#also UNEXPECTED SENSORY VICTORY

[wandasaura]

TOO IN LOVE TO THINK STRAIGHT

summary — when you mention to your dominants that you want to further explore the dynamics of your relationship, they’re all for it

warning(s) — established relationship, married wandanat, dom/sub dynamics, exploration of non-sexual bdsm, purposefully triggered subspace, implied mommy kink (never said), implied daddy kink (also never said), brief mention of sensory overstimulation, literal fluff to the fullest extent possible, men/minors dni

authors note — i committed to the lyric titles too hard, but wonderland perfectly describes this fic! daddy nat lovers, i see you

you are in love universe

♥️⊹ ˚ . 18+, men/minors dni ⁺ 𓈒 ꒰💌꒱ ♡ ･ mommy maximoff ✧

“Are you excited?” The soft vibrations have become a fond sensation as you peer out of the car window and admire all of the buildings that you pass. You’re not in the best area, one of the worst actually, but you find something so calming about the construction crowded roads and graffiti covered storefronts. You’ve been stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for the last half hour, a plethora of detours and u-turns standing in your way of where you really wanted to be, but every time Natasha eases her foot back onto the gas and shoots between lines of cars that don’t have the balls to make the move themself, you hum in contentment. You’re okay with being stuck if you’re stuck with them. 

They’d been promising you this day for months, and although it had been canceled two weeks ago when you came down with an unexpected cold that left you miserable and bed-ridden for three days, it was finally here. There was no time left for another extenuating circumstance to push the date back farther. You hadn’t stopped bouncing in the backseat since Wanda had affectionately buckled your seatbelt, your fingerprints are smeared against the backseat window from how you point out the exit signs that mean your destination is growing closer. Natasha had long since stopped asking you to refrain from touching the glass she kept spotless, looking back at you through the rear-view mirror with fondness whenever a lull in speed occurred. Now was one of those moments. The line of cars all waiting to merge back onto the Garden State Parkway kept the car still, the break was applied heavily and wasn’t going to be let off soon. Unlike the other times she had looked back at you, she craned her entire body now, and you grinned at the easy way about her expression. 

Your fingers left behind the glass of the backseat driver side window to press firmly against the tip of her nose, wanting to see it scrunch up in annoyance like it always did when you poked it. Natasha was less compliant with your need for physical touch then Wanda was, but she allowed you small victories every once in a while. Today was one of those days where everything seemed to fly. You had eagerly pulled her around the house all morning, sat in her lap at breakfast, and all but forced her to help you dress when you decided picking the perfect outfit was too hard to do on your own. The women had immaculate taste in fashion, you supposed it was something that needed to come with their high-profile occupations, but you’d never complain about them making your old clothes look fresh and new without adding anything tasteless or unnecessary.  You hadn’t wanted to be apart from her since your eyes had peeled open at seven, the excitement in your belly too strong to ignore despite Wanda telling you that you wouldn’t be leaving the house until eleven. You were so beyond grateful that Natasha had been serious about taking you out when her and Wanda’s schedules allowed, that it didn’t matter to you if your earlier than usual wake up time meant having a full four hours to merely sit around and wait. 

You nodded your head at her simply asked question, bearing a smile that compiled a list of words you’d be happy enough to use in a sentence if she so desired. She didn’t though, you knew she was well aware of how excited you were and was merely pulling your leg because she herself was bored. There was no way she could be oblivious to your hyperactive movements when your feet kicked the back of her seat every handful of minutes, but she’d not asked you to stop only rolled her eyes in fond exasperation and murmured to Wanda about the copious amounts of fingerprints and scuff marks she’d have to tend to later. Natasha and traffic were not things that should exist in the same sentence. For as patient as the woman was, she quickly lost her composure when ‘assholes in black hondas don’t know what the fucking speed limit is’. The first time she’d bellowed in annoyance you’d shook your head and giggled into your hand, your eyes connecting with Wanda’s who had glanced back at you in a silent threat to not egg Natasha on further. You’d tried to keep your amused reactions to yourself after that, but it was hard not to laugh at Natasha’s annoyance for anyone going under eighty miles an hour; especially considering the speed limit was only sixty-five. 

The drive wasn’t meant to be any longer than an hour and a half, Wanda had meticulously gone over each and every available route before she’d loaded you and Natasha up in the car, but construction hadn’t been something to consider while she was planning your departure. It seemed every major highway and backroad was under construction lately, even the roads that led down to the shore in Westview. You didn’t mind it, occasionally pointing out the names of the yellow vehicles as you passed them, but you worried how little time you’d have to explore as the second hour of driving came and passed. When your legs grew restless, you settled for sitting cross-legged in the backseat, your elbows pressing firmly against your knees as you craned your neck to see between the head-rests on the couples seats. The sky was open and blue, no trace of clouds but apparent wind. The trees on either side of the road rustled with the flow of the breeze, and if you stayed just quiet enough, you could hear it howling outside of the windows. The sight of wind was a ploy to get unsuspecting people out of their houses. The weather was hot and humid, temperatures climbing into the low hundreds, but your destination was indoors, so thoughts about how you’d melt beneath the sun didn’t have valid reasons to come. 

Wanda’s eyes locked on yours when Natasha eased onto the gas again, pulling off the exit ramp like a bat out of hell and dodging oncoming traffic that honk and scolded her boldness. You giggled when a particular car just to your left raised their hand at her, a single finger pointed toward the sky. She was unaffected, returning the gesture with passion. Your smile fell off your lips when your gaze shuffled over to meet Wanda’s, and the Sokovian looked at you with displeasure. “Feet on the floor.” Wanda reprimanded when she knew she had your attention, and you sighed but complied with the request. “We'll be there soon. Why don’t you tell me about what you're most excited to see?” 

That had inspired a full tangent of thoughts that were only half complete to spill from your lips like rushing water off a cliff, but neither Wanda or Natasha had tried to interrupt you and get the full version of your story. They were happy enough to listen to you ramble nonsensically, your fingers twisting together in your lap out of pure elation that you had no other way to express. Wanda was simply content with knowing that should Natasha crash, you were sitting properly in the backseat. It wasn’t another half hour before Natasha was grabbing a ticket from the machine at the entryway of the parking garage and pulling into a reserved spot on the very first level by the exit. You’d known they would go all out for today, they always did, but it never failed to make you feel incredibly special to be getting such attentive treatment from two of the most willing and powerful women in the world. You flew out of the car before Natasha even had the engine off, feet not even hitting the pavement beneath you entirely before you raced around the back of the Stingray so you could pull Wanda’s door open for her. You bounced excitedly on your toes throughout the entire exchange, grinning up at her with an expression of complete innocence. The Sokovian smiled down at your adoringly, capturing your face in her gentle hands and pulling you just close enough for your forehead to fall against her lips. 

“Such an excited little duckling.” Wanda mused with gentle laughter, her breath warm and thin as it fanned across your temple and shot sparks of pleasurable admiration through your belly and across your spine. You would’ve stayed permanently fixed on her tender expression had you not heard Natasha’s door swing closed. Your eyes trailed over the top of the car until they met the sight of her, dressed casually in a white t-shirt and jean shorts, her red locks had been pulled up and away from her face in a fleetingly worn ponytail that swung behind her head with every subtle move her body made. You could drool over the sight of her, but there were other priorities at the forefront of your mind. 

“Can we go now? Please?” You bounced eagerly beneath their transfixed stare, your hands grabbing eagerly at Wanda’s who still had a soft grip on your cheeks. You knew the rules of walking in busy parking lots well, and although they’d made you feel like an incapable child at one point, you adored and craved them now. The lawyers reminded you so often that just because you are a capable adult, doesn’t mean you have to act like one when they’re there to take care of you. You let them take control easily now, no willingness to fight left to linger in your instincts, even in something as simple as finding your way through busy parking lots. 

A smirk splayed across Natasha’s lips as she approached you and Wanda, her hand shoving her phone and wallet into one of the back pockets of her denim shorts. You should be ashamed for finding the simple action so attractive, but you didn't. You'd stopped letting yourself feel embarrassment for merely noticing their beauty long ago, and greedily your eyes trailed over the muscles in her shoulder and bicep that flexed as she reached toward her back. Natasha chuckled knowingly, sending a wink in your direction before she purposefully flexed her biceps. You wanted to roll your eyes and tell her to knock it off, but Wanda had beaten you to the punch and sent her wife an exasperated hit to the gut. “I don’t know, malyshka. Can we?” Natasha answered your earlier question, letting her feet carry her impossibly close to Wanda’s side. You wanted to groan aloud when the Russian’s hand slid comfortably into the back pocket of the Sokovian’s denim shorts, but you were too excited to dwell on the fact that Wanda’s ass had definitely just been squeezed roughly and possessively. 

“Yes.” You made the executive decision with a curt nod of impatience, already setting your pace toward the exit, dragging Wanda behind you with rushed steps. It was the exact opposite of what she intended to happen when she’d first implemented the rule of wanting you to hold either her or Natasha’s hands in busy spaces. You were now the one leading her around by the hand, and quite blindly if she wanted to put it nicely. You’d hardly noticed when you led her body straight into a traffic cone, her feet just barely able to avoid tripping over the bright orange safety measure. Natasha had to stifle her laughter as she followed, her hand still in Wanda’s pocket and effectively pulling the Sokovian in two different directions as she remained a couple of steps behind. 

Wanda placed a firm hand overtop of your wrist, catching your attention as you looked back at her with a whine of impatience toward the back of your throat, ready to be unleashed if she didn’t make whatever she needed quick enough for your standards. You were almost there, almost to the long line of parents and children that wrapped themselves around the building in an unruly line. You could see the electric blue sign on the top of the structure perfectly, the artwork on the sides of the building visible but intercepted by bobbing heads and tall bodies. Her abrupt stopping when you were so close to where you desperately wanted to be was the cruelest thing that had ever happened to you. “Why don’t you leave the dragging around to me, lyubov’. Unless you want me to end up in the infirmary before you even get to see the sharks.” 

You groaned at her teasing, a fierce blush crawling up your neck that couldn’t be blamed by the unforgiving heat. You didn’t let her words sink beneath your skin however, deciding that pulling at her hand was effective enough. “Will you hurry up then?” You groaned, smirking victoriously when Natasha laughed at your antics and placed a kiss on the top of your head. 

“Yes, milaya. We can go.” Wanda rolled her eyes but agreed with your demand, already beginning to set your pace at a significantly slower speed before the rest of her sentence even lingered in the air for your ears to pick up on. You practically skipped beside her, a broad smile on your face as you once again droned on and on about everything you couldn’t wait to see and have. Natasha had promised you a stuffed animal from the gift shop, knowing that you’d never had many in childhood. You’d decided that today would be one of the first times you explored your dynamic outside of the house, and the Slavic women were sparing no experience in giving you the purest taste at reclaiming your lost childhood. It felt too good to be true, to just surrender your conscious mind and let them take control, but you found yourself submitting to them easily. They wanted to do this for you, they enjoyed playing up their roles in this aspect. It was still hard to grasp that something that could be so kinky in bed could also be so pure outside of it, but they were allowing you to learn at your own speed, and selfishly they loved how inexperienced you were. There was no former training to unwind from your beliefs, there was no burned skin around your heart that had been failed by somebody else. You were fully theirs to shape, and they intended to show you the purest sides of this dynamic. 

You frowned when Wanda began to lead you toward the front of the building, getting farther and farther away from the long line of people waiting their turn to enter. Toddlers pointed at you and tugged on their parents arms, not so quietly wondering why they couldn’t follow you and go around the line. A blush settled onto your cheeks when a little girl, no older than six, tugged at who you assumed was her fathers hands and boldly declared that you were ‘cutting’. Natasha and Wanda were in their own little world it seemed, laughing and talking with one another in quick Russian that you couldn’t comprehend, not batting a blind eye to the whispered accusations that were being pointed at you. 

“The lines back there.” You whispered albeit a little self-consciously, not wanting to draw attention to yourselves anymore than the redheads adoring your waist already had. The sight of you together dripped with wealth. The diamond studded Chopard watch on Wanda’s wrist dazzled in the sunlight, the yellow gold Tiffany hoops in Natasha’s first piercing swayed when the breeze caught them. You looked properly out of place amongst the parents and young children all waiting in line. 

Wanda stopped walking at your timid statement, looking down at you with a look that could only be described as dominating. It wasn’t hard, wasn’t demanding, but rather apologetic and soft. You felt entirely small beneath her sage green stare. “What did you want to try today?” Wanda reminded you softly, her body language not portraying the suggestiveness behind her quiet words. To any of the parents standing feet away, it looked like she had simply paused to ask you a well-intended question, which you supposed was true, but it wasn’t as innocent as it appeared.  

You deflated slightly, leaning into the touch Natasha had placed on the small of your back minutes ago. You were becoming fuzzy, a feeling you’d associated with rough sex, but there hadn’t been any of that today. The closest thing to having their bodies had come when Natasha pulled you into a bruising kiss before you left the house. “Letting you have control.” 

Wanda hummed, content with your answer, knowing that once again she had full control. Her fingers that always seemed to be perfectly polished ghosted over your cheek, and you could assume she’d attempted to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear like she always did, but today your hair had been tied back into two french braids that Natasha had suggested. “So let Mommy worry about where the line is. That’s not something for little girls like you to be concerned about.” 

You nodded softly, unable to help the rush of something sweet that further propelled the dizziness in your mind forward at the Sokovian’s dismissal. Although you didn’t resume your skipping like you had been doing when Wanda guided you across the street, your footsteps came lightly and with a bounce as you became lost in the simple action of counting the many cracks that adorned the sidewalk as you stepped over them. At some point, your hand had grabbed Natasha’s, and you swung your arms back and forth absentmindedly. The day was hot, unforgivingly so, and the natural flush across your cheeks was becoming annoying. You were ready to start vocalizing your discomfort when Wanda guided you inside of the aquarium, saving her the headache of listening to you whine about something she couldn’t control. 

You gawked at the sight of light blue painted walls and elaborate glass tanks that held any color coral you could imagine. The front desk was a giant fish tank, and little orange and white clownfish swam around the enclosure blissfully. You were practically vibrating beside Natasha as you looked around at the little details that had been incorporated into the entrance of the building. The ceilings were high, and painted across them were sharks and whales and every kind of fish you could even imagine. There was no embarrassment when you pulled at Natasha’s hand and let your own little finger shoot up to the ceiling, excitedly pointing out a boesemani rainbow fish that swam beside a hammerhead. Wanda had gone to check you in for your reservation, or at least you assumed that was what she was doing as she stood closely to the front desk and nodded at the teenager behind the counter. His eyes briefly flashed over to you when he noticed your head craned toward the ceiling and overheard your loud exclamation, but Wanda must’ve said something that made his attention snap back to her just as quickly as it had left. 

“Inside voices, dorogaya.” Natasha smiled sweetly at your excitement, having no real issue with the volume that you had spoken at before, but she knew it would bother you if you caught onto the lingering stares of judgemental adults who couldn’t possibly understand that not everything was meant solely for children. You had just as much of a right to enjoy these little things as the toddlers who ran free, but she couldn’t change everyone's opinion even with her deadly glare. 

Your cheeks flushed pink, and not because of the blistering sun, but you nodded to her request and tried not to let it sting. You’d been told all your life that you were too loud, reprimanded by your mother until you’d just fallen silent. You knew she hadn’t meant it in any particular way, but some things still struck a chord in your heart. The crushing feeling hadn’t lasted long, too comfortable in Natasha’s presence to dwell in self-consciousness. Your eyes went back to trailing all of the open space that you could see, and when they landed on a particular tank beside the single hallway that led into the larger room that veered off in several separate directions, you attempted to jut off. A whine rippled through your chest when your hand was squeezed and Natasha didn’t follow you forward, cemented in the place where you’d been instructed to wait for Wanda. 

“Seahorses!” You tugged at her hand, earning you a disproving expression complete with a single raised eyebrow. You sulked back toward her, giving the tank one last sad glance before you focused down on your shoes, a frown on your lips.

“What are we meant to be doing, hm?” Natasha didn’t allow you to keep your gaze transfixed on your shoes, one of her slender and ring adorned fingers guiding your chin upward until your eyes flickered to hers. Her heart clenched at the sad frown that clung to your features that had been so happy not even seconds ago, but she didn’t let your pout sway her decision. After all, Wanda had given you a clear direction, and she expected that you follow it. “Can you tell me what we’re meant to be doing?” 

You sighed, glancing back over at Wanda who looked to be wrapping up whatever conversation she’d been having with the teenager behind the counter.  “Waiting for Wands.” The words slipped past your lips softly, your eyes trailing back over to Natasha’s. “But there’s seahorses.” 

“And the seahorses will still be there when Wands is done. We’re gonna have our listening ears on today, aren’t we?” Natasha was really laying it on thick, even she knew that, but it was hard to help herself when you looked so soft and pliant standing in front of her dressed in an outfit that she picked out. You nodded your head, shuffling into her embrace, sadness still tainting your features. 

Natasha kisses the top of your head, wrapping her arms around your torso as she lets you have your feelings against her chest. She knows they’ve been guiding you into a stage of subspace all day, it had been perfectly intentional, but how you handle it is still a wildcard. Much to your misconception, subspace wasn’t always brought on by getting railed, as you liked to refer to it as. Any form of submission could send you down that rabbit hole, including following instructions; which you’d been doing all day. Subspace wasn’t about the weight of the scene or how badly your body ached afterward, it was just about trust and the right amount of guidance. They’d been doing something right, and Natasha could recognize the glassy sheen over your eyes as you peaked up at her and then over toward Wanda who was finally, finally, walking back toward you. 

The Sokovian had three brightly colored bands in her hands, her lips curled into a bright grin that crinkled her eyes. She stopped just in front of Natasha, effectively blocking you from view as she felt the eyes of the teenager behind the counter try to burn into your form. “What’s with the frown?” 

“Seahorses.” You pouted up at her, much to Natasha’s amusement. The Russian’s hand ran over your back soothingly, though she couldn’t fight her bright smile when you again tried to wiggle out of her arms and rush over to the cylinder tank now that Wanda was back in sight. 

“She wasn’t very pleased that you asked us to wait for you.” Natasha filled in the gaps, your explanation rather vague and rushed; if you could even call the one word response you gave much of an explanation at all. “Why don’t you tell Wands what kind of fish you found on the ceiling?” Natasha nudged you, prompting your attention onto something other than seahorses. You beamed at the excuse to ramble again, your finger pointing up to the ceiling like it did the first time, and even if Wanda couldn’t follow your finger to the specific fish she was meant to be looking at, she smiled encouragingly. 

“It’s a boesemani rainbow fish! They get brighter when they get older!” You laughed, your pouty face no longer a visual that filled the entrance of the aquarium. Wanda had not the slightest care in the world for the fish you were pointing to, but she praised your knowledge either way. She’d pretend to care about anything if it meant seeing that bright smile linger on your lips even after the words stopped coming. “Can we see the seahorses now?” 

