your schedule

There are plenty of people and animals you can meet doing volunteer work in Vancovuer.

If you want to get to know some Vancouver locals while helping others and developing your own skills, try volunteering in Vancouver. Volunteering is a great non-touristy thing to do in Vancouver!

Finding volunteer opportunities in Vancouver is easy thanks to the Go Volunteer website.

You can sort volunteering opportunities by your interests and location, the type of skills required, as well as keywords. If you’re interested in volunteering in a particular sector, like children’s activities or horticulture, search using those terms to find opportunities that interest you.

Short- and Long-Term Gigs

I’ve found both short- and long-term volunteer gigs on Go Volunteer.

If you’re in Vancouver for a short time, opportunities like volunteering as an usher at the Vancouver Fringe Festival might be for you. If you’re into non-traditional live performances, this is a great gig. Other Vancouver festivals such as the Vancouver Film Festival also use this site as a resource for finding their volunteers.

If you’re warm-hearted soul, senior’s homes always welcome visitors to help with recreational programming or just sitting down with a resident for a cup of coffee and a chat.

Visiting Vancouver’s beaches is an exception free activity in Vancouver.

Lesley is a enthusiast, avid motorcyclist and aspiring retiree! She has ed extensively while working 9 to 5 and is looking forward to making ing her full-time job. With Vancouver as her home base, Lesley seeks to share her adventures with the world! She writes about from a mid-life perspective on her blog, Freedom56 Travel. You can follow her there and also on Pinterest and Facebook.

Despite its reputation as an expensive city, these fun and free things to do in Vancouver prove that you don’t need to rely on a big budget to have fun in Canada’s most beautiful city. We hope our suggestions help you have an amazing time in Vancouver.

♥ Happy mindful adventures, Jane & Stephen

We’re not going to lie, it takes a LOT of work to create guides like this. But it’s easy to help us out! If you book or buy something using one of our personal links in this post, we’ll earn a small fee at no extra cost to you. Of course, we would never recommend anything we didn’t 100% believe in! Huge thanks in advance! –S&J

Pin this for your Vancouver trip.

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thecreativeseries · 5 years

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Michael Goh Perth Landscape and Astrophotographer

Firstly, can you start with a little bit about yourself?

My name is Michael Goh, and I’m a professional photographer covering a range of subjects including but not limited to portrait, time-lapses, virtual tours, commercial, events, but I’m mainly known as a landscape astrophotographer. I picked up my first DSLR around November 2009 and am self-taught.

What equipment do you use to create your images, and why did you select it?

My primary camera is a Canon 6D. I have some other cameras as well. I chose it because at the time I was already photographing with Canon cameras and the 6D was (and still is) well regarded for low light performance. I use a range of lenses – mainly the Tamron 15-30mm F2.8 as it is very sharp, fast and has very little coma around the edges. I often use portable tracking mounts – the Move Shoot Move SIFO rotator if I’m hiking/travelling due to it being very light and small and the Skywatcher Star Adventurer for more substantial jobs when I’m close to the car. Also, a remote cable release/intervalometer so that I can take photos from a distance away (can anyone say self-portrait?).

Additionally, I use a Fiesol CT-3442 Carbon Fibre tripod with a Sirui ball head. The Tripod is very light and stable. I also have a range of speed lites and other lighting equipment that can be triggered remotely. I have a Timelapse+ view that assists with the time-lapses when it’s going day to night (and to the moon), so it automatically adjusts the exposure settings. I have a syrp genie mini as a rotator for time-lapses as well.

What inspires your creative vision?

I have been a science fiction fan for as long as I can remember. So this naturally gravitated towards an interest in space and astrophotography and want to show it - so it was a bit about being epic and technical. As time has passed, though, I think I have moved forward a bit towards the emotions and feelings of the space. So with astrophotography, it’s expressing the sense of being small in the universe.

Which photographers have inspired you, and how did they influence you?

Corrie White – Corrie White is a photographer in the UK who specialises in drop collisions – having water drops hitting other water drops and spreading out and being frozen at that moment. When I first got into photography (with my entry-level DSLR), I saw her work in a magazine at the office, and it opened up my mind that photography could do much more than what the eye could see. She was also very open in her techniques and sharing them on Flickr. So this opened up the experimentation with photography and the full sharing philosophy that I have to share knowledge to improve the art.

