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rowleing · 4 years

Text

about.

FULL NAME:

Rowle, Sebastian — his parents always appreciated concision, which is a mindset he always tries to put into writing

FACE CLAIM:

Timothée Chalamet

AGE:

23 years old

GENDER & PRONOUNS:

He would certainly like to be vague about such details, not only to be interesting, but to avoid such harsh sentences, but he dances to whatever tune the society is humming, out of inertia. The norm goes — it doesn’t concern him anyway. It’s a shrugged he/him/his.

SECOND PREFERENCE:

Rita Skeeter, maybe? Though I’d really like to write an application if it comes to rejection, because otherwise I wouldn’t get to know the character before playing them.

OCCUPATION:

Unemployed; when he doesn’t write, he pretends to listen to the many people he insists to surround himself with. Money doesn’t represent an issue for his family, therefore he wouldn’t want to waste any time doing some half-hearted internship, pretending to care about becoming a journalist only because the job uses words too. It isn’t a sign of slacking off, rather than concealing energy for the pleasant and the necessary, which, for him, is (despite the term being scoffed at) art.

SEXUALITY:

He loves love. Cliches are only cliches when half-hearted, insincere and shallow. When the depth beats the popularity of a concept, it’s a classic. So it would be unnatural to write without loving love. He falls in love obsessively with concepts. History pages don’t speak about a young, beautiful, romanticized Tom Riddle, but his imagination made him up almost entirely from scratch. He seeks authenticity, tragedy, maybe even the syrup no one else can stand. An idealist’s sighs meet a rationalist’s stubborn mind, and everyone who is poetry enough steals his heart for at least a second. He pretends to fall in love because of these glimpses of beautiful sincerity in certain people. He pretends it so genuinely that it becomes true. Like a Romeo to a thousands of Juliets a day, albeit gluing his soles to the ground enough not to go insane.

AMORTENTIA:

It would firstly and most importantly be the freshly cut grass — the first sensation he could feel deeply in his lungs, the chlorine of a deep blue, endless swimming pool where he wastes his time in the best ways during summertime and the way a random room would smell when his mother painted indoors. It would change too often, adding certain perfumes, certain ways a book can smell in, but these three remain as key stimuli that make him fall in love, firstly and lastly, with life.

BOGGART:

He refuses to see one. From the shielded, privileged, cozy position he is in, it looks like he doesn’t need to ever face fear. Back in the third year, an old, ugly woman — almost the fairy tale archetype — threatened him, teeth rotten and nose crooked. Today, it would perhaps turn into something less ugly, and more dangerous, like a very close to him snake with the eyes of his father.

CURRENT POLITICAL POSITION:

There is no secret to the fact that the name Rowle still echoes like a mistake in the Wizarding World. The Azkaban that holds his father captive is a reminder that broken reputations don’t heal overnight. Yet, they’re not pariahs because Mrs. Rowle knows the art of charm like she knows her maiden name — more and more relevant every day. She likes society, a solar figure that smiles just like her son, and she never stopped inviting everyone she liked to tea. Meaningless connections she didn’t bother to keep once her husband became a stain unlike paint. But the few figures she was intrigued by, she insisted on keeping close. At first a handful of people, in ‘98. Today, an entire sitting room filled with open minds looking at this woman past a questionable reputation.

Still, Sebastian doesn’t fear the label hanging over his head like a sword. He doesn’t try to prove anyone how kind-hearted he is, how much he believes in equality and how much he hates his father. If anything, he is unsure of his feelings towards the man, but never resentful. He doesn’t mean to follow his footsteps; it’s just that someone talked about redemption and nothing sounded more beautiful. He follows out of poetic curiousness. Tomorrow, he could change sides if someone held a good enough aesthetic argument. His personal beliefs don’t rely on morality. In fact, nothing but art should ever rely on morality, according to him.

REASON FOR REDEMPTION:

Listen, he might want to have something to have to seek redemption for. It’s a noble purpose, makes for good literature and never stopped being a deep and relevant subject. Yet, he might be too capricious to ever see a fault in his own actions. On a surface level, he wants to feel that cathartic regret, that desperation to get better, but, deep down, it’s impossible for his brain to process that he might have ever done something even remotely wrong.

PERSONALITY TRAITS: (+,-)

( - ) Capricious, easily bored, moody, in need of constant change, Sebastian remains the spoiled boy from a good family, blinded by the shiny light of gold and unable to understand there are worse sights to gaze at. He can’t function in any other way, and he doesn’t want to, because he thinks there is no greater value in the world than his time. He has none of it to waste, already running against the countdown, so he becomes careless about what stops interesting him even for a minute.