Already anticipating how the rest of the afternoon was going to play out, Wanda laughed at your eagerness but nodded her head. You were just out of Natasha’s grip when she captured you in hers. This time, you did whine, sad eyes stuck on the tank in the corner of the room. Neither redhead could blame you for your distress when you’d been intercepted on your way to the seahorses twice now, and so neither scolded you for the sharp sound that reached their ears. “What are the rules if you’re not holding mine or Natty’s hand?” Wanda quizzed softly, her voice taking on a tone that had made you weak in the knees too many times. It was a voice Natasha called her ‘Mommy Voice’, which usually led to the Russian getting slapped upside the head when Wanda overheard. 

“Stay where you can see me.” You bounced on your toes, still pulling at Wanda’s hand and glancing between her and the seahorses with a desperate plea in your wide and glassy eyes. “Please!” 

She nodded at you with encouragement, smiling fondly when you raced over to the tank, carefully not to place your hands on the glass though it was already smudged with little fingerprints and what could only be assumed to be saliva. You marveled at the seahorses that bobbed in the water, illuminated by an electric blue strip of lights that made the gradient of colors on their bodies pop. You would’ve stayed staring at the seahorses all afternoon had Natasha not been the one to softly guide you away after five minutes of soft oohing and awwing. There were so many more tanks and creatures to see, she didn’t want you wasting any more of your time on just one tiny tank. You’d been upset about her gentle hands guiding you away until you’d turned a corner and spotted a tank of hippos in the distance. Your eager hand had pulled her through the crowd with Wanda following hot on your heels. 

You showed the same level of excitement at every tank and exhibit, which neither lawyer thought was possible. There was no lull in your squeals and shrieks, and both of their wrists hurt by the time they sat you down for a late lunch. You’d abided by their every rule, including the ones that seemed stupid to you, what was so wrong about falling into the penguin exhibit, it was an easy enough climb back over the thin glass barrier? They’d expected lunch to go smoothly, you’d been so well behaved that they’d even considered buying you ice cream first, but unfortunately for them, the small cafe in the heart of the aquarium was directly beside the shark exhibit. 

“Milaya, we will see the sharks after we eat.” Wanda cooed sweetly for the umpteenth time, trying not to let her face crack as she contemplated just giving into your pleas. Their firm voices and whispered praise had guided you into what Natasha referred to as the ‘sweet spot’. You weren’t so blissfully fuzzy that you couldn’t comprehend their words, but you were beyond the point of making a rational decision, and listening seemed to fall into that category as you struggled against Wanda, eyes fixed on the large sign that comically had a massive bite mark in the side. It was the little things that lingered throughout the building that made it more immersive, like the stickers on the floor in the shape of penguin footprints that lead to their enclosure, and the bite mark in the sign that led to the sharks. Your eyes searched to find every little detail that anyone else would overlook. 

“I want to see them now.” Your crestfallen face was enough to weaken the reserve both redheads had been putting forth since your little meltdown had started. They hated to think that had you not been so high on endorphins and adrenaline, you never would’ve expressed how much you enjoyed all the little things that the aquarium had to offer, but they were still working to earn this level of trust from you when peptides weren’t at an all time high. With your head firmly planted in subspace, there wasn’t a single insecure feeling prickling beneath your skin. You were utterly free, control sitting in their hands and they had to force themselves to remember that. 

“Not now, detka.” Natasha stepped in, guiding you toward the only empty table in the cafe. Your lips were turned downward in a persistent frown, but by some miracle, you’d actually sat down on the chair and let Wanda name out the options on the menu. It was no surprise to either of them that you pointed toward the chicken tender basket, but it was good enough for them to fulfill your request immediately. 

Wanda left to order the food while Natasha kept you occupied at the table, ensuring that you didn’t start to fall out of the state they’d been working you into all day. She offered praise when you answered her little questions about the fun facts you’d been reading on all of the displays, and she tutted disapprovingly when your fingers ripped apart a napkin that some other family had left on the table. When Wanda came back with a tray of three chicken tender baskets because it felt wrong to eat any of the seafood that was offered, you were firmly engaged in a conversation about the stingrays that had been yet to be spotted. You’d explored more than half of the aquarium, finding out that the pink band around your wrist was a pass to all of the activities that lingered around. You’d fed the penguins, given the seals high-fives, and watched a 4D movie that made absolutely no sense, but had dispensed bubbles and sprays of water that were fun enough. All that was left to do was walk the roped path overtop of the shark exhibit, but that didn’t sound like something you wanted to put your faith in, even if hundreds of people did it every day. You, nor Wanda, would be walking across a shark infested tank, though Natasha had plans to do it herself. She’d always been the more daring of the couple. 

When your lunch was finished, or when your lunch was picked over enough for Wanda and Natasha to set you free again, you wasted no time in grabbing both of their hands and zipping through the families that stood in your way. You’d been too distracted with the bamboo sharks to hear Wanda mutter to Natasha about how your crowd direction was just as bad as her driving, but you’d turned around in time to watch Natasha roll her eyes and whack Wanda’s bicep. 

In your fuzzy headspace, their rules engraved in your mind, one of them being to show respect to others, you frowned and settled both hands onto your hips. “You broke rule number six!” You stated rather angrily, stalking up to Wanda with long strides that didn’t match the innocence in your eyes. You kissed her arm softly, the place where Natasha had hit her engraved in your mind. 

“Yeah Natty, you broke rule six.” Wanda’s amusement wasn’t so easily hidden in her tone as her lips curled into a smile and she pulled you into her chest, settling a kiss onto the top of your head as you both sent glares toward Natasha. Yours was littered with a protectiveness that almost outshone the glassy gleam that had settled, Wanda’s however, was riddled with enjoyment and humor. “What should she do, detka?” Wanda giggled, leaning down to whisper in your ear though it was loud enough for Natasha to hear, and the redhead was just barely keeping the smile off her face as she watched you and Wanda conspire against her. 

“She’s gotta say sorry!” They’d noticed that in your fuzzy state, you’d shied away from the bigger words that slipped into your vocabulary normally. You weren’t yet at a point where communicating your needs was impossible, but you weren’t actively fighting to clear your head and search for words like apologize and blasphemy either. Natasha would never forgive Yelena for throwing that word around so often you’d started to pick up on it.  

“Well?” Wanda jutted out her hip, placed a perfectly manicured hand just above where her bone rested. You mimicked her stance, though you were significantly less threatening than Wanda with your french braids messy from the humidity that drafted in from windows, and your baby blue colored corset shirt that was adorned with intricate lace patterns and ribbons that tied the back together. 

“Ona razob'yetsya v mashine.” Natasha hummed, and although you knew enough Russian to know that wasn’t an apology she had uttered to Wanda, no, it was a very true statement that you’d crash in the car on the way home, the Sokovian had accepted it and laughed. 

Despite your excitement to see the sharks, you didn’t hang around the exhibit for long. There were too many people and you seemed to become overstimulated more easily when you were flush full of endorphins, so Wanda had been the one to lead you away toward tanks of lobsters and jellyfish. She started walking down the hallway, leaving you with Natasha, wanting to find a sign that could lead the three of you toward the stingrays because she knew you wouldn’t enjoy the aquarium for much longer. It had been hours, and in your sensitive headspace, the bright lights and sounds were quickly becoming too much to handle. You’d been so brave, trying this out with them and trusting them fully, but Wanda wasn’t about to compromise your happiness for a few more hours of mindless walking from room to room when you’d already seen everything that interested you. All she cared about was making sure you had a good time, even if she thought aquariums were savagely overpriced now. 

Wanda frowned when Natasha found her way over to her without you. Her eyes flickered around the long hallway, searching for your blue top that stood out brightly against the sea of other colors that adults and children wore. It was such a specific shade that even if seventeen other people all crowded around to watch jellyfish bob had blue on, you stuck out like a sore thumb. “Where’s Y/N?” Wanda questioned and Natasha frowned. 

“I thought she was with you.” The Russian quickly realized that no matter how many times she spun around in circles, you weren’t anywhere in sight. She distinctly remembered you telling her that you wanted to go with Wanda, so she hadn’t questioned when you walked off and toward the direction that the Sokovian had gone in. Natasha was properly panicked when thirty seconds went by and she still couldn’t spot you, but Wanda at least had the thought to check the next hallway before she let herself spiral too. 

The stingray exhibit turned out to be in the next room over, crowded by kids and parents who talked about the sea creatures with excitement in their quiet tones. The occasional toddler bellowed in disgust when they realized how slick the back of a stingray was, but for the most part, the room only vibrated because of the sheer number of voices that occupied it, not because of volume. You were hunched over the edge, elbows deep into the shallow water when Wanda and Natasha spotted you. Each let out a sigh of relief, but nothing was going to stop them from marching over to you and pulling you away from the water. 

“What were the rules, milaya?” Wanda asked you, her voice not as soft as it had been all day, but not hard either. They’d never been out of the house while you were lingering in subspace, and though they never wanted to lose you, it hadn’t been something that never crossed their mind. You wandered away even when your head was clear, your lack of impulse control only heightened that need to trail off.  

“Stingrays!” You beamed at Wanda, not taking into account the thin line that settled over her eyebrows as she peered down at you. Your excitement was cute, a telling indication that you really hadn’t meant to wander away and give them the scare of their life, but it wouldn’t get you out of the scolding Wanda had ready on the tip of her tongue. 

“Not stingrays, utenok. What were the rules?” Natasha laid heavy emphasis on the last word of her question, and though your eyes were more glassy then she’d seen them all day, she could see the wheels turning as you tried to process her words. 

“Oh.” You mumbled when you finally came to the conclusion, your shoulders deflating as your head dipped down and set your gaze on your shoes. “Sorry.” 

Wanda, who had been prepared to dig into you, sighed softly and dropped the topic. She may be a stickler for the rules but she knew it would only cause further damage if she laid into you about listening. Your disappearing hadn’t been intentional, and even she could see the tears threatening to spill over as you brewed in your own feelings of disappointment. 

“I want you holding my hand, dorogaya.” She instructed firmly, “No more walking by yourself. We don’t wanna lose such a sweet little duckling, huh?” Wanda lifted your chin, smiling reassuringly down at you. Her rings caught the light, glimmering like a million little stars that cried to be released from the gold adorning her fingers. It was over after that, you’d fallen too deep into the sea of bliss to want anything other than her. You shuffled close, all thoughts of stingrays forgotten as you breathed in her scent. Sensing your loss of interest, Wanda shared a silent conversation with Natasha who nodded. 

“Why don’t we go check out the gift shop?” Natasha claimed one of your hands, engangling you from Wanda before you could sink any deeper. They needed you coherent enough to get back into the car, and then you were free to settle deeply beneath the blanket of comfort they’d slowly been laying over top of you all day. Natasha held back on delivering any further praise, knowing it wouldn’t help you coming closer to the light. 

She guided you through hallways and crowded rooms, occasionally squeezing your hand when you winced at crying babies and strong fishy odors. She herself was over the aquarium, but she’d been holding out for you. She was glad she didn’t have to fake her enthusiasm anymore, though Wanda was certainly getting a kick out of all the exasperated eyerolls the Russian hid from you. 

The gift shop was practically empty when you shuffled inside, clinging to Natasha who didn’t mind the contact. She led you through rows of toys and puzzles, some not having any connection to the aquarium while others quite boldly sported the name in a thick black font. You found interest in none of it, which she couldn’t blame you for. Everything looked tacky and far too cheap to be as expensive as the prices on the shelves said, but still she guided you around encouraging you to pick something out. She’d promised you a stuffed animal, but when you finally reached the back wall where all the cuddly toys were lined up in rows, neither of you liked any. They were all filled with stuffing that was too stiff to cuddle, and you retracted your hand quickly when you reached out to touch one. Whatever had been used as fuzz was scratchy and coarse, and you hated it with a passion. Eventually, when Wanda came up to you holding a soft gray crewneck with an embroidered whale shark and the name of the aquarium on the front, you agreed to let it be purchased for you, and although it was still in the highest temperatures that New Jersey had seen all summer, you wore it out of the aquarium with a smile. 

When you reached the car, there was no keeping you afloat any longer. Natasha had uttered the first bit of praise in minutes, and you surrendered fully to the warmth in your mind. Wanda smiled, usually the one who you attached to when you fell over the edge, but Natasha had been your chosen pick today. 

“Just get in the back with her, Talia.” Wanda rolled her eyes after three minutes of Natasha trying to detach you from her arm, each attempt ending with whines and stomped feet as you tightened your grip. 

Natasha sighed, able to count the number of times she’d let Wanda drive her car on one hand, but she wasn’t getting away from you right now, and she didn’t really want to anyway. “If you so much as leave one fingerprint on my radio you won’t be getting laid for a week, Maximoff.” 

Wanda rolled her eyes, snatching the keys from Natasha’s outstretched hand and opening the driver's side door more aggressively than needed. If anyone was going to be leaving fingerprints it was Natasha, who could never decide which type of music she wanted to listen to. Seeing that you had gotten your way, you smiled up at Natasha with a grin that was only right to describe as cheeky. The Russian rolled her eyes and settled you into the backseat, shushing your protests when she strapped the seatbelt over your chest and made sure your feet were planted firmly on the floor. 

She pulled you into her side when her own seatbelt was clicked into place, gently releasing your hair from the tight braids that had been twisted together all day. At the first pass of her fingers across your sensitive scalp, you all but melted into her chest and let your eyes flutter closed. It wouldn’t take six minutes before you were asleep against her chest, clutching desperately to the white t-shirt covering her torso. With the absence of your questions and excited statements, the car settled with silence, filled with only the sound of the engine revving when Wanda stepped on the gas. 

“Did you have a good day, moya lyubov’?” Natasha asked, extending an arm to run over fingers over Wanda’s shoulder. She couldn’t see the Sokovian’s face, but she knew there was a satisfied smile settling over her lips. 

“I did.” She breathed out softly, flicking the right blinker on when she merged onto the parkway, thankful that all the construction seemed to have been paused for the day and the road, though filled with typical traffic, was clear of any major dead stops. “Did you ever think we’d be here?” Although Wanda hadn’t been specific, Natasha knew she was referring to you. You were practically the sun in their own two planet universe, everything they did revolved around you now, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Things got boring when it was merely her and Wanda in a universe void of endless light and warmth. 

“I hoped.” Natasha kissed your temple softly, glad that she hadn’t stirred you awake. 

When Wanda pulled into the driveway, you were still sound asleep and the sky was dark with nightfall. It was early to call it a night, but the couple did so without complaint. You settled into Natasha’s chest with only the aquarium crewneck on your body, and Wanda had shuffled into the space in bed where your body typically rested, laying her head down on Natasha’s shoulder and placed a heavy hand on the small of your back. 

“Goodnight my little utenok.” She whispered into the thick stretch of silence before sleep overcame her too, and although the night carried on outside of your small bubble of peace, none of you had any idea.

#wanda maximoff x natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #dom!natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff fluff #natasha romanoff comfort #daddy natasha #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x reader #dom!wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff fluff #wanda maximoff comfort #mommy wanda #wandanat #wandanat x reader #dom!wandanat x reader #wandanat fluff #wandanat comfort #series: you are in love #minors dni ৎ୭

[frankenjoly]

Every feeling that I get

suegiku + 7 | i hate everything about you (halocene's cover)

Every time we lie awake

After every hit we take 

“What the hell is that smell.” Were the words that announced Jôno’s arrival. “Though, honestly, I’m not sure if I actually want to know what atrocity you’ve come up with this time, Tetchô-san.”

Tetchô, meanwhile, turned his head slightly so his eyes could follow Jôno as he moved around the kitchen and swallowed the spoonful of food he had just taken before offering  him an answer. After all, that last addition hadn’t overridden the previous inquiry.

“Beef with chocolate. It tastes better if both are warm.”

“I seriously doubt it can taste good in any capacity, when the smell combo is already awful.” Jôno complained, but didn’t show any intention of stopping him; was that a small victory?

“I do think it tastes good.” Tetchô simply said, shrugging, and took another spoonful just as casually.

“Well, your tastes suck, so I seriously doubt you’re qualified to give a meaningful opinion in this case.” As if to back-up his claim, Jôno even scrunched his nose when passing by him. “Sheesh, between your weird foods and all the work-out sweating, you’re a sensory nightmare. And that’s like, the tip of the iceberg. I don’t even know how could I–” The reply ended there, so abruptly Tetchô had no issue identifying something seemed to be out of place.

“Jôno. How could you… what, exactly?” His curiosity was met with a very unexpected reaction; Jôno tensed like he had just accused him of something either terrible or ridiculous, or maybe both at the same time.

“... Nothing, tsk. Shut up and eat that, will you? Do me the favor of not having to smell it anymore.”

(Also on ao3.)

#suegiku #suehiro tetcho #jono saigiku #bsd tetcho #bsd jono #bsd #bungou stray dogs #my stuff #clau stuff #ficlet #spotify wrapped writing challenge #this was pretty fitting alksjlfk

[my-writings-and-musings]

Hey, if you're still doing those angsty oxygen scenarios, could you do one with Rumble? I know he's not a lost light bot but it would mean a lot to me

He means a lot to me too, anon. Plus as I see it, being a Lost Light bot is a state of mind.

Here's all my previous posts with this popular prompt!

Part One: Here!

Part Two: Here!

Part Three: Here!

Part Four: Here!

Part Five: Here!

Part Six: Here!

Part Seven: You are Here!

Part Eight! Here!

Part Nine: Here!

Part Ten: Here!

Part Eleven: Here!

Part Twelve: Here!

Rumble

·The story of how you both ended up on the Lost Light is a long and rather ridiculous one, but thankfully you're both quite happy now with the way things have turned out. Hanging out and playing video games is one of the more calm and non-destructive things you two do around the ship, and it's an activity he adores having someone to share with, as not too many bots share the hobby. Being absolutely tiny by Cybertronian standards but huge compared to you, he typically encourages you to sit on his lap while you game together, something he claims is only done to ensure you both can see. Being a good sport, you agree so he can keep protecting his reputation as a tough bot who never cuddles anyone, and also because you know he's secretly in need of said cuddles despite his claims otherwise. You're well in to a rather relaxed gaming session when an emergency communication pings both of you.

·Quite open about how annoyed he is, the feeling only grows when the line is barely audible, static blurring all but every other word of what sounds like a rather urgent message. Though he does try to ask for a repeat of what's said, when the feed simply dies he's quite tempted to just ignore it and keep playing games. Admittedly that sounds good to you too, but being on a gigantic alien vessel makes you far less comfortable at the prospect of things being uncertain, as what's minor to the bots can be quite dangerous for you. Initially your gentle insistence on seeing what might be going on only gets an exaggerated groan regarding how it's probably nothing and that the two of you are having fun so who cares? The pouting is something you're rather accustomed to, so you follow a strategy of gentle pushing to get him moving, which results in him growing ever more dramatic until he's lying back on his second hand couch as if getting up would be physically painful.