What drew you to focus on astrophotography as your niche?

Initially, it was a love of science fiction and the technical side of it. I am inclined to continuous improvement and experimenting, so this seemed like a natural direction.

What other genres of photography do you enjoy?

I enjoy photographing people through portraits and event. While astrophotography and landscape help me feel connected to the universe, photographing people helps me have a connection to people. These genres are also useful to promote positive causes. Time-lapses are a fantastic genre. The acceleration of time is impressive, as you can see what you can’t usually see with the eye. It also links in with astrophotography. Virtual tours/360 photospheres are often just fun, and it was a special thing to learn. I too do aerial photography. I have been doing more and more video recently. I used to do many macros – but have drifted from that a bit. I think I like to get outdoors a bit more.

One of my photographic philosophies is – know as many techniques as possible because you never know when you can use it.

What equipment do you typically take with you on an astrophotography shoot?

Camera, lenses, remote trigger/s, Speedlite/s, light modifiers, tripod, star tracker, 2+ light sources (headlamp and handheld torch), handheld GPS, hand warmers, compass, levelling head, panorama head, cold weather gear, drone (good for scouting), first aid kit, gaffa tape, batteries, memory cards, food and water, a coffee machine, light stand.

What has been your proudest body of work to date?

That’s a difficult one, and I have a few for different reasons.

1 – The Light Within – I got someone else to come up with this title. It’s a Milky Way archway over the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park in Western Australia. A crescent moon sits on top of a Pinnacle creating a backlit image with shadows, and the zodiacal light reaches up to the Milky Way core. I’m proud of this particular work as it took me 2 years to get the image, ended up on NASA’s APOD (astronomy picture of the day), won an international photography competition (Photonightscape Awards), was in a book “Universal: A Journey Through the Cosmos” by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw,

2 – Exploring the Great Expanse – a self-portrait image of myself standing in a salt lake with a thin layer of water reflecting all the stars around me. It took a long time to plan, but probably represents the feeling of astrophotography the best, being a tiny person compared to the universe around me.

I’ve got a few others that I’m very proud of, with long stories – but those two are probably the most representative.

How do you prepare before heading out on a shoot? What considerations do you have to make?

Moon cycle and luminosity – I love an amount of moonlight over the landscape. Some additional light lights the whole scene creates depth to the image with shadows. Also, the cloud cover, temperature, over multiple locations. Expected location of the milky way core (using apps). Travel time and conditions, recent historical rain and temperature (depending on the site and time of year). I’ll confess that I do plan the whole year in terms of the sunrise/sunset, moonrise/moonset, moon luminosity to work out the best times of the year to shoot.

What subjects do you generally prefer to capture as part of your astrophotography shoots?

Foreground interest is vital for landscape astrophotography. I’ve been known to take self-portraits a lot with the images. In part, due to the rest of the landscape being limited, the individual adds to the image and creates an additional connection between the person and the universe. Adding a person in the picture emphasises the scale in the image.

Are there any specific tools or tricks you would share that have helped develop your astrophotography skills?

Hmmm – do we have a word limit?

I do workshops, and they take quite a long time 😝.

· Know as many different photography techniques as possible, you never know when you need to use it. Some of my more popular styles have been developed from improvisation.

· Scout when it’s daytime. When it’s dark, you can’t see much so you won’t be able to tell if a better image is 5m away.

· Check your photos for focus before you end up taking a lot of unfocused images.

· Have a plan – frequently I’ve written down a list of different shots I want to take for either tests or compositions. I’ll even have tested some of these before I go out (e.g. panorama types or noise control).

· Make sure you photograph something safe and then get carried away experimenting.

· Challenge your camera and equipment. Get uncomfortable and push it more than what you usually.

· Get constructive feedback from someone you respect.

· There’s an app for that – apps have certainly made planning for astrophotography very easy. I use sky safari and photo pills.

· Remember to set aside the camera and appreciate the night sky. I believe you can best express how it feels by not being distracted by taking photos.

How did you learn about astrophotography and what steps taken to develop your skills over time?

Shortly after starting photography, I discovered Flickr, and it was an excellent resource for people to share their knowledge. I started my first steps into astrophotography that way. To begin with, I made star trails from the back yard. Then I discovered you could photograph the Milky Way, so that was a natural progression. Initially, it was following formulas of exposure, as wide open aperture as possible and go to ISO 1600. I did follow formulas, to begin with, but I can't remember what prompted me to start breaking all the rules, but about four years ago, I started photographing ISO 2000 and then 6400 and beyond.