( - ) When it comes to justice, he is blinded by how boring he thinks it must be to think morally. It isn’t that he is malicious, rather than lacking a filter when it comes to compassion. He has it — any person with the slightest perspective on art has compassion — but it’s isolated in fiction most of the times. When people manage to bring it out in reality, he pretends it’s yet another good book and relies on loving those people for a little bit. But he doesn’t know sorrow himself, so he doesn’t know how to separate the good from the bad. It all comes down to artistically relevant and uninteresting.

( - ) As deep as he becomes in the ways he is authentic in, he has a certain air of shallowness which could ultimately make him despise himself — aesthetically, of course. He is too vain to see fault in his own mindset, even though he doesn’t hold back when admitting to be wrong (never really believing that one). He appears to be open-minded (and there are ways in which he certainly is), but what appears is debatable when it comes to his name.

( + ) Blunt, without a censor, he genuinely thinks there is no one more sincere than him. He expresses opinions, words, moods with ease and Apollonian inner power. In certain ways, Sebastian even glows, out of this confidence that a good childhood inspired in him. He is half as genuine as he believes himself to be, which is still a virtue.

( + ) Imaginative, naturally gifted, the epitome of Romanticism ages later, Sebastian may struggle with authenticity (despite not wanting to), but he never struggles with words. It’s his first nature. Eloquence, grace, honesty all mix into the letters he pronounces, either on paper or out loud. He has the gift of thinking beautifully, even when he is utterly wrong — and perhaps that’s what everything is about.

( + ) Every bit of his personally naturally equals in charm — but it isn’t quite the schoolboy heartthrob magnetism, rather than the same effect of a prettily finished painting. He becomes inspiring, he provokes reactions in people, he always comes up with a new perspective, which is more often than not, fresh and interesting.

HEADCANONS:

I think I sprinkled plenty of details in the other sections of the application, but the best would be to elaborate, in case I wasn’t very clear.

His father, Throfinn Rowle, went to Azkaban following the Second Wizarding War. His father had rough edges, but never so sharp that Sebastian got cut in them. His father loved him, believed that he was doing the best for his family and for helping conserve the traditions of purity which are the very identity of his family, in his opinion. Sebastian doesn’t insist on talking too nicely about his father — in fact, he doesn’t speak at all about him. It’s not shame, it’s not censor, rather than an inner feeling of not needing to elaborate the rose light in which he still sees his own father. If addressed properly, he wouldn’t have any problems elaborating that out loud. He’s a pretty free-spirited, open-minded person.

His mother, Germaine Rowle, comes from a pureblooded family as well, yet her education exceeds purist norms. She studied muggle art and passed on the affinity for it to her only son as well. She is a painter and an odd creature overall. She brought color to her son’s childhood always inventing bedtime stories that would end unconventionally, yet beautifully.

He doesn’t smoke, as smoking would be the most obvious thing expected from a nature like his own. He defeats stereotypes, hating the fact that he is aware of it, therefore turning the process into a conscious, annoying vice. He speaks fluent French and hates every comma of it, although it did help, studying at Beauxbatons and having access to the paradox that is the French culture. He only drinks light drinks, like champagne or whatever is bubbly and pleasantly colored. He adopted his mother’s habit of hosting events, enjoying nothing more than a good party. He writes best in daylight, especially outside. He likes pets, but keeps losing them because he cannot really take care of them for longer than a couple of months. His mother can’t either. They’re somewhat absent-minded and would be lost if it weren’t for the two house elves keeping the manor clean and taken care of. He published a volume of poetry, “The language of peaches” and a novel, “Magenta”, out of which the latter made an impact.

#my application if you would like to browse through it:)#;some see a pen. i see a harpoon (about)#;i’m spitting up poetry as water gathers in my hollowed out ribcage (biography)

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theowlandthekey · 5 years

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We Don’t Need Covens: In This Essay I Will...

I'm a big fan of Sarah Anne Lawless. I never got the opportunity to speak with her personally, but for those of you who've been around long enough, you likely know about her blog discussing traditional witchcraft and her shop. I often found her posts to be inspirational, providing a unique clarity on subjects that most books skip over. To this day her belladonna ointment is one of the few things that can make my wife's back spasms stop.

Unfortunately both her blog and her shop have closed up. All I can find are interviews with her. In a very broad sense, Lawless came out about abuse and manipulation within the pagan community. She named names and instead of addressing the problems and having an open discussion about it, she was harassed until she backed off.