·A gentle kiss on his nose finally melts away his immature resistance, but only after he blushes like a lamppost and huffs to try and pretend he's not doing it because you've convinced him or anything. With one last sorrowful look at his console, he hefts you into his shoulder and moves out, not willing to wait on your tiny human legs. Though he's obviously grumpy there's still care and consideration in how he walks with you, as he's never going to risk dropping your squishy human self if he can help it.

·Repeated attempts to comm anyone for some information turn up nothing but static, and that leaves both of you quite confused, with the minibot commenting on how odd it is that no one is answering. Being near the living quarters at this time of day means there's no one around to ask, so he hurries along whilst looking for a signal, reasoning that the two of you should head to the bridge or somewhere equally important to look for answers. Knowing he has way more experience in this than you do, you happily let him take the lead, smiling softly at how your agreement makes him puff up with pride. Being a mini has made him rather unaccustomed to any kind of leadership, so even the simplest praise or deference always means the world to him.

·His ego boost is quite rudely interrupted by a sudden tremor through the ship, though he's hardly knocked off balance for long due to his unique skills. Keeping his footing solid and you secure on his shoulders, he immediately asks if you're okay once the floor steadies beneath him, knowing that it was just a little shake but worried nonetheless. You assure him that you're fine, which convinces him to hold you a little less tightly. Looking up into his visor, you're concerned to see his usual calm replaced with a much more serious expression. It's one you know to only expect when things are about to get bad. As he starts walking again, he explains that, as an expert on seismic things, he knows that the ship has just been snagged. Having an internal sensory system specifically designed to detect these things also makes him certain of the exact size of the enemy and where it hit; and what he detected isn't good.

·Despite being less than half his height, Rumble is your immediate worry as he goes on to explain more of the situation, talking more to cut through the quiet to calm his nerves. You know that you're not built for alien robot battles, but quite frankly, neither is he. Not on his own at least. Though he'll surely deny it now, he's confided in you that without his brother or a bigger bot to sync up with... fighting anything but other minis is a lot harder. Knowing that makes you press him gently on a plan; where should the two of you go to be safe?

·As expected he's immediately adamant that he's fine, but his attitude to you is another story, as is obvious by how he shifts you completely into his arms and holds you tightly. With a promise that he won't let anything touch you, he surprises you with a completely unrestrained sense of protective drive, something quite out of character for a bot that usually struggles with deep feelings. Knowing that ships always have extra guards stationed at key locations, he decides to hurry his way to the medical bay, secretly hoping not to encounter any enemies on the way. Not that he's embarrassed to be a mini or anything, but in moments like these he really wishes he could be big and strong for your sake... Pushing those thoughts deep down, he hurries along and tries to focus on how cool he looks carrying you to safety. Maybe after all this is over he'll be able to tell some awesome stories about rescuing you.

·Seeing you get a little sleepy absolutely baffles him, and he gives you a little tap to wake you up with a tease about taking poorly timed naps. Not having realized you were nodding off, you rub at your eyes in confusion, suddenly aware of sleepiness that certainly wasn't present earlier. At your continued and obvious exhaustion he's quite worried. Had he better practice at driving with an occupant he'd have given you a ride to save time, but even at the best of times previous attempts at that were disasters, so in your current state you'd probably end up getting seriously hurt... It's yet another thing to regret as he holds you closer and hurries along, secretly trying to establish communication so he can hopefully get some answers. The lack of success makes him more worried with every passing minute.

·Though Rumble is no stranger to cuddling behind closed doors and carrying you to show off his strength, this is the first time he's held you like this in public for so long, and it feels very nice. You know he's worried about you, but it's getting harder to focus on staying awake and comforting him with his arms keeping you so secure, and his little spark humming so warm and strong right next to you. Only his gentle pleading for you to keep your eyes open prevents you from nodding off, mostly because his voice is so sad as he does so, and you can't handle seeing that sweet face grow any more worried. Clearly it must be bad if he's openly showing his softer side. You're aided in staying awake by a rather unexpected visitor nearly stepping on the minibot as he enters a hallway, and in the panicked blur that follows your mind is just sharp enough to catch the towering form of a very unfriendly alien before you're laid on the ground and Rumble charges forth in a preemptive strike.

·Though he's every bit as fearless as he usually is in appearance, in his spark he's absolutely terrified as he breaks out his piledrivers, the lack of his brother or Soundwave leaving him with a sense of total helplessness that he has to force down for your sake. The alien is a kind he doesn't recognize, but it's big and clearly hates bots by the way it strikes to kill. Using his tiny size to his advantage, he hammers the legs that are too slow to kick him away in time, striking with a level of force that strains his shock absorbers to a painful limit. The hulking alien collapses as its means of support are demolished in a messy and agonizing attack, but the mini takes no chances, hopping up to the head and delivering a blow capable of creating an earthquake all on its own. He's left panting from the exertion but grateful to have proved himself. Sore from the strain, he hurries back over to you and can't help but ask if you saw what he just did?

·Tiny jubilation is crushed when he hears your weak reply. Even though you're smiling at his victory, you're obviously barely holding on, and that means whatever invisible malady is afflicting you is growing more severe. Scooping you up in bloodied servos, he tries to keep the tears welling in his visor from falling, though admittedly he's not sure why since his image matters very little in the face of losing you. Thinking fast, he breaks open a vent cover and makes use of the claustrophobic shortcut to hurry to the medical bay, ignoring his own overworked body's protests to save you at any cost. Not knowing what the problem could be, he's still tearing himself apart inside over every tiny delay that could now result in the difference between life and death. If only he hadn't hesitated to stop gaming, or had been paying enough attention to avoid that alien... How like him, to prove unworthy of something by ruining it.

·You'd been physically incapable of staying awake as he'd closed in on the part of the ship where help would hopefully be found. Though you had tried so hard and been so heartbroken by his struggles, exhaustion unlike anything had ultimately forced you to rest, with his protective grip on you making it hard to worry as you slipped under. Tears had started to fall without restraint the moment you went quiet. It had made quite a scene when he'd burst into the medical bay, ploughing through a vent cover and startling multiple bots on guard as he yelled for someone to help you, nearly getting shot until he was recognized with you in his arms. Nearby medics had been quick to explain the breakdown of the atmospheric generators and the loss of oxygen, but he brushes all that aside with a single question; will you be okay?!

·Every bot present is immensely surprised by his demeanor. He's known as a troublemaker and a prankster, so even with your relationship to him being taken into consideration, his agony over your condition is not something they could have ever predicted. The loyalty to you is unshakable and obvious even after you receive the care you need, as he refuses medical attention for himself and doesn't care in the slightest when the alien ambush is declared defeated. Not even the prospect of free drinks at Swerve's to celebrate can make him leave you for a second. All he wants is for you to wake up, and to hopefully not be mad once you wake up and learn what happened, which he believes he made worse by being irresponsible and wasting time... Though it isn't allowed, he crawls into your berth with you to snuggle when no one is present.

·You awaken to a much clearer head and the warmth of a bigger body huddled closely around you, and as soon as you open your eyes a familiar frame welcomes you back to consciousness. Whispering a greeting, you're shocked when the mini suddenly clings to you and begins pleading for your forgiveness while also recounting what happened to make you "sick", confusing you beyond all belief at first. Why would the bot you remembered saving you need to apologize? It's only by listening that you realize his misplaced blame is likely motivated by fear, as his hot tears pattering against the berth suggest a bot recently scared out of his wits. The poor mini is blaming himself for his lack of action, in full belief he could have moved faster and should have the moment something was wrong, and sounding quite convinced of his role in your injurey before you shush him as gently but audibly as you can.

·Wiping away heavy tears on his cheeks, you speak clearly through the oxygen mask still secured to your face, reassuring him that he did nothing wrong and had no reason to believe things would play out as they did. When he tries to miserably reply that he's still should have jumped at the first sign of trouble, you remind him that he jumped into action when it counted, taking down an enemy several times his size without anything but his own fists as weapons. Perking up to hear you remember his burst of bravery, he asks a little more confidently if you recall how he punched the alien so hard the hallway shook from the force, and you smile while you assure him that you saw every heroic moment. Hearing himself be referred to as a hero seems to reassure him in ways he didn't know he needed, and the rush of his own gratitude is enough that he hugs you tight without a hint of bashful hesitation. Just being here and safe with you makes it hard to be worried about anything at all.

#transformers #maccadam #more than meets the eye #mtmte #lost light #ll #idw #my writing #my asks #anon #requests #rumble x reader #rumble #human reader #self insert

[letterboxd]

Best of Tribeca 2021.

Delightful confections, Covid films worth watching and characters doing their best under every kind of circumstance: our Festiville team present their ten picks from this year’s virtual and—hallelujah!—in-person Tribeca Festival.

When this pandemic is finally, finally over, we will be so grateful to bunk with pals in foreign towns and pack into crowded cinemas for festival premieres again. But we also reserve the right to miss the weirdly comforting communal online-ness of virtual fest-going.

For context, it is often a stretch for media outlets to send more than a couple of representatives to in-person festivals and, once there, it can be a lonely and hectic exercise. This past year has carried a different vibe: home-alone viewings that have still felt somehow together, with between-screening chats firing up online about what we’ve seen, and what our members are buzzing over.

We may have missed the deeply New York vibe of queuing outside the SVA on a crisp, spring evening for a gala premiere, but with its summery, socially distanced outdoor screenings and an online library of unexpected treasures, Tribeca 2021 felt pretty great.

So with the help of Letterboxd reviewers, we present our ten best discoveries (in no particular order). As is always the way with a festival, we also noticed fascinating thematic parallels between particular films, so we’ve curated some potential double-features for your watchlists.

The Novice Written and directed by Lauren Hadaway—Awarded Best US Narrative Feature Film, Best Cinematography in a US Narrative Feature Film (Todd Martin) and Best Actress in a US Narrative Feature Film (Isabelle Furman)

Lauren Hadaway’s stunning directorial debut The Novice stars Isabelle Fuhrman as Alex Dall, an amateur rower who pushes herself above and beyond her physical limits in order to top her class. The comparisons to Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash are inevitable, and no coincidence, as Hadaway was that film’s sound editor. The Novice is similarly an intense sensory experience with next-level cinematography, editing and sound.

Just as Chazelle was inspired by his college hobby for his breakout feature, Hadaway’s own rowing days at the Southern Methodist University in Texas inspired Alex’s story. The Novice is by no means a retread, but a valuable sister film that adds more to the conversation. Furhman’s devastating performance digs deep into the damaging forces that her obsession drives her towards, at the very least earning her the festival’s Best Actress trophy, if not the acceptance of her fictional peers.

Alex’s journey can also operate as a modern critique of the American spirit. At a time when Boomer work ethics are rejected with a workers’ revolution on the horizon and a maturing generation that prioritizes mental health, American exceptionalism—voluntarily giving 110 percent and no room to breathe—offers an ultimately destructive path to victory. The Novice is not only the best out of Tribeca—according to this year’s jury, who gave it the Best US Narrative Feature Film prize—but the best of the year so far and will be difficult to out-match. “I never wanted it to end,” writes Claira, “and yet, I couldn’t help but let out a deep exhale of relief when it did.” —Jack Moulton

Catch the Fair One Written and directed by Josef Kubota Wladyka, from a story by Kali Reis and Wladyka—Awarded a Special Jury Mention for Kali Reis’ “magnetic performance” and the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature category

Boxing champ Kali Reis, who is descended from Cherokee, Nipmuc and Seaconke Wampanoag tribes and Cape Verde, collaborated with Polish-Japanese writer and director Josef Kubota Wladyka to craft this fictional thriller based on real-life stories from America’s sex-trafficking underground. “It’s an understatement to say this film is important,” writes Anna. “Absolutely horrifying subject matter handled with striking emotional depth.”

This plot is specific to Reis’s activist concerns—she is a long-time supporter of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls movement—but as a work of art, Catch the Fair One also stands on its own thanks to the creative team’s focus on tone, color, mood and movement. As Kayleigh, Reis is all fists ready and rage contained—until she lets rip, when it matters—and much like Violation, a taut revenge horror from earlier this year, Catch the Fair One keeps its eye on the consequences of violence for the women who enact it.

While there are a few grumbles about its runtime (too short for some, not long enough for others), this is a tight package with satisfying, look-away violence and no easy outcome. “The last fifteen minutes were absolutely breathtaking,” Shashwat writes, “and quite masterful as they packaged the whole thing in a suitably feminist, and most importantly, refined manner.” —Gemma Gracewood

Poser Directed by Noah Dixon and Ori Segev, written by Noah Dixon

Some classic Specious Clique Adoption tropes get a welcome, textured update in this stylistically confident debut centered around a subtly unsettling lead performance from Sylvie Mix that bodes well for her future prospects. In Poser, she plays Lennon, a quiet, young, wannabe music podcaster hanging around the Columbus, Ohio indie band/art scene who latches onto the cool and confident Bobbi Kitten (playing herself, sorta), lead singer of (actual) electronic witch-rock act Damn the Witch Siren.

Dixon and Segev should be applauded solely for their casually authentic portrait of “the scene” (various bands appear as themselves)—many filmmakers have embarrassed themselves attempting something similar. But Poser is also more than that, starting off like a coming-of-age story before slowly morphing into a low-key social thriller.

Kong observes: “because so many of us in the Millennial/Zoomer crowd have anxieties related to [coolness and authenticity] and whether or not we possess them, Lennon is uncomfortably relatable. Perhaps that is what makes Poser so haunting.” Andrew, meanwhile, writes that Poser manages to transcend its “basic set-up” thanks not only to its unique setting, but also to “committing to that setting entirely and weaving it in to every other aspect of the film.” —Dominic Corry

Dating and New York Written and directed by Jonah Feingold

After years of faithless discourse about the genre “dying out”, Dating and New York is a sweet summer reminder that rom-coms will always be of the moment. Debut writer-director Jonah Feingold draws from classics like When Harry Met Sally and Cinderella, but makes those references hyper-contemporary, wrapped up in the lives of young people who struggle to believe in Hollywood love stories.

Milo and Wendy, played with wit and snark by Jaboukie Young-White and Francesca Reale, meet on a dating app. Sparks fly, and they kiss each other engulfed in absurdly warm lighting and centered between mountains of too-full trash bags. The stylistic choices grow more exaggerated as the pair ghost each other, then reconnect and find their way into a friends-with-benefits situation.

Theatricality in the cinematography, mise en scène and editing help calcify Feingold’s ethos: not just that love is real, but also that love is ridiculous and that consequently, films about love should be ridiculous. The optimism and light satire of it all, as Tarco puts it, “make the triviality of dating culture feel like an actual high-stakes game, and with the year we all had, sometimes, it really feels that way.” It’s a film for anyone who spends their nights romanticizing missed connections or friendships that could turn into more. And if that’s not you, there’s still fun to be had here: follow Michelle’s suggestion and “take a shot every time you see a turtleneck.” —Selome Hailu

During Tribeca, we picked Jonah Feingold’s brain about everything rom-com in this Festiville Q&A.

as of yet Directed by Chanel James and Taylor Garron—Awarded the 2021 Nora Ephron Award

Only watch as of yet, writes Lyd, if you’re prepared for the “knot in the pit of [your] stomach that formed from recalling peak Covid times… as of yet is occasionally painful and hilariously so because I swear to god I have had every single conversation featured in this movie”. The film, co-directed by Chanel James and Taylor Garron (who also writes and stars), is a Zoom-bound recollection of the way the past year and a half felt while separated from those you love (and those you have the potential to love).

It takes a pandemic for Naomi (Garron), a Black 20-something in Brooklyn, to realize that her white roommate and best friend Sara (Eva Victor) is a touch racist, a touch hypocritical and definitely irresponsible enough to party hard at the start of a pandemic. Garron’s screenplay is soaked through with naturalism. As Naomi navigates the beginning of a friendship breakup while also trying to embrace a new Tinder romance, we get a full spectrum of confident flirtation, awkward boundary-setting and everything in between. As Nina indicates, it’s one of the rare “pandemic-era films that feels pure to the time and not a story re-accommodation to the times”. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: in the right hands, these Covid films are worth making! —Selome Hailu

Because we haven’t Zoomed enough, we jumped online with James and Garron for a chat about their collaborative process, and James’ Letterboxd lockdown goals.

Ascension Directed by Jessica Kingdon—Awarded the 2021 Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director and Best Documentary Feature

Jessica Kingdon’s enthralling, impeccably constructed documentary drifts through a mosaic of modern China that’s curiously, not all that removed from the American Dream. Encompassing a wide social strata of the Chinese working class—from areola-painting sex-doll manufacturers to high-end butlers—Ascension’s assembly of astonishing, dazzlingly captured sights discovers an industrious society clamoring for the betterment of life and economic growth through hard-toiling pursuits. As Daniel writes, “If Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite and Godfrey Reggio’s Koyaanisqatsi had a baby, this would be it.”

It’s all told sans talking heads: Kingdon’s unobtrusive, inquisitive eye regards its subjects without judgment, while the occasional hint of smartly placed irony pulls the doc back from becoming a bleak procession into mind-boggling capitalist madness. “No commentary needed with such beautifully framed shots, perfectly chosen snippets of conversation and impressive access to factories, schools and corporate functions,” writes Careless Spine. Adding further hypnotic dimension is Dan Deacon’s score, a sonic wall of urgent, droney, string-laden electronics that, like the China of Ascension, feels otherworldly yet so hauntingly familiar. —Aaron Yap

All These Sons Directed by Joshua Altman and Bing Liu—Awarded Best Documentary Cinematography

As gun violence remains a devastating crisis in the United States, the response from the criminal justice system continues to be focused on reaction as opposed to prevention, with more police boots on the ground and incarcerations, particularly of young Black men. Documentary filmmakers Joshua Altman and Bing Liu (of Minding the Gap fame) center their latest piece of empathetic filmmaking on the efforts of two community-led Chicago programs aiming to cut the violence off at its source.

By working with the folks in their communities on the south and west sides of the city, the IMAN Green Re-entry and MAAFA Redemption Project look to not only demonstrate the promise of a different future for these men than the one that’s been laid out before them, but to also break down the trauma and inner turmoil they carry from a life spent in a community that has been given up on due to systemic racism from the powers that be.

In All These Sons, the filmmakers focus on three young men in particular— Charles, Shamont and Zay—taking a vérité approach to show us the impact of these programs on their day-to-day lives. The result is a film “packed with both emotion and a genuinely urgent message,” writes Paul, one which takes the weight of gun-violence statistics and shows us that each one of those numbers is a human being with the capacity for change, even if those structures want to abandon them. As Micah puts it, All These Sons “doesn’t instil dignity; it shows that it’s already present in each life.” —Mitchell Beaupre

We chatted with Altman and Liu about forgiveness, trust and getting out of town.

Werewolves Within Directed by Josh Ruben, written by Mishna Wolff

Batten down the hatches and prepare for a night full of shrieks of terror and hilarity with this genre-bender adapted from the Ubisoft video game of the same name. How did writer Mishna Wolff and director Josh Ruben break the dreaded “video-game movie curse” with Werewolves Within? Step one was the flexibility granted from taking on an IP that doesn’t have legions of fanboys insisting on adherence to the source material.