Now with developing my skills - I write down ideas, visualisations, experiments, and tests and work out how to do them. I practice and test on a very regular basis. When I go out for night shoots by myself, I often have a list of compositions and experiments to try. I may not get through all of them, but I like having a plan as I'll be more productive that way.

Where can we find more of your work?

Webpage

Facebook

Instagram

500px

I have a youtube channel somewhere – I’d better post more to it

Finally, do you have any words of wisdom for photographers looking to focus on astrophotography?

Learn as many techniques as possible as you never know when you need to use them.

Get to the location before it's dark - generally, you'll make a much better composition the more you can see.

Remember that you're taking a photograph, you still need to think about your composition.

After you've taken some "safe" photos, make sure that you experiment.

#Astrophotographers #Perth #Workshops #Western Australia #Star Trails #Time Lapse #Learn Astrophotography

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feilongfan · 7 years

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A day of Jimmy Logan Run

Source: http://instagram.com/j.spankybunch

Channing Tatum is on the road to promote Logan Lucky since August 6, 2017. He visited many poor American towns and here is a story by artist Josh Spanky Bunch who met him on Monday August 7th.

It was raining hard in Evarts, and the world seemed very small. The landscape was dark green, and muddy water puddled up in every low place. The white, rental vans pulled cautiously, into view, the shiny paint contrasting sharply, with our surroundings.

I watched him get out slowly, tired, and road weary. It was early morning, and Channing Tatum, was in the middle of nowhere, Harlan County, USA. In a momment, he had pulled on a smile, and extended a friendly hand, to all who greeted him. He took time, to make eye contact, with each person, and asked for names, as he juggled a black Sharpie, between hands. His small team was kind, and seemed to be a natural extension, of him.

His motorcycle waited for him, at the trail head, and his energy began to mount. Within minutes, he was in full gear, with no sign of fatigue, and speeding through the trails, with childlike abandonment. It was easy to see, that he was an experienced rider, and that he was taken, by our Eastern Kentucky Mountains.

He, and his team, were gracious enough, to invite me to lunch with them, and we enjoyed a wonderful, home cooked meal, with the Crider family. It was a traditional Appalachian spread, with real mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, roast and breaded chicken. At no point, did I feel out of place, and I never saw him, reaching for conversation.

Channing was warm, and engaging. He was genuine, in his interest of everyone around him. I could see, that he saw his small crew, as a group of equals, and that they all addressed him plainly. He passed the dishes, and displayed exquisite manners, and charm. We all found common ground, and he picked up my nickname. We laughed over stories. And he belly laughed as I showed him a video of 6 year old Gavin Miles and Trooper Shawn Darby mowing down cadets with simunition rounds. He listened compationately to Gavin’s story. It was very exciting. He was an open book.

I’ve had some other experiences, with celebrity. I have been in the room, when their egos sucked the air out of it, and talking with them, felt like lifting weights. His friends call him, “Chan”, and it was obvious, that he didn’t feel like he was a “Big Deal”’.

We talked favorite books, and politics, and Harlan, and art. I found out that this was a textured guy, who is family centered. We talked dirty diapers, and getting kids to sleep. “Dirty diapers, and sleepless nights, are the kinds of things humility is made of…that will keep your world small”, he joked. It was clear, that he had unconditional love, for his family, and that they came first.

We talked about my art work, and the opioid epedimic, lost jobs, and the need for hope. “I’m buying a couple pieces of your work”, he said……..I was over the moon.

I was also, soaked through, from the torrential rain, as everyone else was. They gave me, one of his under t-shirts, and I glanced at the tag. It was from Wal-Mart…..He was human, and I was a little dry.

As we left the beautiful, bed and breakfast, he was rushed by fans. Somthing caught his eye…a lady…visibly pregnant, was trying desperately to reach him, running up hill, across the broken sidewalk, in flip flops.

“No…No… please, don’t run!”, he called out, to her. “Let me come to you!” I knew, with the constraints, of his schedule, he had no time for this, but he stood, and took every selfie, and signed every autograph.