It upset me at the time in a very distant sense. As I said I never knew her, but I admired her passion and the certainty with which she practiced her craft. Though it's now long after the fact, I finally think I have the ability to put my thoughts into words.

We don't need covens. We never did.

I've been practicing off and on for about fifteen years or so. I've played around with different methods of witchcraft, wicca, and pagan worship. I've been the member of a druid grove, a loose coven association, and even a few on-line groups that claim to do all their spell casting via chat. In the end, I've found them all to be much the same. They promise a great deal and frankly fall short of everything from education to community.

I'm likely going to upset quite a few people with this statement. That's fine. You shouldn't trust anybody who thinks they can tell you your business. But for what it's worth, take a moment to read this over. If something here strikes you as familiar, it might be time to consider another path.

IQuick Note: I know there is a lot of grey area as to what could be considered a witch. You have pagans, heathens, wiccans and the like. Some are comfortable being called witches while others are not. But the connotation changes depending upon each individuals definition. So let's look at witches as people who, for whatever reason, have decided to intentionally avoid Christianity in favor of practicing a personal path of self-realization and independence involving magic, spells, enchantments and the like.

Cult Mentality

First thing you ought to consider is the potential for manipulation and control that exists in any group. This is especially true whenever matters of religion and faith are concerned. It's a touchy subject, no doubt. People are particular about religious practices. For my part, I maintain that witchcraft isn't a religion or a faith. It's a craft. But that doesn't change the fact that people will use religion as a method for controlling others. Especially others who are hungry to fit in with a group that they feel represents them. For this very reason, I firmly believe that witches should avoid becoming a congregation of any kind. Too many of us think of witchcraft as a religion, and while you can play pretend all you like most of us were raised Christian and still have difficulty shaking off the mimicry of organized religion. Our power is in our independence and our ability to think for ourselves, and it becomes much more difficult to do this when you form yourselves into a coven.

Respect My Authority

On that note, you can't form a group without some kind of a hierarchy making itself apparent. I have a strong distaste for covens who create arbitrary titles. They're largely meaningless. You don't really need a high priestess or an archdruid to go around wearing robes with more trim than everybody else. It's just an excuse for someone to hold themselves higher and make decisions without consulting anyone. You'll often find that people who hold these kinds of titles become very upset when someone disagrees with them and find ways to flex their authority in a 'funny' or 'joking' way. Basically telling others that if you disagree with them then you don't need to be there. This comes off especially hard on people who may be new to the craft and are still seeking approval.

Calling Ourselves Out

As sexual abuse allegations are on the rise, we have a duty to be aware of people within our community who put others in danger. We have heard it said that 'while not all priests are abusers, abusers tend to gravitate towards positions of authority'. This is no less true just because those leaders are witches and not priests. You don't get a Free Pass. Covens and groves all seem to want that central authority figure to which they can turn to. We tend to protect them because these people act as a spokesperson for us as a whole. But this does not mean they should be protected if they behave reprehensibly! They are not above the law and if we really want to present ourselves as being different from Christians, we should take a stance of pushing out people who are abusers and manipulators.

But here's the thing. We seem to have this self-righteous indignation that comes with being witches and pagans. Any questioning or perceived threats, especially ones that come from outside the community, are deemed as being biased because of Christian society. While this isn't entirely untrue, it also has a problematic effect on us wearing a permanent set of rose-tinted glasses whenever we look at the pagan community and it's 'stars'. Instead of seeing them as human beings with flaws, we view them as celebrities. We avoid using critical thinking skills when someone in the community comes up against criticism and it can end up damaging our reputation as a whole.

Witch n’ Bitch

While this is one of the most obvious issues with modern witchcraft groups, it is far from the bottom of the cauldron. While many groups come together promising to provide resources for education, help learning rituals and practices, and open discussions, I find that very few of them ever deliver on these promises. I've joined more than a few witchcraft 'study groups' only to have them disband after a few sessions for one reason or another. Others have sessions which quickly get derailed from methods and history into a bitching session about over covens, daily drama, or the like. Instead of helping interested parties by providing resources and discussion, it basically becomes a witches tea party. Brooms are snatched.

Exclusion By Design

Something else I want to bring up is the exclusion by design if not by intention concept that plagues covens. I have seen this manifest in more ways then I can count. Most typically it crops up in the form of “you're not experienced enough in our particular tradition”. However, I've noticed a lot of problems with most pagan groups being painfully white. The excuse is that this makes sense because most witchcraft traditions are European. However, that doesn't seem to stop most witches from liberally grabbing whatever non-European cultural paraphernalia they feel fits their witchy aesthetic. The most notable victims being the American Indians, the Voodoo/Santeria practitioners, and Mexican folk beliefs. I've been told by several people that this isn't on purpose. It's just how it ended up. But when you have to triple check everybody on a Norse Heathen group chat to be sure none of them have any racist ideology there is an inherent problem with the community which is long overdue for exposure.