Taking the basic premise of a group of townsfolk tasked with uncovering which of them is a ravenous werewolf, Wolff (last name coincidental, we’re sure) has created an experience melding the ice-cold isolation horror of The Thing with the quirky small-town eccentricities of Twin Peaks. Ruben’s knack for drawing from his love of cinema and the kinds of movies he wants to see on screen leads to each viewer having their own experience with this one. Todd draws similarities to Edgar Wright and The Wolf of Snow Hollow, while Mega_MovieZ is one of many to notch a Clue comparison in their review.

The hook comes in the way that, akin to Wright’s work, Werewolves Within pays reverence to genre history while also subverting some of its more antiquated tropes involving toxic masculinity and manic pixie dream girls. It’s all done with a knowing splash of humor, aided by a stacked cast of comedic character actors giving everyone the chance to choose their own favorite of the ensemble. Arianne writes that Michaela Watkins is the MVP while Jordan picked Milana Vayntrub as the standout. The good news is that everyone can be right with a roster this loaded with talent! —Mitchell Beaupre

Brighton 4th Director Levan Koguashvili—Awarded Best International Narrative Feature Film and Best Actor in an International Narrative Feature Film (Levan Tedaishvili)

An “immigrant drama [that] succeeds on its authenticity”, according to Shane, Brighton 4th explores aspects of masculinity and fatherhood not often enough covered in cinema. This engrossing film traverses genres from tragedy to comedy in deadpan fashion, as an ageing Georgian wrestler travels to New York (Russian enclave Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, to be exact) to help out (save?) his gambling-addicted son.

Levan Tedaishvili is a wrestling legend back in his home country, and he steals the movie in his acting debut at age 74. A couple of madcap subplots both distract (kidnapped Kazakh!) and entertain (horny grandma?). A deeply original film where the stubbornness and stupidity of the masculine ego is traversed in story, song and tradition. “The build up is slow,” writes Jim, “but the last few scenes knocked me on my ass, so I guess they did something right!” Sometimes honor outweighs lucre in a romp that is a joy from start to finish. —Leo Koziol

The Legend of the Underground Directed by Nneka Onuorah and Giselle Bailey

Having to identify as gender non-conformists to avoid arrest sounds like something out of The Handmaid’s Tale, but this is reality, not fiction, in current-day Nigeria. Identifying as anything else—or gathering in large groups for a dance party—and you end up facing criminal charges under this nation’s harsh laws. But after WF_JamesBrown spoke out on social media when a non-conformists gathering resulted in arrests, they became a ‘they done not caught me’ social-media sensation in a rare reversal of hate prejudice.

Humor is one means of survival in Lagos, as is being meme-savvy, fashion-forward and doing all you can to live the best possible life under the shadow of constant oppression and fear of arrest. Some non-conformists have escaped to the US, and can visit home, but there is no easy route out (detention camps when seeking asylum is common). Spanning countries in its focus on several non-conformists, The Legend of the Underground is an engaging, heartfelt window into another world, and will find a wider audience on HBO thanks to a producer credit for John Legend. An important and seminal work—and it’s gorgeous. —Leo Koziol

Our Tribeca 2021 double features

Catch the Fair One and My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To: films that seethe in a backwater America in which the most vulnerable members of society exist solely for the satisfaction of others barely a few rungs up the rickety ladder.

The Perfect David, a crazy, obsessive foil to The Novice.

Poser and Love Spreads: because music and girl bands.

Queen of Glory and India Sweets and Spices: both deal with first-generation American daughters rebelling against and learning to honor their mothers’ values.

as of yet and Dating and New York: millennial, Covid-set comedies that make big use of social media, texting and dating apps. Plus, Eva Victor supremacy. (Throw in 7 Days for a triple feature.)

The Legend of the Underground and Being Bebe: perfect twins.

False Positive and Ultrasound: how many pregnancy-related psychological thrillers does one festival need?

Roaring 20s and Italian Studies: because we miss roaming around cities.

Follow our Festiville HQ for regular film-festival coverage by the Letterboxd team.

#tribeca #tribeca festival #tribeca film festival #tribeca 2021 #letterboxd #film festival #festiville #dating and new york #catch the fair one #the novice #bing liu #all these sons #poser

[laughingpinecone]

Yuletide letter!

I am laughingpineapple on AO3 

Likes: worldbuilding, slice of life (doubly so if the event the fic focuses on is made up but canon-specific), missing moments, 5+1 and similar formats, bonding and emotional support/intimacy, physical intimacy, lingering touches, loyalty, casefic, surrealism, magical realism, established relationships, future fic, hurt/comfort or just comfort from the ample canon hurt, throwing characters into non-canon environments, banter, functional relationships between dysfunctional individuals, unexplained mysteries, bittersweet moods, journal/epistolary fic, dreams and memories and identities, outsider POV, UST, exploration of secondary bits of canon, leaning on the uniqueness of the canon setting/mood, found families, characters reuniting after a long and/or harrowing time, friends-to-lovers, road trips, maps, mutual pining, cuddling, wintry moods, the feeling of flannel and other fabrics, ridiculous concepts played straight, sensory details, places being haunted, people being haunted, the mystery of the woods, small hopes in bleak worlds, electricity, places that don’t quite add up, mismatched memories, caves and deep places, distant city lights at night

Any tense, any pov, any rating, plotty, not plotty, IF, canon divergences, non-mundane AUs (space opera! high fantasy! new weird also), deep lore, unrequested characters popping up - please do go wild with the & combos!

Blanket crossover prompt with Untitled Goose Game: set that goose loose anywhere and ruin anyone’s day. Tariq and select Twin Peaks characters who are not Albert (Margaret, Laura...) may hope to tame and befriend the goose; anyone else better get wrecked. Capitalism may also get wrecked while Kentucky Route Zero characters popcorn.gif nearby

DNW: non-canonical rape, non-canonical children, canon retellings, unrequested ships (I listed all the ships I like for each fandom. Outside of those, I’d prefer if other canon characters weren’t shipped, unless they’re like, canon engaged/married)

Dark Souls 1: Solaire of Astora

I’m only familiar with the first game! It’s probably relevant to mention that I think that linking the fire is kind of a dumbass move, Gwyn is a jerk, Kaathe has his own agenda and there’s no winning move in this world, or at least no obvious one. And amidst all this nonsense, Solaire just shines, pure of heart and dumb of ass like the best of ‘em. I love his kindness in this cruelest of worlds and I love the sad edge he’s got even earlier on when he admits to being seen as weird.

I would enjoy a bittersweet ending for him but I realize both of his endings are deeply entrenched in his themes so it’s hard to make him steer clear of either of those. If you can figure out how to make him not link the Flame or survive the ordeal, I’m all ears! I like a sense of purpose being the thing that can stave off hollowing, and I like characters helping other characters finding that sense of purpose within themselves. Focus on scenery always welcome, and if you want to make up a location, that’s great too!

I’d be super happy with a story set during Solaire’s time in Lordran that simply doesn’t mention his endings, anyway. Maybe he’s the one who helps someone else while his own tragedy keeps looming on the horizon. Striking up friendships in the face of a crapsack world! Meeting people through Lordran’s temporal/dimensional fuckery, where it’s possible to cross the path of warriors who have been gone for ages… could Solaire meet either or both Catarina knights (there’s so much great art about sun bro and onion bro but where’s the fic?), or do the grumpy grump&ray of sunshine routine with Logan, or meet Artorias or even Gwyn before he linked the Flame - or himself? What if he met Kaathe?

Ships: none really? Solaire/Chosen Undead but I don’t really like to read about customizable protagonists in fic so I’d rather not get fic featuring the CU. I’m all about the & character combos here.

Ghost Trick: Cabanela, Jowd

I love Cabanela being fierce and dazzling bright and determined and loyal to the very end, dancing to his own rhythm, so sure of himself and of his ideas that he doesn’t even need to prove to anyone that he’s right. Too sure of the wrong idea, once, and everything crashed and burned. And I love Jowd being the immovable object to Cabanela’s unstoppable force, a suicidal trainwreck of guilt with the gallows humor to show for it, and also incredibly smart (both jerks figured out Sissel’s powers better than Sissel did, that’s... something) and athletic and with an unsuspected talent for stealth.

I am very interested in various characters finding about the erased timeline, but not getting their memories back, and having to live with being told about what they did but never remembering it. Touch-starved Jowd in the new timeline is a surefire hit (or maybe Cabanela if he’s the one who came back and kept the memories of the old timeline). Touchy-feely Cabanela as kind of his baseline with the people he likes.  All what-ifs welcome:what if they managed an acceptable happy ending but didn’t reset the timeline, what if Alma’s ghost stuck around… I’m also wondering about either of them ending up undead via Temsik shard - how would they take these developments (I’m assuming better than Yomiel did but the bar is admittedly low), did Cabanela do it on purpose for whatever sensible-if-you-are-Cabanela reason, what does it change in their relationship, what are the practical pros and cons of the situation here. UFO adventures with Pigeon Man! Lynne teaming up with either of them against the other! Sissel death-averting action if either/both of them die or just regular cat action! Spy stuff! Daring rescues! My forever prompt of Jowd being the one who gets a chance to prove his loyalty to Cabanela for once. Dancing.

Please no Yomiel. Nothing against the guy I’m just getting an overdose of him through RPing.

Ships: Alma/Cabanela/Jowd and all sides thereof, but when it splits the canon couple I only like it when the missing spouse is dead or otherwise unavailable, hopefully with a reset on the horizon. If you want to go for a Cabanela&Alma or Cabanela/Alma who are strongly motivated by a dead or jailed Jowd, I’m good with him not actively appearing in the fic. Alma/Jowd & Cabanela is excellent in all scenarios. I’m good with explicitly non-romantic takes on Jowd&Cabs but please keep their bond strong, and please no conflicting ship for Cabanela. Lynne/Memry!

Kentucky Route Zero: Any (Lula Chamberlain, Joseph Wheattree, Donald kentuckyroutezero, Weaver Màrquez)

(if enough of us request it, will some Murphy corollary guarantee that Act V will come out between now and reveals just to mess with the Yuletide schedule? If it does, I’ll be playing it immediately and probably add a few thoughts and prompts here for kicks, at the end of this section, after a spoiler warning. Obviously feel free to stick to canon up to Un Pueblo De Nada)

I’m all for exploration of any of the game’s themes and for including any staples from adjacent genres - wanna go full-on American Gothic? Dip into surrealism? Take a leaf from Twin Peaks with tulpa / split narratives to explore the characters’ issues? I can’t think of any specific AUs for the disaster trio + disaster soloist here, but I generally love AUs so if you want to sidestep the inconvenience of an incomplete canon that way, be my guest! Or of course there’s Xanadu at the height of its glory, an infinite what-ifs generator. Was Weaver ever part of it, what was this digital Weaver up to? A Xanadu narrative would be great! A good fit for IF, too? I’d love to hear about any new spot along the Zero or the Echo river, or an expansion of some place that’s only mentioned by Will in HATATE or only gets a few paragraphs of text. Lula getting ideas for a new installation, or an article talking about her work? Donald listening to Static between stations somehow (Donald being constantly high as a kite as per this)? Joseph who went back to the surface finds himself near an entrance to the Zero somewhere? A collection of Weaver-isms? Feel free to bring in anyone else from any part of canon.

Ships: “Flipping through the pages, Conway is able to gather that it's a story about three characters: Joseph, Donald, and Lula. It's something like a tragic love triangle, but much more complex. Some kind of tangled, painfully concave love polygon.” 😬 that one, as a full triad, regrettably since they don’t seem too inclined to get reunited and stay that way. If you can nudge them, good. But I’m very open to non-romantic resolutions as well, going past their messy feelings to find each other as friends after so many years maybe. For Weaver, I’m interested in all her & relationships (seriously. Weaver & Cate. Weaver & EmilyBen&Bob. Weaver & Slow Moe Crow.) but nothing shippy. Conway/Lysette, Junebug/Johnny(/Shannon?).

The Last Remnant: David Nassau, Pagus

I’m very interested in post-game exploration, and getting a clearer feeling of any of the cities and assorted places that populate this fascinating world. I like the whole party with their characterization based on battle quotes, red bubble dialogues, and even their unique stat (‘authority’ is a natural fit for David but ‘romance’ tells me something new about Sibal!) Character interaction. Bit of worldbuilding. What’s another festival they celebrate? Do they erect something else instead of the Valeria Heart? Any fun discoveries down in Siebenbur? Where the hell IS Veyriel, anyway, do they go look for it and if so what do they find out? End of an age. Old bonds.

I ache for David who fought so valiantly as a warrior and as a politician only to be slapped in the face with the unexpected loss Emma first and then Rush, right as they were ready to claim their victory and as he would have to start coming to terms with the idea that maybe without the Gae Bolg he wouldn’t die young. At least his Generals are still with him - out of them, all of whom I adore, I picked Pagus because Qsiti are cool. And Pagus in particular is the coolest (”I know that fine qsiti... That large, reticent mouth, the laugh lines around the eyes...“ he’s FINE it’s CANON!). So I’d like to see how David bounces off Pagus in particular, what their bond is like, what he thinks of whatever aspect of Qsiti culture.

Ships: postcanon David/Rush, possibly with an emphasis on Rush’s nature as a remnant? I am also fond of Pagus/Sibal/Maddox, there are more prompts for them in my #letters tag!

Pyre: Volfred Sandalwood, Tariq The Lone Minstrel

Oh the burning found family feelings, the revolutionary passion, the tension between topside social constraints (moreso for liberated exiles, thrust into heroic roles after the revolution) and the kind of freedom allowed by the Downside! I love all the themes, the solemnity, the heart of this game. I’ve been waiting for a character like Tariq all my life, a minstrel who’s otherworldly soft and just a lil bit eldritch. Volfred as well, he just hits my perfect ratio of “noble intentions” to “scheming to a fault”. Like, the percentages in his planner are pointless for gameplay since the ending just depends on the number of Nightwings sent topside at the end - so it’s just there for his characterization, he’s the sort of person who assigns percentages to people, nbd. ...for a good cause! That said, I would die for anyone in that Blackwagon+Dalbert+Celeste, so if you want to write in someone else as well, please do! (otoh if you maybe want to dunk on Brighton or Manley, I don’t like bashing but canon levels of love-to-hate-them would be fun)

Thoughts about finding oneself at the end of an age, as everything crumbles down to form something new. The titan stars. History nerd Volfred, “aye sir, I was there” Tariq. Conversations with Dalbert. Or with Sandra? Any postcanon very welcome with any combination of endings as long as the revolution was peaceful. Please do lean into the xeno headcanons if you enjoy them! Even for gen, I like to read what it’s like to be something other than human and these two are very much not human in different and intriguing ways. Or, Volfred’s zodiac sign is Cancer and Cancer is ruled by the Moon, so there’s that. I also love how they both hold the other in the highest esteem, especially on Tariq’s part since he’s the immortal Herald of the Scribes and Volfred is, all in all, a history teacher, but listen to him and you’d think the roles were inverted. I love my nonviolent canon but could anything happen to either of them that may require a rescue, and/or some good old-fashioned h/c? What’s something that could make Tariq of all people lose it? How’s life 100 years on?

For a funnier mood, picture Volfred trying to figure out how to flirt with Tariq with percentages, planners and all. He could just ask him but no, it’s convoluted plan or bust. Or, conversely, Tariq’s increasingly direct hints that he’s interested, but they’re still ‘increasingly direct’ for Tariq standards, so, not at all, undetectable even by Volfred who can get pretty damningly indirect himself.

Ships: Volfred/Tariq, Volfred/Oralech, some form of Oralech/Volfred/Tariq (more of a Volfred-centric V but I would like to be convinced of the Oralech/Tariq side of things), Celeste/Jodariel, Hedwyn/Fikani and Pamitha/Bertrude.

Twin Peaks: Albert Rosenfield

Case fic but they don’t find out jack shit, someone disappears, David Bowie was there, it’s complicated. Fragmented, shifted, mirrored identities. New Lodge spaces. The risks of staring into the void for too long. Gentle illusions. Transcendence. The moon. Static buzzing. Any title from the s3 ethereal whooshing compilation used as a prompt, actually. Twin Peaks is all about the mystery to me, the awe of mystery and unknowability and the human drive to look beyond and the risks of getting a peek, and about shared consciousness and trauma taking physical form and about the warmth of human connections in an uncaring world. Go wild with the ethereal whooshing!

I love Albert and he breaks my heart, a pacifist who ends his arc shooting his oldest remaining friend after life sucked all the passion and most of the idealism out of him. Is shooting Diane just to see Cooper come back, get her back and disappear with her again trauma enough to make him split? I’d be interested in reading about it, or any other take on his unwavering loyalty to Gordon which should maybe waver after Gordon’s admission that he’s lied to him for 25 years and the aforementioned unmitigated disaster of an ending. But I’m also very interested in his life apart from the disaster that is Blue Rose and his heartbreaking search for Cooper: did he keep in touch with Harry throughout the years, what did they talk about? Was he ever dragged along for a hike in the woods and did something weird happen there? We know he kept in touch with Diane, what did THEY talk about? Does he go on a journey of his own to find her after the ending? Does Tammy come along, do they see each other as friends other than mentor and protégé? What was Phil like as a co-boss back in the day? Did he get a small victory over Windom at some point (maybe even in the present day, given Kenneth Welsh’s recent wonderful interview where he’s adamant that Windom lives)? Does Laura ever visit him in some ghostly manner? He and Denise look like a great duo for a case and/or office shenanigans. We know from TFD that he’s a big jazz enthusiast, something about that? When does he cave in and just accept some aspects of Coop’s investigative method? Just set him loose on another unsuspecting character and I’ll be happy.

If Coop comes back (and I’d love for Coop to come back), I would like it if he came back on his own thanks to having sorted out his crap. After s3, I am not interested in stories about any other character saving Cooper. Albert’s got his wounds to lick dangit. And he’s got friends who can be by his side! ...I do love his dynamic with Coop so much, though. Sigh. I do miss that bastard. Anyway.

Ships: Albert/Coop/Harry and sides thereof, Tammy/Cynthia, Gordon/Phil, Diane/Constance, Lucy/Andy, Chet/Sam.

Canon-specific DNWs: any singular Dreamer being the ‘source’ of canon, BOB (let alone Judy) being forever defeated in the finale, Judy being an active malevolent presence in the characters’ lives, clear explanations for canonical ambiguities, ‘Odessaverse’ being the reality layer, the Fireman’s House by the Sea being the White Lodge, anything that 4 hours video says is the explanation of Twin Peaks

#letter #yuletide 2019

[welanabananaworld]

A Quiet Place - When silence  becomes survival

Imagine a world in which every single sound means death.

Here is the kind of post-apocalyptic world depicted by John Krasinski (The Office) in his first movie as a director, A Quiet Place.