Channing was kind enough, to agree to visit, the Troops on the ground at Post 10. He wanted to know about Trooper Shane Jacobs, and his, “Shop with a Trooper” program. He was interested, in how we combat poverty, and hoplessness, in one of the most remote, and poverty stricken places, in the country.

We pulled into a full parking lot, at the oldest state police post in the state. Channing, unconsciously, dried his feet, before stepping inside, and eagerly greeted all those, who enthusiastically met him. He was now, well off schedule, and I knew it. Every minute he patiently spent here, was costing him significantly, in man hours, and productivity, but he was in no hurry.

He found my desk, in the back, and we talked about the authentic Bobby hat, that my friend, Mark Greenslade, had sent me. It sits prominately, on top of my hutch. He openly shared with us his childhood struggle with dyslexia and ADHD.

This amazed me because his job requires so much reading, comprehension and application. Channing, and his team, interviewed Shane, about the “Shop with a Trooper” program, and he kindly pledged his support.

“Coats are important, when you are cold, and when your parents are selling food stamps, to support their drug habit.” I told him. We made our way, to Cloverfork mine, located in the Kits community, of Harlan. The mine was shut down in 1957, and left, exactly the way it was, when the last miner returned his accountability tag, to the board. The owners believed, that they might return here one day, reincarnated, and forbade it, to be altered.

Channing, and his team, walked around with me, over the “Red Dog” road, that ran through, the eerily, preserved mining camp. The cameras were rolling, and Channing was interviewing me, as an artist, a person, and about my take, on our way of life. We talked poverty, industry, and again…..hope. I was taken again, by how well he worked, with his team. He considered them his peers, and he valued their creative input. These folks were well knit, like a finely tuned basketball team, navigating a full court press. We made our way to the commissary building, and were allowed a rare, special access. The worn, wood door creaked open; the compartment smelled heavy, and empty. It was a bit surreal. I was reminded of the old Scooby Doo cartoons that I watched growing up in Slabtown……….as the climactic theme music just before a commercial break played in my head.

Channing Tatum and I, were on an adventure, in Harlan County, USA. A calender, on the wall of the commissary, was frozen, in April of 1957. The shelves were still stocked, and fine baby clothing lingered, unused, in the dust covered glass cases. An ancient, cast iron, cable driven, freight elevator, sat full of cobwebs. Channing approached it, and climbed inside. The caretaker of the mine, told him that it still worked….By the condition of the elevator, I was quickly able to deduce, that this was a fact, not tested…….lately.

I joked with Channing that, while millions of women would doubtlessly disagree, being stuck on an elevator with him, was not on my bucket list.

Channing is a lover of history, and an intellectual. At this point, I had long discarded any sense of his celebrity. I was hanging out with a fellow history buff, in a place, that time had forgotten. We explored the dimly lit compartments, in equal awe, of the ruin, and preservation. I felt like I was a sidekick, in an Indiana Jones film…..not because of Channing’s fame, but because of his adventurous spirit.

As we parted ways, I collected my thoughts. This was a man, who has a feverish, love and respect, for his wife, child, family, and friends. He is his own man. I confess to his many fans that if your a fan…..your adoration is well placed. If you have the pleasure of meeting him you will only be an even bigger fan. The phrase “down to earth” doesn’t begin to do he and his coleagues justice. Maybe it was that I saw him subconsciously wipe his feet at every doorway or give so freely of himself. I think it was because in him I saw an authentic man……not an actor……that I wanted to be more like as a human being.

I went home that night and as I tucked Kambree, Kinsley and Karamya Tate into bed I told them a story about a man that I had met that shared with me stories of his many travels in the world and he even had visited the Amazon where he hunted with a bow. I hope that I see Channing again because he is the kind of guy you would want to cook out with and have as a neighbor and talk books and adventure. For one day in Harlan……….a place full of beauty and despair a movie man came to town………and the people with eager faces had hope in their hearts that they might catch a glimpse of Hollywood……….a place as far from them as the moon. For those who met him it will be a story that lasts a lifetime. Thank you my friend.

I hope that you will all come out to Share and support Channing’ s new movie…..Logan Lucky! It is much about our mountain spirit and was proudly filmed in Appalachia….a lively tale about a former coal miner turned Robin Hood. I can’t wait to see it.

#channing tatum #logan lucky #kentucky #harlan county #jimmy logan run

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