Queer Craft

I’d like to bring up the patriarchal and hetero-normative slant that is heavily enforced in modern witchcraft and neopaganism. I want to preface this by saying that when I think of a witch, I think of a woman who lives apart from societal norms. She is autonomous. She is self-aware. She is unruffled by others perceptions of her. This is what makes her a force to be reckoned with. Yet much of wicca and neopaganism strives to enforce a very heteronormative perception of a woman's role in society by establishing the narrative of the Maiden/Mother/Crone archetype. While there is beauty in each of these phases of life and there is nothing wrong with a woman finding power in them for herself, enforcing them as a role model for what a woman should be has dangerous implications. A woman must be a virgin, reproductive, or too old to bother with. And it should come as no surprise that concepts have no real male counterpart.

This becomes an even bigger problem as we look forward to a more inclusive world where we are learning to recognize a larger spectrum of gender and sexuality. Where does the Queer witch fit in with these very narrow perceptions of the divine within the self? The pagan community loves to talk about itself as an accepting and open community that embraces all sexualities openly. But that isn't very well reflected in its liturgy and conception. I don't think this gets discussed much because people have heralded the God/Goddess, Horned God/Earth Goddess format for so long that we take it for granted despite these perceptions being relatively modern ones. While there are some traditions which put emphasis on the Queer spectrum and embracing it as a source of power and self-realization, they are few and far between.

Psudo Ethics

The final thing I want to bring up is the irritating moral high-ground that people in the pagan community are so willing to put forth any time we are questioned about our beliefs. It is just as irritating if not more so than listening to Christians proselytize. The Wiccan Rede has held a position for a long time as a general set of standards for what witches and wiccans should consider before acting or casting spells. However, I'm pleasantly surprised to see more of a discussion happening on morality in witchcraft. We don't exist to turn the other cheek. While I'm not a believer in the 'strike first' policy, I am a believer in defending myself when attacked.

I see a lot of judgment happening in the wiccan community, especially now that witchery is in the forefront of social media. People poking their noses into how others practice and deciding to take it upon themselves to 'correct' how another practitioner does their work. I understand why some people want to pursue a more positive and affirming lifestyle through wiccan practices. There is nothing wrong with that. But I confess myself irritated when I'm chided by other witches for casting a curse or have a discussion with a demon. My prerogatives are not your moral imperative, nor are any other witches. So long as my actions are not directed against you, it isn't any of your business what I get up to.

In Conclusion

Ironically, one of the biggest issue with discussing if not resolving many of these issues is that we, as witches/pagans and the like, are NOT a unified group. We are a loose collective. We don't have one central figure who decides doctrine. We don't have any of those things that make for dogma. The fact that we can choose to act independently of one another is a big part of our power. It emboldens us to think for ourselves, question tradition, and seek out new methods and practices which are better suited to our needs. Witchcraft does not begin and end with the anathema and the chalice. We can choose to both acknowledge the gods without permitting them too much influence over our lives. We can dance naked under the full moon while enticing a demon or just make a hot cup of tea while we listen to the rain and meditate. All of this is within our grasp.

But before we can practice together, we have to learn how to function together. And right now I don't' see a great deal of that happening. I believe that by learning how to be ourselves first, by practicing as solitary and independent witches before seeing out a group, we can be more confident overall. After fifteen years of practicing, I can tell you truthfully that I haven't learned anything in a group that I couldn't have learned by studying and practicing on my own. Mostly because 90% of the groups out there read the same damned books I do and are more into repetitive ritual than anything else. I would have loved to work with someone like Sarah Anne Lawless, even just to attend a few workshops led by her. Until we can learn to be better individuals as witches first, I don't know if our community can be better together.

#witchcraft #wicca #pagan #witch #wiccan #paganism #anit-coven #covens #critique #rant #problems within the community #pagan community #wiccan community #editorial #solitary witch

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bippityboppitybabe · 5 years

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Good Fortune (Part III)

Summary: A regency-era romance, loosely inspired by Pride and Prejudice. Peter Parker, the prodigy of Lord Stark, meets the reader at a country ball.