2020, the world has been invaded by hostile and sightless creatures with hypersensitive hearing that kill anything that makes noise. What is left of the world are deserted and desolate towns. The streets are empty, the shops are abandoned. Not a living soul in sight. Only the brave dare to venture there in search of food, medicines or basic items. The Abbott family is one of them. Forced to communicate in Sign Language, Lee, his wife Evelyn and their three children, Regan, Marcus and Beau, try their best to survive by banning any noise that would give their position away. But how can you silence a child whose age rhymes with sensorial exploration? In the opening scene, four-year-old Beau finds a space shuttle toy on a shelf in the supermarket. He tries to grab it and almost drops it by accident, but his father catches it up just in time. Lee takes it away from his son because it is a battery-operated toy which is likely to generate noise. As a loving sister, Regan returns it to her brother without the batteries. Unnoticed, Beau grabs them and meets his family outside. On their way home, they suddenly hear an electronic sound…

In this film, everything is a challenge to silence : childhood, puberty, family life, relationships, parenting. All of these spheres and their dynamics are undermined by silence in return, thus threatening the family balance and making life itself an act of survival. One wrong move and you are sure to be dead. However, the story is not just about survival. The family does not only endure the adverse circumstances but also fights back, hence Evelyn’s unexpected pregnancy one year after Beau’s death. Life goes on after all. This pregnancy helps keep them sane and, in turn, Lee and Evelyn provide the same sense of normalcy to their children by building them a home in the countryside "protected" by ingenious devices meant to drown out noise. Though a victory over despair, Evelyn’s pregnancy still represents an actual danger for the whole family as one can imagine.

Childhood is a challenge to silence because being a child is noisy. A child bursts with life and always wants to play. A child is unpredictable, reckless and is not aware of the risks around him. The opening scene shows full well the difficulty to control a child’s actions. Later on, Regan and Marcus get excited when playing a board game and spill an oil lamp which sets fire to the floor. This is one of the first major noises one can hear and which threaten the whole family. This scene shows that despite all their efforts, the slightest lack of inattention is sufficient to ruin everything they have built so far, thus revealing how fragile their self-imposed discipline is.

Puberty, family life and parenting also challenge silence because they all imply direct communication. Throughout the film, Regan tries to impose herself as a grown-up person, but her father seems to keep pushing her away. Lee also struggles with Marcus. He wishes to harden his son who is always frightened and doesn’t know how to deal with his fears. Without communication, misunderstandings emerge and can disturb family relationships. Without words, it is a difficult task to guide and channel young people’s emotions. Regan's disability (deaf mute) precisely personifies the damage of a lack of communication within the family circle.

As for Evelyn’s pregnancy, it is a shock. Who would think about giving birth to a child in this post-apocalyptic world where death is ever-present? What about the labour itself? Everyone knows that a woman can’t help screaming when delivering a baby and that a new-born comes to life with a cry. This universal fact gives a new perspective regarding life. Life is anything but silence and shouldn’t be otherwise. The paradoxical situation encountered by the family is visually symbolised by the baby’s cot. Made of wood, the cot does also include a kind of wooden “cover” meant to be on top. The baby would be inside with an oxygen mask on him and the cot would then be closed with the cover. Designed to reduce the baby’s cries, this cover makes the cot oddly resembles a coffin. When referring to the soon-to-be-born baby, the ideas of life and death are inseparable. Having a baby means hope for the future but also can bring death to the whole family if not careful. This way of proceeding is another proof of the Abbotts’ ability to adapt and come up with ingenious devices to protect themselves.

The silent childbirth scene is the most frightening scene of the film. Chased by one of the creatures who heard a noise (Evelyn stepped on a nail), Evelyn is about to give birth after her waters broke and seeks refuge in the bathtub after sounding the alarm. The tension is unbearable. Evelyn is all by herself in the house and she can’t scream despite the pain that overwhelms her. The creature is getting closer until Marcus triggers the fireworks upon his father’s request. The sounds of the fireworks allow Evelyn to scream at last. The narrative tension, based on anticipation, uncertainty and investment, grows slowly to a crescendo that grabs the spectators’ guts to the point of getting him exhausted at the outcome, proving the director’s ability to master suspense devices.

In this film, the narrative role of the non-existing voice is to dehumanize the characters. By losing their voice, by being forced to hide and tiptoe, the family members are reduced to fearful animals lurking in the shadows or to ghostly figures who wander in this world of deafening silence.

Not everyone agrees with this state of submissiveness. In a particularly disturbing scene, Lee runs into a confused old man who just lost his wife. Determined to end his suffering, the old man looks right in Lee’s eyes and starts shouting, waiting for one of the creatures to come and kill him. This desperate gesture may appear as a surrender, but it can also be read as an act of bravery. The old man wants to decide for himself. The only thing still in his possession is the control over his own death. The process of getting back his humanity and sense of free will passes through the voice, through an ultimate scream.

The other meaning of this scene is to give a clue about what might be the outcome for one of the characters. This seemingly random encounter has more to offer than a pure moment of tension. As a mirror scene, it acts as a prediction, as a bad omen. Indeed, an ultimate scream is all Lee possesses and can figure out to save his children from sure death. Trapped in the car, Regan and Marcus are being mercilessly attacked by one of the creatures. The only solution is to create a diversion. In a highly moving moment, Lee looks right in his children’s eyes and says “I love you” in Sign Language as an ultimate gesture of fatherly love before screaming at the top of his lungs.

While the forced silence, also used as a metaphor for the unspoken resentments, may have created conflicts within the family circle, the voice, for its part, solves everything and clears up any misunderstandings. By sacrificing himself, Lee proved his love to his children who doubted it for a moment. Regan felt guilty for her brother’s death and thought that her father held her responsible for it. As for Marcus, he thought his father didn’t like him because he was not tough and brave enough. They both realise how much their father loved them. This is a film not only about survival but also about communication. By expressing their voice, in any form, they become a family again in which communication is the driving force behind the family unit.

Regan, the eldest child, turns out to be the key element for destroying the creatures. Deaf and dumb from birth, Regan is the only family member used to live in complete silence. Everything around her is nothing but silence. Paradoxically, her disability is a burden because she is unable to evaluate the noise she is making with her body, that is why she is not allowed to go down the wooden stairs to the basement. Throughout the film, her father keeps trying to arrange a hearing device to make her hear again but each time it is a failure… or at least it is what he believes. Whenever a creature gets close to Regan, her implant starts emitting an awful piercingly-loud high-frequency sound which hurts her and the creature as well. Both Regan and the creature’s heads seem to be about to explode from pain.

At the end of the film, Regan places the implant on a nearby microphone in order to magnify the sound and disorient the creature who is invading the basement in which the whole family seeks refuge. While suffering, the creature exposes the flesh beneath its armoured head, giving a chance to Evelyn to explode its head with a shotgun. Now the Abbott family knows where the weakness lies, nothing can stop them.

In this film, sound reveals itself as both a threat and a solution to the problem the family is facing, thus making sound a full-fledged character in itself. As John Krasinski puts it, “we knew that sound would not only be the main character, but the character. It’s actually the thing that frames the entire movie together.”

A Quiet Place contrasts with traditional thriller horror films as it uses minimal sounds and dialogues to build tension, thus forcing the audience to keep quiet as well and identify with the characters by only hearing normal everyday environmental sounds.

#a quiet place #john krasinski #emily blunt #thriller film #horror film #aliens #creature #creepy #sound cinema #noise #sign language #suspense #silence #post apocalyptic #family #deaf #survival

[theloudpedal]

Porsche Paradise: Rennsport Reunion IV

Starting this Thursday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is the return of Rennsport.  The Rennsport Reunion VI returns to the rolling hills of Salinas in what will be a full sensory overload of all things Porsche.  It is a living and breathing display of Porsche history for four full days that will by all predictions, rival and surpass anything in the automotive and motorsports world.    We covered the last Rennsport Reunion back in 2015 and were blown away at the size and atmosphere of the event.  We live and breath cars and car culture, but we left the last one in utter silence taking days to process what we witnessed.  It was so much we wrote about it in two separate post here and here.

This time around, Rennsport could be even bigger, if that’s even possible.  This year is also the 70th anniversary of the brand, creating what is sure to be additional motivation to make it an unforgettable weekend.  The theme this year is “Marque of Champions” which will highlight the legends of the brand: championship-winning Porsche race cars, the engineers who designed them and the men who drove them to victories around the world.  Approximately 50 legendary drivers, 500 historic and customer cars, including 350 cars in competition, and the full Porsche Factory racing team will be in attendance. As a highlight, the original 356 “No. 1” Roadster will be on display, giving all Porsche enthusiasts a look at the car whose shape, dynamic design, and lightweight construction has inspired all Porsche sports cars. 

This year will also feature a historic line up of Porsche drivers.  Hurley Haywood, the most successful American endurance driver ever; Brian Redman, co-creator of Porsche Rennsport Reunion and racing driver extraordinaire, Vic Elford, who is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his legendary 1968 season, Norbert Singer, lead engineer known as the father of the Porsche 962 as well as the man behind the Carrera GT V10 engine; and Jacky Ickx, six-time Le Mans winner.  Overall, there will be 50-plus legendary drivers on hand.

Twelve current Factory Drivers will also be at the Monterey track, including Patrick Long, Earl Bamber, Timo Bernhard and the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro winning trio of Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Michael Christensen. 

Porsche will also demonstrate something unexpected, Tractors.  Porsche manufactured tractors until 1963 in partnership with industrial firm Mannesman, and on Saturday and Sunday two Porsche tractors will take to the track, Le Mans style as drivers will run to their tractors and start the engines in a race over the first five corners of the track.  The race is expected to take 15 minutes.

We will bring you sights and sounds from that snails paced spectacle and from any others that happen over the weekend. Stay tuned on our Facebook and Instagram pages if you want to follow along. We will bring you all the Porsche action we can this weekend and in the weeks to follow.

Schedule:

FRIDAY, September 28, 2018

7:00am Gates Open

7:00am - 5:00pm Registration: Embassy Suites, Seaside 8:00am - 8:25am Practice Group 1 - PCA Sholar-Friedman Cup

8:35am - 9:00am Practice Group 7 - Flacht Cup

9:10am - 9:35am Practice Group 6 - Stuttgart Cup

9:45am - 10:15am 919 Exhibition Laps

10:15am - 10:40am 917 Exhibition Laps

10:50am - 11:15am Practice Group 3 - Eifel Trophy

11:25am - 11:50am Practice Group 2 - Werks Trophy

11:50pm - 12:55pm LUNCH

12:00pm - 12:20pm PCA Parade Lap (120)

12:20pm - 12:45pm 911RSR Exhibition Laps

12:55pm - 1:20pm Practice Group 4 - Weissach Cup

1:30pm - 1:55pm Practice Group 5 - Gmund Cup

2:00pm - 2:20pm 918, 911R & GT2RS Parade Laps

2:20pm - 2:45pm Practice Group 7 - Flacht Cup

2:55pm - 3:20pm Practice Group 3 - Eifel Trophy

3:25pm - 3:45pm Parade/Exhibition laps of Porsche Racing History

3:45pm - 5:45pm Concours on Pit Lane

4:00pm - 5:30pm Photo & Video track time

SATURDAY, September 29, 2018

7:00am Gates Open

7:00am - 5:00pm Registration: Embassy Suites, Seaside

8:00am - 8:25am Qualifying Race Group 1 - PCA Sholar-Friedman Cup

8:35am - 9:00am Qualifying Race Group 5 - Gmund Cup

9:10am - 9:35am Qualifying Race Group 4 - Weissach Cup

9:35am - 10:20am 919 Exhibition Laps

10:20pm - 10:45am Practice Group 6 - Stuttgart Cup

10:50am - 11:10am 918, 911R & GT2RS Parade Laps

11:15am - 11:40pm Qualifying Race Group 3 - Eifel Trophy

11:50am - 12:15pm Qualifying Race Group 2 - Werks Trophy

12:15pm - 1:55pm LUNCH

12:25pm - 12:50pm 911RSR Exhibition Laps

12:50pm - 1:10pm PCA Parade Laps (120)

1:15pm - 1:45pm Tractor Race

1:55pm - 2:20pm Qualifying Race Group 7 - Flacht Cup

2:25pm - 2:45pm 959 Gathering, R Gruppe & 356 Outlaw Parade Laps

2:50pm - 3:15pm Qualifying Race Group 6 - Stuttgart Cup

3:20pm - 3:40 pm Parade/Exhibition laps of Porsche Racing History 3:40pm Pre Race

3:45pm - 4:10pm RACE Group 3 - EIEFEL TROPHY

4:20pm - 4:45pm RACE Group 2 - WERKS Trophy

4:55pm - 5:15pm 917 Exhibition Laps

5:30pm - 6:10pm Photo & Video track time

SUNDAY, September 30, 2018

7:00am Gates Open

7:00am - 12:00pm Registration: Embassy Suites, Seaside

8:00am - 8:25am Warm-up Group 1 - PCA Sholar-Friedman Cup

8:35am - 9:00am Warm-up Group 5 - Gmund CUP

9:00am - 9:20am PCA Parade Laps (120)

9:25am - 9:50am Warm-up Group - 4 Weissach Cup

10:00am - 10:25am Warm-up Group 7 - Flacht Cup

10:25am - 10:45am Parade/Exhibition of Porsche Racing

10:45am - 11:10am Warm-up Group 6 - Stuttgart Cup

11:10am - 11:35am 959 Gathering, R Gruppe & 356 Outlaw Parade Laps

11:35am - 12:00pm RACE Group 1 - PCA Sholar-Friedman Cup

12:05pm - 12:30pm 911RSR Exhibition Laps

12:10pm Podium, Race Group 1, 2, 3

12:30pm - 1:00pm 919 Exhibition Laps

1:00pm - 2:20pm LUNCH

1:10pm - 1:35pm 917 Exhibition Laps

1:40pm - 2:10pm Tractor Races

2:25pm Pre Race

2:30pm - 2:55pm RACE Group 4 - WEISSACH CUP

3:05pm - 3:30pm RACE Group 5 - GMUND TROPHY

3:35pm - 4:00pm 918 911R & GT2RS Parade Laps

4:05pm - 4:30pm RACE Group 6 - STUTTGART CUP

4:30pm - 5:00pm Photo & Video track time

4:45pm Podium, Race Group 4, 5, 6

5:00pm - 5:25pm RACE Group 7 - Flacht Cup

5:35pm Podium, Race Group 7

Download Schedule

Download Entry List

GALLERY FROM 2015 RENNSPORT

#Rennsport #Porsche

[fmdjaewonarchive]

MAMA 2016.

date: 2 december 2016 place: mnet asian music awards 2016, hong kong mentions of: @fmdwooseung , @fmdguanting , @fmdnamsoo , @fmdxsamsoo word count: 1948 synopsis: unity’s first mama attendance was a memorable one, a monumental one even. winning best new male artist was an unexpected victory and somewhere between getting congratulated and watching the emotions on his members’ faces jaewon finds himself realizing how much he gained in his life over the past year and just how thankful he is for that .(also known as: mama 2016, the legendary night where jaewon crumbled into pieces in front of the entire nation but for once, it was okay. he wasn’t alone.)

 “and the award for best new male artist goes to…”

please be unity, please please please be unity, for the love of god please. 

"unity.”

chaos erupted, loud screams exploding all around him, the far more gentle sound of surprised gasps directly next to him only barely registering in his mind on top of all the noise. the hand that had been deadlocked with his pulling him up from his seat and before his legs fully stabilized he got dragged into a bone-crushing hug, a mess of pats on his shoulder, a hand excitedly tugging on the sleeve of his jacket, multiple pairs of arms wrapped around his torso, max’s face pressed into his chest being the only body part of which he could actually figure out who it belonged to, the rest just a mess of tangled limbs and pressed together chests. he didn’t know who exactly he was holding onto in return, one arm wrapped around a waist grip so tight he could feel his muscles burn from the strain but if he wouldn’t jaewon knew he’d most likely collapse on the spot. it was almost impossible to keep track of it all but somewhere amidst of the sticky, excited embrace, he brought his free hand up to ruffle through max’s hair, petting it softly as the younger looked up at him with big eyes, expression riddled with both shock and astonishment and jaewon knew the image would never leave him, he didn't want it to, he wanted to remember seeing the younger so ecstatic forever. the smaller rapper flashed him a stunned smile before again, burying his head in jaewon's chest and all he could do was tighten his hold, keeping the boy closed to him as a sign of affection and appreciation. 

eventually, what felt like ages, but could not have been more than a handful of seconds they untangled, the grips of his member soon replaced by the encouraging handshakes from their seniors that were closest by and luckily he seemed to bow thankfully out of reflex because his mind was still trying to wrap itself around the situation.

their entire way to the stage was filled with congratulations left and right, the screams of their fans still echoing in the background and it was pretty much a sensory overload, everything seemingly happening at 50% the usual speed in order to process in his mind. his legs felt numb, it was a miracle he could walk at all with how evident the tremble in his step was. 

when the award was pressed into his hands, it all finally settled in, the fog over his mind immediately clearing as reality hit jaewon like a train. for the first time since the anticipated words had fallen he looked around, really looked around, letting all of it settle in his brain. this moment was one to remember forever, he wanted to capture all of it, the view, the emotions, the rush of adrenaline, and save it in a precious place in his memory to keep it safe forever. letting his eyes sweep over the large venue, the section where the artists were sitting, the crowd were their fanbase was still cheering and shouting for them, he felt the swell of pride in his chest, the happiness he was feeling in that very almost too overwhelming to take, as if he was about to burst.

there was a hand pressed against his lower back, silently encouraging him to step towards the microphone in front of him. there were no words in his head, no coherent thoughts on what to say that could possibly describe all that he was currently feeling and thinking but he knew he’d have to try anyway, he was the leader, everyone was waiting for him to say something.

collectively, they shouted their introduction and jaewon let his eyes drift off to the other boys. immediately he choked up, suddenly too overcome with the wave of emotions that crashed into him. most of them were crying, eyes glossy, hands locked together for support, some of them holding on to each other, his gaze crossed with guanting for a second, the eyes of their youngest glistening with tears and hope and for just a second, it was almost like he was looking at small, ten-year-old ting again, with his broken korean but broad, bashful smile. but he wasn't that scared little kid anymore, especially in his red carpet look, the chinese boy looked so much older than he really was. he had watched ting grow up for the past 7 years, he was almost an adult, how could jaewon be anything but proud of how far he had come? how far they all had come?

these were his boys, the ones he spend days with locked in practice rooms striving for nothing short of perfection, who he had seen collapse onto their beds as soon as they came home out of exhaustion and immediately falling asleep with content smiles on their faces, who he had encouraged when they had rough days, who he had shared late-night conversations with about their hopes and dreams and fears. namsoo, who he had worked with for hours upon hours learning their choreographies inside out but also made sure they knew how to help the other's learn them. max, with who had been up late night with him, working on their raps, perfecting flows, developing their techniques, writing lines. guanting, who while playful at times, never protested when being told to keep working no matter how tired he was. and samsoo, the oldest of the group, the one taking some of the burdens of leadership of jaewon's shoulders and taking them on his own without ever expecting anything in return for it. this was his unity, his boys, his family and they had made it, together.

and something in jaewon broke.

the first loud sob broke free from the back of his throat, escaping him before he could clasp his hand in front of his mouth. the first tear escaped from his eyes, rolling down his cheeks and dissolving in the fabric of his shirt, and then another one, and another one until he was crying helplessly almost into the palm of his hand. it was almost like he could feel the collective gasp of surprise coming from the boys around him, all baffled by the sudden outburst. never had shown jaewon this side of himself before in front of them, leave alone with thousands of people watching. he wanted to get himself together, to suck it all up and hold his speech like he was supposed to but for what was the first in years, he couldn’t. there was no shutting his emotions down and shoving it all away, all jaewon could do was let it out, as pathetic as it made him feel.

there was a pair of hands helping him stand up straight, a body suddenly in far closer proximity to his, holding onto him firmly. jaewon turned to him, forcing his eyes that had been clenched shut up and staring right at samsoo. his best friend’s support almost made him cry harder but with one hand placed on his upper arm, the other one rubbing soothing patterns against his back and his body pressed against his from the back so he could shift some of his weight on the older, samsoo was both literally and figuratively keeping him grounded. for a second, he just stared at his best friend, taking a second to regain at least enough composure to get through his speech. soo nodded encouragingly at him, no words exchanged at all. max, who had been standing on the other side of him, took a small step forward, taking a hold of his hand and squeezing it softly before releasing and stepping back again, effectively reminding jaewon of how all of them had his back.

he cleared his throat, trembling fingers adjusting the microphone one more time before forcing himself to speak. “thank you, for letting us receive this award.” his voice was hoarse as he sniffled softly. “for the past year, unity has worked very hard and to be able to receive this award before hitting our first anniverary is a great honor.” there was a soft squeeze in his upperarm, an unspoken you’re doing well. “thank you to dimensions, to all our producers, choreographers, coaches and everyone that has helped us grow and develop, thank you to all of our angels for supporting us unconditionally, thank you to all my members for always working hard and giving everything you got-” his breath caught in his throat again, another sob breaking free, his eyes cast upwards, eyes brimming with fresh tears, he didn’t see much more than the ceiling, decorated by a massive collection of lights and such but in his mind, he imagined the night sky, looking directly at the stars. “and also someone special, my parents. mom, dad, please don’t worry about me anymore from up there okay, your son is doing well. i'm very sorry you don't get to be here to see it, i hope i made you proud. this one is for you.” his voice cracked, no longer able to suppress his sobs, his tone wavering while sucking in hiccupping breaths. “unity will continue to work harder in the future, thank you for letting us receive this award.” the words were almost incoherent as a new wave of sobs broke free, uncontrollable and inconsolable like back in the beginning.

they all huddled around him, unity gathering in one more tight hug. jaewon passed the award over to the youngest two, tears still slipping down his face as he watched their silent awe over the embodiment of their achievement, their eyes glistening with tears and hope, drawing another sob from him. watching the happiness on their faces, the relief and joy and pride of being able to take home such an award, it was all jaewon would ever need to keep going as a leader. namsoo, who had noticed their leader was not showing any signs of putting himself back together soon supportively patted his back. as they broke the hug, the main dancer wrapped an arm around his lower back, guiding him along. it was good he did, if not jaewon may just have collapsed there and then, he sure wouldn't have made it all the way back on his own strength.

once they reached their places jaewon let himself crumble all over again, this time in samsoo’s chest, face hidden and tears soaking the fabric of his best friend’s shirt sobs even more unrestricted and intense than before, his arms tightly wrapping around his best friend's torso as he held onto him tightly. the older accepted all of it, stroking through jaewon’s hair while silently mumbling how well he did, a hand (that jaewon somehow managed to identify as max’s) lightly squeezing his arm as silent support. it was the first time jaewon had let himself break like this in front of the public eye. he furiously wished he could stop crying already but he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried, too overwhelmed by so many different emotions ranging from euphoria to pride to gratefulness to sorrow and by the looks of it he wouldn't stop sobbing anytime soon. in that moment, he didn’t know where to begin to regain his composure but that was okay, for the time being, unity would hold him together until he had found the strength to do it himself again and for that, he couldn't be more thankful.

#*:･ﾟ♛– «filled with all these empty moments» // solos. #«max // connections.» #( ting. ) #«namsoo // connections.» #«samsoo // connections.» #//hello i wrote smth sad #//pls i worked on this forever give me validation

[zodiacspot]

Horoscope - Jan 26 2017

Aries Horoscope

(Mar 21 – Apr 19)

Although there are professional responsibilities to attend to now, you're dreaming of having a day off to follow the whims of your heart. It's difficult to predict your rapid mood changes; one moment you're impatient with others and the next you're on the hunt for a sidekick to join you in a spontaneous adventure. If you let yourself go wherever the wind blows you today, you're likely to end up at a dead end with nothing to show for it. Tap into the industrious energy of the persistent Capricorn Moon to steady yourself among the temptations. Keep calm and remember your roots.

Taurus Horoscope

(Apr 20 – May 20)

You're feeling the love and you want nothing more than to gather with your pals at your favorite restaurant. The problem is that you're known to overindulge in such sensory stimulus when the circumstances are right, and today it's difficult to stop once you start. Although you know you should think about the effect your revelry has on your health, it's a slippery slope. Fellowship is nourishing for the soul, but bring along a Plan B if your Plan A for self-control goes out the window.

Gemini Horoscope

(May 21 – Jun 20)

You're happy to throw yourself into your work today because the recognition you receive makes you feel better about your current situation. In fact, you may be craving accolades because there's something bothering you that you prefer not to think about. While your attempts to seek approval are understandable, be aware that whatever you're avoiding inside will be there when the applause dies down. The Dalai Lama cautions, "We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves."

Cancer Horoscope

(Jun 21 – Jul 22)

Your desire to feel secure may be projected onto a close relationship, driving you to be a bit too protective now. Circumstances seem unpredictable and you wish you could find solid ground. At the same time, you secretly want to escape and seek refuge at home base. Whether the dangers you perceive are real or not, they're likely to trip you up today. Don't get too carried away with preventative measures. Sometimes by holding on too tightly, you end up losing what you were trying to save.

Leo Horoscope

(Jul 23 – Aug 22)

A casual conversation with your partner or a close friend may go a lot deeper than either of you initially expected. You suddenly want to know if you're truly loved and your neediness might drive you to seek the words of affirmation you long to hear. It's perfectly natural to want some validation but it's probably doing more harm than good when your concern over being accepted monopolizes your thoughts. Love yourself first and the world will follow.

Virgo Horoscope

(Aug 23 – Sep 22)

The problem isn't staying on task, it's that you have so many tasks you want to stay on. There is a plethora of alluring ideas that you believe would make great projects, but you know you should stick to the ones that are the most practical. The earthy Capricorn Moon advises a pragmatic approach, but wild Uranus and extravagant Jupiter urge you to go big or go home. This cosmic conflict creates an annoying buzz, but methodically filing away ideas for another day gives you the chance to focus on what's most important today.

Libra Horoscope

(Sep 23 – Oct 22)

You may have made one too many promises, and you plan to follow through with all of them today. But you also long for some down time to do what you want as well. You constantly must adjust to make room for your obligations and your personal desires. Balance is hard to come by now, but the steadying influence of the consistent Capricorn Moon favors keeping your feet on the ground and putting one foot in front of the other. Focus on the present and the future will take care of itself.

Scorpio Horoscope

(Oct 23 – Nov 21)

You might enjoy a recreational project so much that you lose track of time completely. You're going all in today, even though there are a lot of errands to run before day's end. Optimistic Jupiter and passionate Venus align, promising that you will produce something incredible if you pour yourself into your creative endeavors. However, this planetary duo is known for exaggeration, so be aware that you may not get as far as you think if you succumb to denial or procrastination. Concentration is the secret to your success.

Sagittarius Horoscope

(Nov 22 – Dec 21)

You're so eager to let loose that you're already planning for the weekend. Creating a mental list of friends to invite and places to go is distracting you from your work, making it nearly impossible to focus on the here and now. However, a familiar voice in the back of your mind warns that you shouldn't let your festivities get out of hand because of the strain it puts on your pocketbook. The calculating Capricorn Moon plods through your 2nd House of Finances, cautioning you to stay cognizant of your budget. Setting manageable limits enables you to still have fun without breaking the bank.

Capricorn Horoscope

(Dec 22 – Jan 19)

One thing after another is being added to your plate, and you're under the mistaken impression that you're capable of doing it all. However, the reliable Capricorn Moon's presence in your 1st House of Self hampers your objectivity. You find yourself rushing to help out coworkers when asked today, and unexpected things pop up at home that must be handled as well. You may have to say no to someone even if you think you can manage more. Establishing boundaries isn't admitting defeat; it's preparing for victory.

Aquarius Horoscope

(Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Your mind is halfway across the world, roving from place to place like a traveling merchant. Your thoughts flit here and there but never return to your present location, making it a struggle to complete even the simplest chore without drifting off into another dream. Your physical energy is mellow today thanks to the sobering Capricorn Moon taking refuge in your 12th House of Rest. J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, "Not all those who wander are lost."

Pisces Horoscope

(Feb 19 – Mar 20)

The urge to merge is so strong that it's a challenge to think about anything else. Whether it's a friend who really understands you or a lover who shares your dreams, it's as if you only have one setting when you open up today: full blast. The tenuous connection between magnetic Venus and expansive Jupiter creates an abundance of emotional energy that's difficult to regulate, pulling people in like a vortex. It may seem like perfect love is just a heartbeat away, but reality waits under the delusions of grandeur. A diamond with a flaw is worth more than a pebble without imperfections.

Source : Rick Levine

Read more about your horoscope here

#ZodiacSpot #Horoscope #Horoscopes #Astrology #Daily

[trulycertain]

Tru’s Writing Notes

I’ve had people ask me after seeing my feedback on stories if I’m as overanalytical with my own stuff. The answer is yes. My stuff may often be written at 4 AM and typo-laden, but yes. 

Because of that and @thesecondsealwrites talking about process (though unlike her post, this is more the why/how than the everyday practicalities of writing), here are some of the notes I’ve left myself in my journal. These apply mostly to the way I write my original rather than my fic, but they can apply to both. Can I add: a lot of these probably seem very obvious, I know, and I don’t always manage to bear them in mind. Also, I’m not a pro or even a talented amateur, and these aren’t addressing an audience, they’re addressing me - and they apply more to the way I write than writing in general. But if anyone might find this interesting or wants to know if I worry about my writing, here’s your answer.

People tend to like a strong story, with good reason. The best plots tend to be simple, and then you build outwards and maybe twist. A compelling central arc, certain genre tropes or something familiar tend to be what work: forbidden romance, or an unsolved murder and a maverick. We have a fair idea of what’s going to happen, but it’s the anticipation - and/or the eventual subversion - that brings the fun. Plot and drive.

Again, try to have a strong idea of where it’s going, or the spirit of it. Terry Pratchett once said that you want to be able to write your own blurb: it’s a good sign if you can distil the essence of your story into a hundred words or so.

Just like real people, characters have verbal tics, peculiar turns of phrase and certain mannerisms. Learn them, and use but don’t overuse. Keep it natural.

Some people just don’t like present tense, or past, or first person, for whatever reason. You may be buggered from the start, and sometimes all you can do is try. Try and know your audience, try your best. Try not to bang your head against a wall.

However, present tense is a slippery bastard. At its best, there’s almost nothing that can match it for immediacy and visceral intensity. At its worst, it can either be staccato, bleak and overly clinical - or at the other end of the scale, it can be overwrought sensory overload. Either way, a reader will be put off. Ideally, I try to balance the two and end up somewhere in the middle: punch and verve, but with restraint and room for the reader to infer. I rarely manage this, but God do I try.

Speaking of inference: don’t assume the reader is an idiot. Sometimes the best punchline or explanation is the one that’s never given. Myself, my favourite horror stories are the ones that don’t go for shlock and shocks: they’re the ones where I finish them feeling mildly unsettled, go and do the washing-up while my mind puts the pieces together, and then go, five or ten minutes later, “Oh God, it was behind the door the whole time! That’s... Argh.”

People are terrifyingly complicated. Every reader brings something to the text, whether they’re aware of it or not. This can add unexpected beauty or poignancy, but it can also make implication, idioms, dialect and offence into total minefields. People can come out with things that would never have occurred to you. Something might fly over someone’s head, or something might turn out to be an incredibly offensive phrase in their country and perfectly innocuous in yours; someone might find your happy ending the most depressing thing in the known universe, and someone else might hate your likeable romantic hero because he reminds them of their arsehole ex. Sometimes you can anticipate this and take countermeasures for clarity’s sake; often you don’t need to because theirs is a perfectly valid interpretation and part of the joy of making a cake is seeing people eat it; and mostly you just can’t know, because people come in so many different permutations and you’re not actually psychic, so leave them to it. Gah.

Watch your tenses. Things like flashbacks are nightmare territory and ripe for grammar slippage. Never be afraid or too proud to read up on usage.

Same with semicolons. Tricky little gits.

People mangle language. Doesn’t matter whether you’ve had the “perfect” education, everyone does it at least sometimes. People lose words, misuse vocabulary (me, all the time), go for double negatives, mix metaphors. You always want your dialogue to be readable, and you don’t want your portrayals to be hackneyed or offensive, but it’s generally unnecessary to aim for perfection in dialogue unless it’s for effect: say, if you want to make a character less approachable, if you want to show they’re not human, or if rose-tinted dialogue is a stylistic choice. Generally, true-to-life dialogue is inherently descriptive rather than prescriptive.

Sometimes said mangling leads to fascinating new quirks, dialect and expressions.

Speech is very different from thought. A character’s narrative voice is often quite different to their dialogue voice. Thought is much faster than speech, and sometimes someone will answer their own question before they’ve finished saying it. Thought is by nature more disjointed, and thought is also a monologue, unless everyone’s suddenly turned telepathic or you’re dealing with dissociation/multiple personalities. In contrast, speech has a listener, which changes it. Nerves can make phrases choppy or make them fail completely. Often people interrupt each other. Realistic dialogue should reflect this.

On a similar note, let your characters talk. Know where to draw the line - no-one wants the tension ruined by a half-hour conversation about socks - but very few people are all business or all dramatic emotion all the time. (Those who seemingly are will have reasons for it, and those are often worth exploring, too.) Unless you’re on a particular word and/or time limit, let your characters occasionally be real people whose eyeliner runs, or who dislike artichokes, or who make bad jokes - and people who don’t revolve completely around your protagonist, with their own internal lives. When done right, relateable is not boring - especially if you’re working in a fantastic or dramatic canon. The odd anchor to reality can grab your heart and tug.

But do know where to draw the line. Let them be enigmatic and heroic when they need to, because often the magic is in that contrast between the epic and the mundane. Characters can do and be what we can’t. Don’t take away all their mystery and more idealised qualities.

There’s no one way to do funny, and there’s no way to write an instruction manual for it. Again, like most other things, it’s a matter of interpretation: everyone’s tickled by different things. But often humour relies on the subversion of expectation - bathos and anticlimax, for example, or giving an established word/phrase an entirely new meaning - or it relies on particular character idiosyncrasies, or on the other side, the utter, crushing fulfilment of expectations. (”Save the world, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.”) A good source of jokes is often that “I bloody knew it!” feeling.

Characters have biases, too. Always try and account for this in the narrative.

Foreshadowing is your friend, and often a key to emotional closure for the reader. Unless you can do some serious, stylish authorial sleight-of-hand, deus ex machina endings will prompt pissed-offness rather than satisfied applause. Even if you don’t introduce your secret weapon/s early on - best right near the beginning, if possible - at least get the key themes and characters down. You want to get an, “Oh, of course,” not “Well, that was a total arse-pull.”

Screenwriters sometimes talk of an A-plot and a B-plot. The A-plot’s the main one, and B is a seemingly separate subplot that inevitably turns out to be all tangled up with A. It’s pretty standard for detective dramas: there’s a murder, they start investigating, and the seemingly unrelated corpse on the other side of town always ends up being central to the case. A and B always converge. Often, if it’s a story with depth and a well-reasoned plot, the B plot will grow naturally. Of course, that’s only one way of doing it: some stories have a strong, driving A plot that drives everything and stands on its own, and have some C, D, E, F, so on plots. I admit, I’m not much good at the A + B plot thing, so I don’t tend to do it. If I have subplots, they tend to be less connected and a bit more character-driven, rather than about world-saving/murder-solving like the A plot. (I tend to half-jokingly call these C plots, where the C stands for “character” or “crying.”) Good characters usually write their own C plots - they have ulterior motives, hidden aspects, unexpected connections, and if you let them wander off they’ll make trouble for themselves. C plots are connected to the main plot, but unlike B plots, not a fundamental part of it. Sorry, screenwriters, for the terminology mangling.

Another trick to nick from Hollywood: the meet-cute. Sometimes you want someone to enter the narrative sneakily and unobtrusively, but often, especially with protagonists and love interests, never underestimate the power of a good, memorable character introduction. Audiences remember the ways they meet your characters, and the ways that characters meet eaxch other.

It’s not necessary for every story, but often it’s good to have a rock-bottom moment where everything looks hopeless. It reminds your audience viscerally of the stakes and penalties for failure, and it makes eventual victory even sweeter because it’s against the odds. Unless the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train. In that case, rock on with your downer-ending self.

Often the best plot comes from character. (After all, Greek dramatists went on about this all the time with concepts like hubris and hamartia.) Even when nations clash, nations are run by flawed, corrupt people. Antagonists ought to have strong motivations unless you’re writing senseless violence/cruelty intentionally. So on. People often talk about the heart of drama being conflict, and some people, taking that to heart, write a war or their couple arguing. Yeah, that can work brilliantly, but there are other ways to do it, and conflict can be smaller-scale, too. It can be as simple as different aspects of the same character clashing; for instance, if they’re torn between love and duty (there’s a reason that one’s so popular), or the conflict between their past and present selves.

#writing #tru talks #tru rambles #long post #god i probably sound so bloody arrogant #but did i mention this is mostly me prodding myself and my stories? #not anyone else necessarily

[journalofsportsmedicine]

Brain Training with Fractal Optical Stimulation to Improve the Performance of Table Tennis Athletes- Juniper Publishers

Juniper Publishers- Journal of Physical Fitness, Medicine & Treatment in Sports

Introduction

Table tennis, as a dynamic game with a moving emotional background, makes high demands on the physical and mental qualities of athletes. Temperament, reaction speed, attention and visual perception distinguish high-class players [1]. The resulting emotional disturbances can cause a decrease in psychophysiological reliability, adversely affecting the athlete’s technical and tactical performance [2,3]. The success of professional tennis players largely depends on the psychological state before and during the competition, the ability to instantly relax and strain at certain moments, adequately assess their strengths. It is known that among the best tennis players with an equal physical condition the winners are those who will be able to maintain their cognitive functions at the highest level under conditions of prolonged of physical and mental stress, who will not have sudden changes in the balance between the processes of inhibition and excitation in the central nervous system [4]. An important observation of sports psychologists is that at the highest level of sporting achievements the gap between victory and defeat is determined by the mental ability of the athlete [4,5].