Pairing: Human!Peter Parker x Reader

Warnings: N/A

Word Count: 1924

Author’s Note: Last part! I can hardly believe this is real!! Thank you guys so much for reading, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to thank you enough. Hope you all have enjoyed :)

Disclaimer: Obviously I don’t own Pride and Prejudice, nor the photos that I used to make the aesthetic. Credit belongs to Jane Austen and the photographers.

Part One ● Part Two ● Part Three

Miss. Y/L/N,

The trip to London was wholly uninteresting, the Barton siblings, while kind and considerate, don’t make the most interesting travel companions. I failed to convince them to stop at various towns and attractions, and so I managed to finish your suggested book. I found it very interesting, although I doubt the realism of the subject matter. A man, hiding his wife from all civilization? It seems barbaric, at the very least cruel. May I suggest the novel Frankenstein, if you are unable to secure a copy I would happily send mine.

I hope things are still well, and give your family my thanks once more for their hospitality. I cannot express my gratitude for not only the board, but also the delicious breakfast your mother orchestrated. In related news, I was glad to hear Doctor Stephen gave Miss. Watson a good prognosis-- there is word in London she may be joining her Aunt here in London next season.

It’s raining here, as it often does, but I don’t find it nearly as charming as in the country.

Cordially,

Mr. Peter Parker

Dear Mr. Parker,

I hope this letter finds you in good health, and the weather has improved since we last spoke. I hear sometimes the sun breaks through in London-- perhaps the light is more special because it is so precious. Everything remains calm here; my dear sister, Miss. Rose Y/L/N, continues to charm every person who walks in her path. My parents have decided to send her to London for the season with Miss. Watson... perhaps you will see each other. My brother remains as dedicated as always, he’s begun following my father on his duties to prepare for his inheritance of the property. My mother and father remain in good health, and were most disappointed that you were never able to come around for dinner; I’m sure the invitation stands if you find yourself in the county. Miss. Watson continues to recover from her injury, but is in good spirit and remains in good health otherwise.

Things in the county have slowed down considerably with the changing of the seasons, many families opt to stay within their properties during the cold weather-- and even then they remain within the home to stay warm. I fear my own family with attack each other unless we have a day with nicer weather sometime soon.

The book you recommended was very thoughtful, I can certainly say I’ve never read a book like it. I feel it has several layers-- at the top, the story of a man and the monster he created… but as you delve further perhaps the Dr. Frankenstein represents the folly of man and the mess we are creating? Either way, I devoured the book within a night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you once again for sending your personal copy, but I’m afraid you may never get it back.

Well, I’m afraid I rambled so much I’ve run out of paper. Again, I hope this letter finds you in good health and I pray you have pleasant weather (and interesting company) in the coming months.

Respectfully,

Miss. Y/L/N

Dear Miss. Y/L/N,

I must insist you call me Peter. Thank you for sending your recipe for lemon-poppy scones-- I’ve forwarded it to my Aunt and I’m sure I’ll be hearing your praises soon enough. I also received your new recommendation, but I’m afraid I haven’t yet finished it; although I can say I quite like the Mr. Darcy character. But are all mothers the same as Mrs. Bennett? I find it… difficult to believe.

As for the weather, I can’t say it improved much. It’s still rainy, London still smells, and I find myself longing for the freshness of the countryside once again. While I am no doubt charmed by life in the city, and I enjoy having everything conveniently available, there is something to be said about simplicity and the comforts of a home. I’m hoping to make my way back during the springtime, perhaps you’d be willing to meet.

There were a few warm days last week, I hope your family took advantage of the weather and your spirits have improved. I understand the depression that often falls on a house during winter, as my Aunt and Uncle’s house were no exception. I remember going nearly insane when I was a child-- so much so, my Aunt would often send me outside on meaningless missions for the sole purpose of relieving herself from my presence.

I’m currently putting together the house for a visit from Lord and Lady Stark; they are visiting their London home for the holidays, and they have graciously agreed to host my Aunt May for the remainder of the season. It’s been nearly a year since I last saw her, and I find myself in desperate need of her familiar company. The anniversary of my Uncle Ben’s death is approaching, and I am realizing now, more than ever, how important family is.

I hope your family has an enjoyable holiday season, and please call me Peter.

Fondly,

Peter

Dear Mr. Peter,

You give too much; I’m afraid the gift I sent you will not hold a light to the beautiful collection you sent me. I’ve been attempting to savor each book, but I fear I will have read each of them several times before spring if I continue at my current rate.

I extend my deepest condolences concerning your Uncle-- loss of a loved one stings more sharply during the holidays. It’s as though the joy and celebration reminds you that they will not be joining you. I’m very glad you had the opportunity to spend time with your Aunt, you were right when you said family is important. Even though mine may drive me to insanity, I would do anything for them.