To combat anxiety, a common problem for all athletes, methods are needed that help to accelerate recovery processes (such as relaxation techniques and breathing exercises), but at the same time, the athletes remain concentrated, ready for instant decision making. It is necessary to further search for methods for correcting psycho-emotional state, maintaining or increasing cognitive abilities, especially in a state of fatigue and overexertion, increasing the speed of recovery of athletes. In the search for new technologies that can influence the brain and improve its functions, the possibilities of  audio and visual stimulation are being studied today. Effects of rhythmic sensory stimulation are based on the “Frequency Follow Response” phenomenon also called as a “Brainwave Entrainment” related with a high ability of the brain to synchronize its dominant oscillatory activity with the rhythm of external low-frequency influences [6]. Through physical stimuli (sound or light), one can act on brain activity, memory and other cognitive functions of a person [7].

Rhythmic stimulation is so far driven by stimuli of a rigidly set frequency of sound and light signals, which, however, does not allow reconstructing a complex set of physiological functions [8,9]. Healthy physiological processes are known to have fractal dynamics, which is lost in aging and pathology [10,11]. Stress has an impact on the activity of the brain [12] and can induce alterations in learning and memory processes [13-15]. Stress alters long-range correlations (fractal behavior) of physiological systems. In persons with emotional disorders, physiological systems were shown to be characterized by lowered complexity and show less flexibility to adjust to changing conditions [16]. In 2013, we for the first time drew attention to the importance of the fractal structure of light flashes in the electrophysiological diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases of the retina and the brain [17]. In subsequent publications, we substantiated the advisability of studying the effects of fractal stimulation as a new approach to neurorehabilitation in traumas and brain diseases, and as a method of brain training in healthy individuals who need to restore their functions quickly [8,9].

The latter would be especially important for athletes to maintain a psycho-emotional state. Given the current scientific understanding of the importance of fractal stimulation for restoring the dynamics of brain activity, it is essential to study the influence of fractal stimuli for enhancing and restoring the physical and mental performance of table tennis athletes. We assume that in healthy individuals, fractal photo-stimulation by low-intensity complex-structured flickering, whose parameters are close to the activity of a healthy brain, through the mechanism of brainwave synchronization will play the role of cognitive brain training and promote favorable psychophysiological changes in athletes. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of short-term training using fractal optical stimulation on the performance of table tennis athletes.

Materials and Methods

12 students of Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism (RSU PESYT) having a basic level of training in table tennis took part in the test. Participants were divided into the control and the main group by six students. In each group, testing was conducted twice: before and after a 10-minute break. In the main group, in the time of the break, the training of the brain was carried out using ten minutes fractal photo-stimulation. In the control group, instead of optical stimulation, a quiet rest was used before further testing. Then, the physiological shifts in the control and main groups were compared. Low-intensity fractal stimulation has been performing using the device, in which LED lamps are mounted in the body of the virtual reality glasses. The photo-stimulator produces a non-uniform scattered light field for both eyes with nonlinearly generated light signals (the maximal intensity 10-12 Lx at the cornea). The fractal dimension (FD) of the complex-structured signal specified by the computer program was 1.4. Fractal structure of signals is created based on Weierstrass functions. The study has been carried out following the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki, the Local Ethics Committee of the RSU PESYT and with the informed consent of the students.

In work, psychophysiological tests were used, including assessment of a simple visual motor reaction (SVMR), contact tremorometry, investigation of the critical frequency of flicker fusion (CFF) (critical flicker frequency) and pulsometry, and motor tests (test with targets). Psychophysiological tests were conducted with the help of a particular program “NSPsychoTest.” In the test with the targets, the method of Multiball (MB) was used. With this method, 20 balls were throwing into a specific zone (right far corner-test No. 1 and left far corner-test No. 2). In the first test, when the balls are serviced to the right-hand corner, the tennis player had to execute the forehand stroke diagonally to the given target, located in the right-hand corner. In the second test, when the balls were being fed to the left corner, the subject had to execute the backhand stroke diagonally to the given target, located in the left-hand corner. The size of the target is 20*20cm. Before the testing began, an attempt was made in the form of 2 trial strokes on the thrown ball. The number of successful strokes in the target was estimated. Strokes were recorded using carbon copy. Statistical analysis was performed using STATISTICA (TIBCO Software Inc., Version 13.3). The indices for all the tests before and after the break for rest or fractal stimulation are presented in the Tables 1-4.

Results

Test for a Simple Visual-Motor Reaction

In the main group, the use of the device led to a significant (p≤0.05) improvement in the SVMR by 6.48%. In the control group, on the contrary, the reaction rate decreased (correspondently, the time of reaction increased) by 0.43% suggesting that ordinary rest for 10 minutes is not enough for a complete recovery of reaction time. The phenomenon of the significant reduction of the SVMR after the one séance of fractal photo-stimulation may be related to an improvement of the mobility of nervous processes.

Critical Frequency of Flicker Fusion

CFF was evaluated separately for both eyes. In the main group, the increase in this indicator for the right eye was more significant (p≤0.05) than in the control group. CFF averaged 14.77% after the fractal stimulation compared with 4.5% after the regular rest (Table 1). The increase in the parameters for the left eye of athletes in the main group was also better than in the control group (p≤0.05) and amounted to 9.25% and 1.8% accordingly. Thus, in the main group, the lability of visual pathways restored after exercise stress more efficiently if the brain’s training with fractal optical stimulation is used than in conventional rest for both eyes. This positive effect of fractal stimulation was more pronounced for the left eye.

Contact Tremorometry

Two parameters of contact tremorometry were estimated - the average frequency of touch (AFT, Hz) and the average duration of the touch (ADT, s). The AFT value in the main group showed a significant (p≤0.05) decrease by 22.3% after the fractal stimulation. In the control group, it decreased by 8.05% after the normal rest. The ADT parameter was reliably decreased by 25.37% (p≤0.05) in the main group, and in the control group, it improved only by 7.6%. Thus, a significant positive dynamic was noted for the psychophysiological parameters of athletes when using the device of fractal optical stimulation.

The Motor Tests

The results of the motor tests were unexpected. After the photo-stimulation, when performing the test with target number 1, the number of strokes in the main group did not change (0%), while in the control group the accuracy by 6.8% deteriorated following the rest pause. When performing the test with target number 2, the number of strokes after a short rest significantly (p<0.05) increased in both groups/ it changes by 13% in the main group and by 9.6% - in the control group.

Pulsometry

In the test of pulsometry, the heart rate was found decreased by 14.7% in the main group and 15.1% - in the control group. A practically equal improvement in the indices shows that the short-term fractal stimulation affects insignificantly for vegetative functions.

Discussion

Analysis of the link between internal and external training loads and the recovery-stress state is essential in sport practice for avoiding negative adaptations in high-performance sports [18-20]. This issue is especially important considering that in high-performance sports the recovery-stress state depends on the individual ability of the athlete to recover from the high physical and psychological loads [21-23]. In addition to defining the individual relationship of the training load and recoverystress state for the subject, it is necessary to develop new approaches to individual reduction of the period of recovery after intensive training and highly stressful activity. A theory linking the development and maintenance of the health structure and activity of the brain with the fractal complexity of visual and other environmental signals affecting a person during his life is grounded in 2015 [8]. From the theory, it follows that sensory stimulation of a person with low-intensity stimuli of fractal dynamics can be promising for improving and quickly restoring cognitive activity and human adaptive capabilities. We proposed that the using of fractal stimulation can be a prospective method of brain training in healthy individuals to better recovery after stressful situations and psycho-emotional overloads [9].

In this pilot study, we first estimated the impact of fractal optical stimulation for enhancing and restoring the physical and mental performance of table tennis athletes. The results of the study demonstrate that low-intensity stimulation with complex-structured optical signals positively influences the psychophysiological parameters characterizing the physical and mental performance of table tennis athletes. Brain’s training with the short-term fractal stimulation improved the SVMR and CFF values significantly. This effect was much more essential compared to a rest impact in the control group. It suggests that for a complete recovery of time of the SVMR, it is not enough of the quiet rest for 10 minutes. It seems reasonable that the short break between training can be more productive if to increase the rest time or use methods increasing its efficacy. The observed an interesting fact of a significant decrease in the time of SVMR, possibly, will be useful for the planning of training and rest of athletes to provide better results. This phenomenon of the significant SVMR improvement after the short-time fractal photo-stimulation may be associated with an increase in the mobility of nervous processes in the cortical regions of the visual system. This proposition is also confirmed by an analysis of the changes in CFFs in the control and main groups. The lability of visual pathways restored after exercise stress more efficiently if the brain’s training is applied with fractal optical stimulation than in regular rest for both eyes. In our experiment, this positive effect of fractal stimulation was more pronounced for the left eye.

The fractal stimulation also had the several times more prominent impact to the parameters of contact tremorometry than the ordinary rest. Thus, in the main group, when using the brain training device, a significantly favorable dynamics was noted for the studied psychophysiological parameters of athletes. The results of the motor tests were unexpected. Although the photo-stimulation did not change the efficiency of motor test with target number 1, in the control group, the data were even less satisfactory. These data indicate, perhaps, the objective inexpediency (doubtful utility) of short breaks in physical training that may give a negative result instead of sporting success. In any case, fractal stimulation has shown the possibility to level out these negative influences. Measurements of heart rate showed that the fractal stimulation insignificantly impacts vegetative functions after the single 10-minute séance.

Conclusion

The stimulation with low-intensity complex-structured optical signals positively influences the psychophysiological parameters characterizing the physical and mental performance of table tennis athletes.

A single 10-minute seance of fractal stimulation during the rest showed the improvement of the rate of SVMR, the frequency and duration of the touch in contact tremorometry, and increased the CFF value for both eyes, indicating the increase in the lability of the visual analyzer. After an application of the fractal photo-stimulation, there was an improvement of accuracy in the performance of backhand stroke, and there was a stable technique of forehand stroke. The decrease in heart rate during rest period did not differ when using the fractal stimulation and without it. Preliminary results indicate that fractal optical stimulation has a positive effect on the physical and mental performance of athletes, but no effect on the rate of recovery of heart rate with short rest. To further study of useful effects of complex-structured visual stimuli, investigations should include the 2-3-weeks course of the training of the brain with the fractal stimulator in different situations, including pre-start training procedure of athletes, regular training, and rehabilitation after heavy loads.

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#Brain training #Complex-structured #optical signals #Fractals #Performance #Table tennis

[rickhorrow]

15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 6

with Jamie Swimmer & Jesse Leeds Grant

With the 2018 PGA Championship returning to St. Louis for the first time in 26 years, the event is expected to generate $102 million for Missouri’s economy, according to the PGA of America. That number is right in line with recent previous economic impacts of the PGA Championship: $100 million at Quail Hollow in Charlotte last year, $100 million at Baltusrol in New Jersey in 2016, and $102 million at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin in 2015. According to the National Golf Foundation, the total size of Missouri’s total golf economic impact in 2010 was $1.7 billion with a direct golf economy of $888.6 million. This includes supporting 21,000 jobs and $485.1 million in annual wage income. There are a total of 320 golf facilities in Missouri. And a study by TEConomy Partners found that golf is an $84 billion industry, up 22% in the last five years, and impacts nearly two million jobs while supporting $58.7 billion in annual wage income. After his WGC-Firestone win on Sunday, all eyes will be on Justin Thomas in St. Louis this week, as Thomas attempts to defend his PGA Championship title and join Tiger Woods as the only players to win back-to-back in stroke play. (A few eyeballs may be on Tiger, too.)

A number too big to keep under your hat. The PGA Championship begins this week at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, and PGA Senior Director of Merchandising and Licensing Mike Quirk believes that hat sales at the merchandise shop "could hit 100,000 over 10 days." Said Quirk, "I’d be lying if I didn’t say we’re hoping it will be the best PGA Championship ever." According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, crowds in the merchandise tent are "expected to be so large that 50 cash registers will be open on peak days." Measuring 360 feet by 130 feet, the space is a "sensory overload of colored golf apparel and unexpected merchandise, almost all of which is available only in the store." Slowly but surely, all of golf’s other Majors have emulated The Masters by providing exclusive merchandise on-site that’s not available on-line nor merchandised elsewhere. And in an age in which paperless tickets are becoming the norm, exclusive logoed merchandise will eventually be a sports fan’s only way of visually boasting “I was there.” Expect the pricing to keep pace.

WGC event marks PGA Tour's exit from Akron. The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational concluded on Sunday at Firestone Country Club, and according to the Akron Beacon-Journal, players "expressed sadness that Akron will no longer hold a PGA Tour tournament after hosting one for 65 years." Tiger Woods, who won the event eight times (but finished tied for 31st on Sunday), would "surely lobby the PGA Tour to return" to Firestone after the event heads to Memphis next year. But even Woods said that he "doesn’t know how feasible that is." Bridgestone has "committed to sponsor the Senior Players Championship for four years" at Firestone starting in July 2019. Even if the tour could find a sponsor after the four-year Senior Players run, many issues would need to be hammered out. Boosting tourism in the region, the Pro Football Hall of Fame game and enshrinement in nearby Canton was estimated to draw 700,000 people who “participated in related events" over the weekend; the WGC-Bridgestone was "expected to attract about 85,000.” The Hall of Fame induction ceremony itself drew a record 22,205 fans, encouraging numbers for the NFL as preseason matchups begin in earnest this week.

Elsewhere in Ohio, Buckeye players and fans await the fate of Head Coach Urban Meyer, following accusations that Meyer was aware of domestic violence claims made against assistant coach Zach Smith but took no action. Meyer was immediately placed on administrative leave by Ohio State University as it launched an investigation. Meanwhile, Ohio-based restaurant chain Bob Evans suspended the partnership it had just signed with Meyer, and removed all related content from its stores and website pending Ohio State’s investigation. The company last week had announced the new endorsement deal, "showcasing images of Meyer wearing a Bob Evans jacket and holding a branded coffee mug." On Thursday, the Buckeyes were ranked third in USA Today’s preseason Amway Coaches Poll – a fairly meaningless evaluation until play actually starts, but nonetheless the Buckeyes’ high ranking will place the program under even more scrutiny. Not expected to be affected: the school’s lucrative deals with Fanatics and Nike, worth $97 million and $252 million respectively.

Power of Sports, presented by Group1001, profiles college football teams and notable coaches’ efforts off the field to make a difference in the community. This month’s episode includes a one-on-one interview with University of Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban. In the interview, Saban discusses his philanthropic initiatives, including working with wife Terry as part of Nick’s Kids Foundation. Saban, who was inspired to lead the foundation based on his father’s example, says, “There’s not much that we do that can make us feel better than when we help someone else.” The organization supports local youth by promoting their education through juvenile delinquent centers, first-generation scholarships, community centers in church communities, and more. The episode also highlights University of Nebraska – Lincoln’s former head coach, Tom Osborne, and his TeamMates, a school-based mentoring program that supports kids by pairing mentors and mentees as they connect over the course of the academic year. Texas A&M, University of Oklahoma, Auburn, and University of Illinois are also featured. As college teams return to camp to prepare for the season ahead, it’s rewarding to be able to report uplifting stories in the midst of the usual scandals, controversies, and trash talk.

Vienna, a landlocked city not known for its beaches, turned into a huge beach party this past weekend as it hosted the A1 Major Vienna presented by Swatch. According to the Beach Major Series, the tournament was held on the iconic Danube Island in the middle of the city, where 8,000 fans packed into Red Bull Beach Arena to watch the action on the main stage and thousands more roamed the tournament grounds, partaking in the festivities. The spectacle was unlike anything American sports fans are accustomed to – the majority of the seats in Red Bull Beach Arena were free for fans, upbeat music was blasted in between each point, and each set was followed by a dance break. Most of the fans showed up to Danube Island in proper beach attire, basking in the sun and taking advantage of the water hoses that sprayed the masses in the stands to help keep cool. The $600,000 purse provided proper incentive for all competing teams, though the Austrian duos had the boost of a raucous home crowd. Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sørum had double reason to celebrate their superb A1 Major Vienna presented by Swatch victory – the gold medal lifted the Vikings to the top of the world rankings.

With the NFL preseason officially upon us following the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens kicking off the 2018 Hall of Fame Game in Canton, the league’s financial state remains sound. According to the Forbes, despite a few years of low ratings and problems with concussions and player safety, the NFL continues to boom from a financial perspective. Following the 2017 season, the combined values of all 32 NFL franchises amounted to an incredible $80.705 billion. That number alone is greater than the GDP of hundreds of countries – the NFL franchises together would rank 66th in the world in terms of nominal GDP, just behind Ethiopia and ahead of Kenya, Syria, and Guatemala. Franchise values keep rising too, as exemplified by former Pittsburgh Steelers investor David Tepper’s recent $2.2 billion purchase of the Carolina Panthers. While everything continues to look rosy from a financial perspective, the NFL is hoping to win back a chunk of its former fan base that left in recent years amid the ongoing anthem dilemma and player safety concerns, among other issues.

On the heels of the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize sports betting in all 50 states, the NBA has become the first major American sports league to sign an official gaming partner. According to SportsBusiness Journal, the NBA signed a multiyear sponsorship with MGM Resorts International, reportedly worth more than $25 million over three years. As the league’s official gaming partner, MGM will be given access to “official league data for use in betting,” though the NBA will still retain the rights to license its data to other gaming operations, which seems likely to happen. The deal also includes rights to the WNBA. The deal struck by Commissioner Adam Silver was done in a fashion to give the league flexibility going forward in the rapidly emerging and evolving space. “Rather than re-litigating the integrity fee, which is still being hotly discussed state by state, it was about finding an approach unique to us where we both feel we’re being fairly treated,” said Silver. For MGM, getting the NBA’s data was crucial. “I know the value of data,” said MGM Resorts Chairman and CEO Jim Murren. “To be able to have the official NBA data for sports bettors around the world is very valuable. I was willing to, and I’ve paid for that.” The gaming partner ice is broken – expect other American pro leagues to look very, very closely at similar deals.

The NBA’s free agency bonanza of 2016 feels like longer than two years ago when you consider the amount of money spent during the 2018 window. According to the Wall Street Journal, the annual salaries for NBA players have been a “reflection of something far more arbitrary” than pure talent over the past three years, with roll players and solid, non-superstar talents earning incredible and unprecedented sums of money. That care-free spending trend has calmed down as of late though, with the market cooling last year and remaining “chilly this year.” Last summer, the total amount spent by teams during free agency dropped to about $2.4 billion from over $3.5 billion and is now at roughly $1.7 billion this year. Players took smaller deals earlier in the summer as opposed to years past, trying to “grab whatever money was available before it disappeared.” In addition to the size of contracts decreasing over the past three years, teams have shown their desire to hedge their bets by inking players to shorter contracts. Whereas the average contract lasted 2.3 years back in 2016, the average length now sits at only 1.9 years.

10.The Pittsburgh Pirates, traditionally a team that focuses more on its bottom line than short-term success, shocked MLB by making two major moves before the trade deadline. According to TribLive.com, the Pirates acquired pitchers Chris Archer and Keone Kela in moves that “not only signaled their intention to compete for a playoff berth but a departure from their penny-pinching ways of seasons past.” Heading into the 2018 season, the Pirates had MLB’s fourth-smallest payroll, with a total payroll of $90,700,529, far below the Boston Red Sox’ $227,817,373 total payroll. Traditionally a team that looks to build for the future by investing in young prospects and trading away star players – just as they did in January when they shipped pitcher Gerrit Cole and outfielder Andrew McCutchen – this move has left “Pittsburgh buzzing about baseball on the final day of July.” Archer, the former Rays pitcher, was largely considered the “biggest star traded” before the deadline. Look for the Pirates to try and steal some thunder from the Steelers and Penguins come fall.

Oak View Group executives remain confident that Seattle’s push to land NBA and NHL teams will ultimately come down to the arena. According to the Seattle Times, KeyArena’s estimated $700 million in upgrades are meant to make the iconic venue a “top-third revenue producer for both the NHL and NBA.” The way that the arena is being renovated, with dedicated locker rooms for three teams, including the WNBA Storm, will add another 50,000 square feet to the arena, expanding the walls outward while preserving the existing roof. Construction is expected to being no later than early November so that the project can be completed by October, 2020 “in time for that year’s NHL season opener.” The seating capacity at KeyArena will be expanded for both sports expected to be played there, jumping several hundred up to 17,400 for NHL and 18,600 for NBA games. Seattle is a proven hoops town, so those 18,000+ seats shouldn’t be hard to sell out – in year one, anyway.

12.The NCAA Commission on College Basketball, chaired by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, has recommended that new, regulated summer camps should replace a number of shoe brand-sponsored tournaments. According to JohnWallStreet, the Commission believes that these shoe-sponsored tournaments, mostly on the AAU circuit, have largely led to what has now become a full-blown scandal with FBI involvement across college hoops. By replacing some of these tournaments across the country, the new camps would hopefully mitigate some of the influence that such preeminent shoe companies as Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour have over young players. The new regional summer camps would be run by USA Basketball and “supersede (in terms of talent/coaches attending) existing tournaments.” A vote will take place within the next 30 days based on the Commission of College Basketball’s final recommendations and, if approved, “the changes could be implemented in time for summer 2019.” The payola shoe, it appears, is no longer on the other foot.

13.Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent shocking move to Juventus is not only expected to pay dividends for the Italian giants, but for all Serie A clubs. According to The Sun, the Portuguese international’s arrival in Turin has prompted clubs around Italy to significantly raise ticket prices for home matches against the Old Lady. Some clubs have gone as far as raising prices by an astounding 600%. No other club has gone to the extreme that Parma has to capitalize on the Ronaldo craze. Tuttosport reported that the club, which declared bankruptcy in 2015 and has been forced to work its way up through the lower leagues of Italian soccer, “appears keen to take advantage” of its return to Serie A in conjunction with Ronaldo’s presence. The average price for a seat in the North End at Parma’s stadium costs merely $29.10, but those same seats are now being priced at $207.86 when Juventus comes to town. For perspective, an average season ticket for Parma last year was $220.

14.The Oakland A’s continue to struggle to find a new stadium location, facing opposition from local political groups everywhere they turn. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the A’s current location of choice, Port of Oakland’s Howard Terminal near Jack London Square, is now being protested by a group identifying itself as “Project Oakland’s Shoreline Economy.” The anonymously-run group has posted a flyer outlining a list “of drawbacks to the proposed move, including severe tragic impact to nearby warehouses and neighborhoods and the hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded infrastructure that will be needed.” This type of local opposition is very similar to what negated the A’s chances of building a ballpark next to Laney College near downtown Oakland, the team’s initial first choice. The club has tried to renovate its current home, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, to make it more fan-friendly, but a new stadium is still badly needed.

15.Since being given the green light to start MLS play in a few years, Nashville bid organizers still need to figure out their stadium situation. According to the Nashville Tennessean, under a deal proposed by Nashville Mayor David Briley, local club owners would be forced to pay the city $200,000 annually over 30 years “to lease land at the fairgrounds for a private mixed-use development next to a new stadium.” Financial terms for this deal were previously undisclosed. That $200,000 annually would eventually equate to at least $6 million over the deal’s lifetime – a significant cash windfall for the booming city. The club would still retain all of the parking revenue generated by MLS games, though the deal calls for the team to “split proceeds from non-soccer events at the stadium with the fairgrounds.” Further, Mayor Briley’s Communications Director Michael Cass confirmed that if the fairgrounds’ piece of revenue comes out to more than $200,000 in any given year then the “fairgrounds will get that larger amount instead of the base rent.” As lucrative as an MLS team is poised to be for local franchise owners, bringing a team to Nashville seems poised to provide a financial boost for the city as well.

Tech Top 5

Social fitness platform Strava has launched a new subscription model. The athlete’s social media site – which currently sees 25 activities uploaded every second and 15.3 million every week – is striving to offer much more than just being a platform to deliver the 3 billion kudos thrown around between riders and runners each year. The packages on offer are geared towards “Training,” “Analysis,” and “Safety” – though there’s nothing stopping you from opting in to all three, and Premium members will be able to continue enjoying the features they already have at the same price. “Summit Packs are designed to better tailor and personalize our features to members’ needs. Whether your goal is returning from injury or training for your first marathon, Summit Packs provide the performance tools you need along the way,” says James Quarles, CEO of Strava. The packages come under the umbrella title “Summit” services with charges from $3.25 a month.

Levy Restaurants, Miso Robotics, and the Dodgers have begun a soft launch of a robotic chef at Dodger Stadium. The AI-powered robot called Flippy will cook fried food such as chicken tenders, nuggets, and tater tots at the ballpark, bringing the technology into service after months of planning and development by the three entities. The robot uses a combination of cameras, AI, thermal scanners, and lasers to conduct kitchen tasks and is designed in part to shift human workers away from more dangerous, repetitive tasks such as working a deep fryer and into other roles. The robot is also aimed at improving fan wait times and creating more consistent food quality. Levy Restaurants’ E15 analytics subsidiary, which is leading the robotics project, intends to follow up the Dodger Stadium installation with another at Staples Center later this year. “As we get up and running in L.A. with this, I would anticipate the acceleration of this technology across the industry to really increase,” E15 President Jaime Faulkner said.

Bleacher Report Live reveals pricing and plans for Champions League coverage. Turner Sports has unveiled coverage plans and pricing details for its inaugural coverage of European soccer’s UEFA Champions League and Europa League, with the majority of games to be offered behind a pay wall on the company’s new B/R Live OTT platform. Starting with the UEFA Super Cup on August 15, Turner susbidiary TNT will carry just 46 Champions League matches, with all remaining fixtures to be shown on B/R Live. In addition, the streaming service will be the only place to watch almost every Europa League game, with the final of the second-tier competition being the only fixture available on TNT. With a subscription to the streaming service, you’ll have access to more than 340 live Champions League and Europa League games per season, including everything from the Group Stage through to the finals. B/R Live also streams select matches from the Scottish Premiership, Belgium Jupiler League, Polish Cup, and Swiss Cup.

Oakland A’s introduce innovative season ticket program. The Oakland A's will no longer offer season tickets in the traditional format and will introduce A's Access, a new membership program for the 2019 season, the club has announced. A's Access provides all members general admission access to every 2019 regular season home game, a reserved seat plan, and significant benefits that are exclusive to members. "To better meet the evolving needs of our fans, we are changing our approach to membership. This flexible model is designed to serve both fans who want a more traditional reserved seat plan and those who desire a more flexible and social experience," said A's COO Chris Giles. Access Members will receive 50% off concessions, 25% off merchandise, and parking benefits, as well as an allotment of seat upgrade credits for games not included in their reserved ticket plan. A's Access will also include a flexible new payment plan, a 12-month option that auto renews each year. Fans who purchase 2019 A's Access this season will have the first opportunity to purchase 2018 postseason tickets, including a "Pay As We Play" option.

Genius Sports plans expansion after acquisition by Apax Partners.  Apax Funds announced a definitive agreement to acquire Genius Sports Group, a global leader in sports data technology. The stake was acquired from founders, management, funds advised by Three Hills Capital Partners, and other minority shareholders. The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2018. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in London, Genius Sports Group is a market leader in the high-growth sports data, sports media, and regulated sports betting sectors, specializing in the capture and distribution of real-time data. The company’s software is used by over 300 sporting bodies around the world to collect and distribute in-game statistics. It also offers a full suite of services to enable the likes of Major League Baseball, the English Premier League, and the PGA Tour to identify, combat, and prevent betting-related corruption. Through Betgenius, its sports betting division, the group’s technology is also used by over 150 licensed sportsbook operators in regulated markets around the world to maximize performance across their betting platforms, trading, and customer engagement systems.

Power of Sports 5

LeBron James opens school, offers free uniforms, meals, and bikes. LeBron James Family Foundation and Akron Public Schools (APS) announced a partnership to design a new Akron public school, called the I PROMISE School. While committees of local leaders, educators, parents, and experts are currently forming that will determine many of the logistics of the new school, the proposed vision for the I PROMISE School is an expansion of APS curriculum with a STEM, hands-on, problem-based, learning focus infused with LJFF’s “We Are Family” philosophy. “This school is so important to me because our vision is to create a place for the kids in Akron who need it most – those that could fall through the cracks if we don’t do something,” James said in a statement prior to the opening of the school. “We’ve learned over the years what works and what motivates them, and now we can bring all of that together in one place along with the right resources and experts. If we get to them early enough, we can hopefully keep them on the right track to a bigger and brighter future for themselves and their families.” By 2022, the school will have about 1,000 students in first through eighth grades. President Trump, take note.

Derrick Rose launches college scholarship fund. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Derrick Rose announced he has started a college scholarship program, which will award more than $400,000 in tuition money. The Rose Scholars program will focus on students who are “civically minded and demonstrate a willingness to lead.” “I hope to provide students a path to college that was not previously available to them, I am proud to continue to help children pursue higher education as a means to better themselves and their communities,” said Rose. He added that one grand prize winner can win up to $200,000, and two other winners can win up to $20,000 each. The program is open to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Sidney Crosby donates $50,000 to Special Olympics. Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby donated $50,000 to Special Olympics Canada, just days before the beginning of the 2018 Summer Games in Antigonish. Crosby and fellow Cole Harbour native Nathan MacKinnon donated their 2015 IIHF World Championship earnings to the Cole Harbour Hockey Association as well. Crosby also donated another $50,000 last year to KidSport Nova Scotia to help get more kids off the sidelines and into the hockey game. Crosby has also made contributions to Halifax’s IWK Health Centre and Sport Nova Scotia. In honor of his on and off ice achievements, Crosby received the number one all-time athlete award by the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame.

Dodgers break ground on 50th Dreamfield. Fifteen years ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and its partners constructed the first Dodgers Dreamfield in an effort to increase baseball and softball access for young athletes in underserved communities throughout the Los Angeles area. Last week, the program came full circle with the groundbreaking ceremony for a milestone 50th Dreamfield at Algin Sutton Recreation Center, home of the very first Dreamfield in 2003. "In 2003, we made a promise to the city of Los Angeles that we would build these 50 fields, and today is really a celebration," said Nichol Whiteman, executive director of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. "It's really special to be able to provide these places, these positive recreational spaces, to children in underserved communities." The latest Dreamfield is a $300,000 baseball and softball playing field that is partially funded by donations from the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, the Tyler Development Corporation, the LA84 Foundation, and Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig. Since 2003, more than $10 million has been invested in the Dodgers Dreamfield program.

Austen Everett charity receives donation. Seattle-based Austen Everett Foundation has received $25,600 from Rain City Capital, a bridge money lender located in Kirkland, Washington, to further their work empowering kids fighting cancer through the strength and support of professional and collegiate athletic teams nationwide. The Austen Everett Foundation was founded in 2012 by Everett, a Seattle native who was diagnosed with cancer during her junior year at the University of Miami. As the goalkeeper for the Miami Hurricanes, she recognized the support her team provided during her most difficult times. That began her dream to provide that same empowerment to all kids fighting cancer. At Austen Everett Foundation events, kids with cancer are named honorary team captains and matched up with supportive sports teams. "Those values fought for in competition bloom effortlessly in those fighting for their lives," said Everett, who lost her fight to cancer in 2012. Since her passing, Everett's mother, June Leahy, has carried on the foundation.

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Medium Matters: The Double Life of “Walter Mitty”

[This post brought to you with spoilers for James Thurber’s short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” published in The New Yorker in March 1939, as well as the 2013 film of the same name that is based on it. It does not directly deal with or mention the 1947 film adaptation, but may contain spoilers due to its nature.]

“I was thinking,” said Walter Mitty. “Does it ever occur to you that I am sometimes thinking?” 

There are certain narratives that each of us immediately connects to throughout our lives. Sometimes, it’s a story that strums just the right chords in our souls - the setting is somewhere we’d want to be, the characters are people we’d want to know, and the story just makes a deep kind of sense. Sometimes it’s because a story inspires us deeply, teaches us something new that we know we’ll carry forward with us after it ends. And sometimes, it’s because we recognize something familiar within it. 

I first read James Thurber’s 1939 short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” when I was in elementary school, probably only ten or eleven years old, flipping through a literature and language textbook and stumbling upon the story by accident. 

The short story focuses on - you guessed it - one Walter Mitty, a man on a weekly shopping trip with his wife in Connecticut. He spends the day lost in daydreams, imagining himself a pilot, a surgeon, the defendant in a trial, assuaging the routine bore of his errands with internal stories of heroism.

As someone who loved stories even then - and hosted a parade of imaginary friends and adventures throughout my childhood - to find a whole narrative about a grown-up lost in their own inner worlds was fun and eye-opening. 

Some years later, while the story had hung around in memory, I found my excitement for it renewed with the 2013 release of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” adapted from the short story that had been published 74 years before.

In the movie (which happens to be one of my brother’s favorites), Walter Mitty (played by Ben Stiller, who is also the film’s director) is the daydream-prone negative assets manager at Life Magazine, which is moving to publish its final print edition before becoming an online-only publication. As the transition team, including the smug and patronizing Ted Hendricks (Adam Scott), moves towards to downsize the magazine, Mitty discovers that the photograph, taken by roving photographer Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn) and meant for the final cover, is missing. In an attempt to impress co-worker Cheryl Melhoff (Kristen Wiig) and break out of what he perceives to be an unadventurous existence, he sets out on a journey to find the lost image and discovers it in an unexpected place. 

As with any adaptation of written word to film - especially when dealing with mediums of different length, as in a full length film and a short story -, the two narratives tend to diverge in many expected ways (a concept we’ve covered well on String). The movie is naturally more focused on visual appeal, emphasizing bright colors, particularly blue, in the environments where Mitty finds himself and using them as a bridge between reality and make believe, while the short story is based heavily on audible sensations, including the conversations happening inside Mitty’s head and the “pocketa-pocketa-pocketa” onomatopoeia that accompanies his many daydreams as the sound of an anesthesia machine or a flamethrower. Where the Walter Mitty on-screen tends to have more time between his daydreams, it can be assumed that all of story-Mitty’s happen over the course of a couple of hours. And where we have a clear depiction of the characters in the movie, the short story asks the reader to engage in their own form of imagination by giving few details about the physical characteristics of its players and engaging more directly in the daydreams themselves. 

None of these divergences are particularly earth-shattering in their existence, but are, rather, simply different ways of presenting a story in formats that have different sensory foci. 

What’s perhaps more interesting to compare is how the interpretation of Mitty himself evolves over the course of more than seven decades.

In some ways, the two Mittys are very similar. Where there are are at least a few theories that Mitty in the written story is a reflection of Thurber himself, one could find at least one big reference to Thurber’s life in the film as well - this being Mitty’s long-term position on the Life Magazine staff in New York, where Thurber was a cartoonist and writer for The New Yorker in his day. Both Mittys are treated as if their daydreaming is an affliction, with written-Mitty’s wife suggesting he would be best seeing a doctor and film-Mitty is mocked by his new boss for “zoning out” at inappropriate times. And both Mittys’ daydreams are based on real life stimuli, though they take on a life of their own. 

However, it becomes clear very on in both narratives that the two Mittys exist in very different versions of the same world and therefore must also be very different people.

The time period in which each of these stories takes place is likely important to the divergent evolution of the two Mittys. The Walter Mitty of 1939 daydreams of heroism in exaggerated ways that are still, somewhat, based in true life stories. In his daydreams, he is a surgeon, an assassin testifying in court, and a pilot claiming a military victory against German forces (which would have taken Czechoslovakia just days before the story was first published in the immediate lead-up to World War II). They are more “classic” stories of heroism and success, holding out little room for the completely absurd.

Alternatively, when we examine the Mitty of “today,” we can see that many of his daydreams may begin “believably” - like saving a dog from a burning building - but quickly dissolve into something slightly more extreme, like bursting through the wall of his office as a snow-covered explorer, riding the tops of taxi cabs beat his boss to a stolen gift, or living his whole life with Cheryl, but aging backwards like F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Benjamin Button (another piece that might someday get its own Medium Matters). His daydreams are less “classically heroic,” but also more cinematic. Which, while we might blame totally on the medium here, we could also ascribe to the difference in era for both the audience AND the character himself. Both the potential viewers of the film and film-Mitty himself would have seen many more CGI-filled action movies with “suspension-of-disbelief” plots, meaning that both our expectations and his daydreams would have more fantastical fuel to feed off of than would have been available to the masses at the time of the short story’s publishing.

It also makes sense that their daydreams would be different because they are daydreaming for different reasons. Written-Mitty daydreams out of boredom and a distaste for an activity that has happened so many times before that he knows the routine as a chore and no longer has the desire to pay attention, even when there are minor changes required of him. Meanwhile, film-Mitty daydreams because he is dissatisfied with his life, tired of comparing himself to others and feeling stuck because of caution or circumstances.

This, in turn, also affects the attitudes that each Mitty holds at the end of his story must also play towards the differences in the characters overall. Despite the fact that his wife is concerned and irritated by his daydreams, written-Mitty, at the end of the story, does not try to end the habit, but rather “faces the firing squad” both in his imagination and as a manifestation of his mentality towards the misinterpretation of his thought processes. Alternately, film-Mitty, at the end of his tale, is satisfied with the version of himself that he has become in his adventures, and - we can assume with the lack of surreal imagination scenes - forsaken daydreaming for what he has found in real life. 

For almost 80 years now, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” has been an entertaining and affecting story, whether in its original short, written version or as a full-length film. While the stories may be different in many ways, they carry forth a message about the power of the inner self, the power of the mind, and, whether it meant to or not, the power of a character that can adapt to the time period in which he is placed and prove that maybe having your head in the clouds isn’t so bad after all.

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