You’ll be pleased to hear Miss. Watson has made a full recovery from her injury, it will take some work but I predict she will regain her full range of movement in the wrist. She’s terribly excited to be doing the season in London, and I do hope you’ll look out for her.

If you are able to visit the county during the spring, please do let me know. I would love to share my favorite springtime spots with you. Although, I would not be surprised if your duties increased as the weather improved. I also imagine Lord Stark will ask for your companionship during the season-- while I do not have all the details of your relationship, I can sense he is quite fond of you.

As for your name, I find myself only able to compromise, Mr. Peter-- perhaps one day I will brave enough to call you by your Christian name.

With affection,

Miss. Y/N

Dear Miss. Y/N,

Many thanks for the pressed flowers you sent, they were a much needed reminder of the warmer days to come. My Aunt May gives you her regards, she loved the scone recipe and has requested any cake recipes you may have in your repertoire.

I’m pleased to say I’ll be visiting in the coming weeks, please await my upcoming invitation. I find myself quite anxious to see you again, Miss. Y/N.

Yours,

Peter

Clutching the piece of paper in your hands, you reached down and pulled the edges of your skirt higher-- attempting to keep the hem out of the dewy grass. Behind you, the sky was just beginning to turn blue in the morning light. You took a deep breath, pausing at the top of the hill and looking down at the house below you.

It was silly, but you were unable to stay away. Mary had sent word that her brother saw Lord Brighton house being opened, as well as the arrival of several carriages. So, under the guise of flower collecting, you made your way to the property-- just to see if the rumor was true. You had no intention of approaching the property, and you knew how to stay out of sight.

“He’s here.” You whispered to yourself, unable to stop the smile as you watched people moving quickly around the property. “He’s actually here.”

You tucked Mary’s letter in your pocket, taking in the house for a moment longer before turning around-- almost skipping as you walked through the field of wildflowers. You laughed, spinning in a circle and clutching your heart.

Over the past 10 months, you and Mr. Peter had continued a steady correspondence-- each letter longer and more detailed than the last. You were positive your family knew about the letters, but, blessedly, it appeared your father had intervened on your behalf; your mother and sister granting you privacy as you quietly began courting.

Somewhere along the way, it became obvious the two of you were serious-- but you couldn’t bring yourself to travel to London and visit him. You were afraid the bubble would pop, and Mr. Peter would turn out to be like all the other men who lived in the city. However, his last letter promised his impending visit… and you held the secret hope in your heart that he wouldn’t leave without you by his side.

“Surely you weren’t planning on leaving without at least saying hello.”

It felt as if every part of your body skipped a beat-- not just your heart. Your mind, your lungs, your blood… it all stopped. Turning slowly, you watched as a familiar figure appeared over the crest of the hill where you were just standing.

“Peter!” You yelled, unable to stop yourself as you ran towards the man-- laughing with joy as you fell into his arms. He wrapped his arms around you, spinning you until your feet left the ground; his own laughter joining yours. “Oh, Peter. I heard you were here and I couldn’t wait a moment longer… I had to see for myself.”

“Y/N,” He whispered, setting you down gently on the ground as his eyes searched your face. “You’re even more wondrous than I remember.”

You smiled up at him, his eyes softening as he looked at you. “And you are more surprising than ever, Peter. What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

He swiped a thumb across your cheek, wiping away a tear you didn’t feel falling. “I couldn’t wait to see you a moment longer, Y/N. I had to ask.”

Your heart fluttered painfully, beating so fast you feared you would fly. “Ask me what, Peter?”

“My love, my heart, and my soul-- they all belong to you. Every heartbeat, every thought, every breath… you have consumed me, Y/N. In every way shape and form, I am yours. Become my wife, Y/N. Marry me.”

For a moment, you couldn’t speak. Slowly, you reached a hand up to cup his cheek. Standing on your tiptoes, you hovered your lips over his, “Yes. A million times yes.”

Peter leaned into your lips, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you close to him. The two of you pulled away, smiling at each other like fools.

“You have made me the happiest man.” He whispered, bringing his hands to cup your face. “I promise you the world and a life of joy, Y/N”

Covering his hand in yours, you felt as if you could float away from your joy. “Don’t you make promises you can’t keep, Mr. Parker.”

He smiled, touching his forehead to yours. “Never.”

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thelowercasegimmick · 7 years

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YA Review, 9/19/16: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Speculative fiction is often divided into two sub-categories: fantasy and science fiction. Ostensibly, the difference between the two is that fantasy is completely impossible, whereas science fiction is at least a little grounded in reality and what could be possible in the future. But in terms of what gets categorized as one or the other, that distinction is basically meaningless. Star Wars, under that definition, would be unambiguously fantastical - the force is nothing but magic, with no reality-based explanation, and it’s set in a fictional galaxy, far in the past. Yet it’s almost always called science fiction, or at most science fantasy. The real difference between fantasy and science fiction - the one that publishers and bookstores care about when they decide if a book is one or the other - is aesthetic. Star Wars may have magic, but it also has spaceships, robots, and gunfights, all of which match the generic conventions of science fiction more than fantasy.

I bring this up because this is a book about dragons, and I read it at the recommendation of a sci-fi blog that called it one of the best science fiction novels of 2012. Having read it, I might not go quite that far, but I see why they say that. This book has a lot of strengths, and one of the biggest and most interesting to me is its use of genre in its worldbuilding.

At first glance, this appears to be a traditional fantasy setting. Fantasy tends to be backward-looking and mythology-oriented, and that’s the case here: this is a book about dragons, with the standard quasi-mideival setting, complete with princesses and knights. But as Hartman develops the world and the dragons within it, you start to question whether it’s that simple. I wish I could link you to the review that inspired me to read this book, but unfortunately, it’s from a now-defunct blog. But anyway, the central insight from Sean Wills, co-author of that review, was that if you replaced the dragons here with aliens, you’d have a fairly standard sci-fi premise. The dragons are sort of outside invaders to the humans, and the focus of this book is on the culture class between humans and dragons. Apart from hoarding, the dragons here don’t follow much of the mythology associated with dragons - Hartman downplays the fantastical elements that would make them players in an epic fantasy story. Instead of being enemies faced in open combat, the humans force the dragons to ‘pass’ as humans, hiding who they really are so that they make the humans more comfortable. This is something that is sometimes explored in fantasy, but is far more common in sci-fi. Most non-human fantasy cultures are shown to be ‘barbaric’ somehow (usually racially coded), whereas aliens are shown in this light far more often.

So basically, Hartman takes an allegory familiar to sci-fi (aliens representing a culture different from ‘our’ culture that isn’t devalued by the narrative), and applies it to fantasy. What results is some of the most original epic fantasy worldbuilding I’ve ever seen. Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of epic fantasy, mostly because so much of it seems to recycle the same tropes and ideas, with only minor variations. What Hartman does here feels new, in a way that little else does.

Of course, this wouldn’t mean much without a good protagonist to see the world from. And Hartman more than provides that, with Phina. So many authors would write a human protagonist, just by default, but I’m glad Hartman chose to write about a dragon, even though a human protagonist likely would’ve been more relatable. Hartman pulls you into Phina’s world and conflict effortlessly. There are some scenes that feel viscerally real, particularly in Phina’s self-hatred and desire to be more human, in her efforts to fit into the human world. It’s the kind of thing that works better if you experience Phina’s arc with her, but suffice it to say, Hartman takes an allegory that could’ve felt tired or perfunctory, and invigorates it with such a compelling character. In some ways, the worldbuilding and allegory resembled the Kiesha’Ra series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and while Atwater-Rhodes nearly matches Hartman in originality and quality of prose, Atwater-Rhodes’ characters have never come to life in quite the same way.

Speaking of prose, Hartman’s prose is simply beautiful. Epic fantasy writing can get purple and a little ridiculous to me sometimes, but Hartman’s prose manages to feel elegant without ever falling into that territory. I guess the prose is the most fantasy-ish thing about the novel, but that’s certainly not a problem - it recalls the best of the genre. And it fits perfectly with what I think is the crux of this novel - using fantasy language (both in the prose and the ideas) to tell a sci-fi story.

My only real problem with this book was the slow pacing - the plot is potentially exciting, but Hartman often fails to really deliver on any sense of urgency. I normally like books with a focus on character interactions and exploring cultures, but here, it undermines the tension, rather than adding to it. And that’s a shame, because the effect is to take away from the allegory - it’s harder to understand the weight of the situations Hartman writes about when the ticking clock feels a bit too slow, the stakes too distant too far into the novel. With some plot tightening, this could easily be one of the best fantasy books I’ve ever read.

As it stands, though, it’s still damn good. Hartman is an incredibly talented writer, and she has lots of great ideas to explore. I look forward to reading the sequel to this book (it came out a while ago, I just haven’t gotten to it yet), and I look forward to whatever Hartman decides to do next.

#ya reviews #book reviews #rachel hartman #seraphina #seraphina rachel hartman #fantasy #sci-fi #dragons #young adult books #'10s books

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ethanbucheruowphotography-blog · 7 years

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Project Evaluation - Series

My project title is ‘Seeing is believing’. This is because of the way that my project focuses on how photography represents memory. In my series I have aimed to play around with this idea; influenced by photographers like Uta Barth, Ken Rosenthal and Saul Lieter.

Through research I decided that I wanted to play on not only this idea of memory and authenticity, but of space and nostalgia. When looking through Uta Barth’s ground series I realised how beautiful and serene her images were. Initially they just appealed to me purely aesthetically - the colours throughout were ever so slightly over saturated which, in turn with the blurring, gives this dream-like element to the pictures. Not only this but their unique compositions in turn with the light and colours blending in together so smoothly made the pictures look like abstract paintings. Uta Barth says about her pictures that she wants to eliminate the generic beliefs behind photography, she talks of how by taking away the subject, and any kind of belonging that could be deemed personal, it makes the audience think more, it makes the picture not about someone, or something, or a narrative it follows, but instead about a more conceptual, and in some way more basic idea. She plays on the idea of how people see something and instantly begin to associate names, memories and thoughts with it. If she takes a picture of a background with nothing inside it, and blurs that picture, then it makes the audience think less about the picture and more about themselves, and about how they see and react to the picture. I then looked into the work of Saul Leiter and Ken Rosenthal, who both, Rosenthal more so, blur their images slightly to question the idea of memory. I have always loved Leiters well timed, colourful and always beautiful style. Rosenthal however is less easy on the eye and more conceptual. He takes his pictures in focus and deliberately blurs parts of them in the dark room to create a kind of surreal, overly soft image of his subject. He takes ideas similar to that of Barth but instead uses subjects which means he is almost the opposite of her in terms of conceptuality. He uses personal memories from his own life to influence his pictures. He regularly talks about how the blurred figures in his images often represent an exact moment in his life. Often quite dark, eerie final images they seem to play on more of a concept of mystery and horror, using undistinguishable blurred figures as antagonists. He does though, talk about how blurring a picture to the point that the subjects become almost nothing can evoke more memories and more thoughts than having an in focus picture of the same thing. How by merely suggesting something, he can implant thoughts into the audience and they can then relate it to memories they have had themselves. he commonly explains it by saying that when we remember something, we don't remember specifics or little details, instead we remember how we felt, or just general more obvious things like that there was a figure, rather than who the figure was or what they did. These ideas of memory interested me, and through doing some practice shoots I decided that I would like to play on more of an Uta Barth style but to do it around my university campus. I wanted to take slightly out of focus pictures of ‘backgrounds’, much like Barth does but I want these pictures to relate to me, to have this personal element of my own memory about them. This is why I chose to shoot around my university campus, so that although the images are blurred and therefore may provoke other’s memories, the series becomes about my own life and about the place I spend most of my time. I too have tried to eliminate the subject to play on these ideas of memory and of how photographs are so commonly in focus and taken as a piece of evidence. Visually, I wanted to create similarly beautiful pictures to Barth while including this surrealist aspect of Rosenthal and Leiter’s work.

I think that I have created a strong series which aesthetically pleases and creates these ideas of dreams, memories and this kind of surrealism I wanted to achieve. I think that conceptually it lacks an obvious motive but that is kind of the point behind challenging this conceptual necessity which seems to overpower the art world these days. I think that although the pictures may come across quite meaningless and lacking in technical prowess but it is the use of intelligence and thought which makes them as interesting as they are. I hope that upon contextualising them to an audience they would then become more significant, but also that without context they can look beautiful as painting-like pictures which, in their simplicity provoke the audience to think of their own concept and context.

I chose to present my images in a grid of 6, a line of 3 with another like of 3 directly under it. This is because my images happen to work well in 3 pairs so by putting them like this I can stagger these 3 pairs so that each image is surrounded by slightly different images, making each one interesting on its own but when looked at from a distance making them all compliment each other and work well as a grid. I think it would be most likely in a gallery because of the fact they are a lot like paintings and that they are reasonably conceptual, I couldn't really think of any magasine for example which would include a series like this.

I have used the library to gather books by and about my three main artists for research. I then went on to the internet to find out more about them and to look at interviews with them as I personally find that is the best way to understand the artists ideas and concepts and it creates an informal platform for them to talk more personally about their work, revealing things you wont find from formal descriptions or biographies.

#4IMAG001W #BAP1 #evaluation #series

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