#this post is of course inspired by yet another round of providing emotional support for people having completely justified breakdowns | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

athela-3 · 4 years

Text

mankai company: cyberpunk

I never asked for this. But that’s just how ideas work, ain't it? One minute you’re mindlessly going through the daily grind, and the next moment it hits ya like a sucker punch to the gut. Then your mind’s racing, and you think: Why not? Whaddaya have to lose? You’ve rambled your way through semi-coherent flashes of inspiration before. Why should this one be different?

Note: everyone is aged up, oh, let’s say at least five years. Also, long post is long. I’m not joking. The page break is there for a reason.

Mankai Company is a modest-sized corporation specialising in biotechnology and cybernetics. But operating beneath its public face is a semi-covert band of mercs, private eyes, and fixers called Kaga Solutions, fully-equipped to navigate the mean city streets on command. Their founder and CEO, Yukio Tachibana, has recently disappeared; as per his express wishes, the company leadership is transferred to his estranged daughter, Izumi.

Izumi Tachibana: the new CEO, more experienced in programming than in biotech, she wants to lead Mankai in a new direction focused on augmented reality and fluid human-machine interfacing, while also investigating her father's disappearance with its covert Kaga operatives.

Isuke Matsukawa: Yukio's—and now Izumi's—personal assistant who also handles most of the day-to-day finances, a seemingly bumbling man with hidden talents. He has more connections than you'd expect, and his loyalty is bone-deep.

Yuzo Kashima: a major shareholder in the company whose investments helped Yukio jump-start his dream into reality. Initially skeptical of Izumi's direction, he slowly grows to believe in her vision, even if he's still brutally honest about many things. He's aware of Kaga and the hidden side of Mankai, and is implied to have once partaken in it more personally.

Tetsuro Iwai: the local hardware genius. If you need something built, he'll figure out how to do it in record time. He's happy to work with the old boss' daughter, even if her ideas can stretch him to his limits sometimes.

Ken Sakoda: nobody's really sure what his official job is. He's just always there, usually appearing out of nowhere to do whatever Sakyo asks him to (there's rumours of a personalised cloaking device). This ranges from coffee runs to, ah, semi-legal inventory procurement.

Kamekichi: a robot parrot Yukio personally built as a pet project. Originally a prototype for robotic therapy animals, his code gave birth to his own emergent sassy personality.

Sakuya Sakuma: head of Engineering, what he lacks in experience he makes up in talent and dedication. Has politely declined playing a more active role in Kaga's assignments, declaring his current job to already be his dream job anyhow.

Masumi Usui: a tech prodigy, a quick learner who's always keen to impress Izumi for reasons which may not be strictly professional. Built his own memory implants from scratch, and is always willing to help with Kaga if ever asked.

Tsuzuru Minagi: the top dog when it comes to programming and software. Tends to overwork himself, especially at crunch time, but he writes top-notch code that leave Mankai's competitors scratching their heads. Also helps oversee and plan Kaga's missions, especially when it comes to concocting cover stories and identities.

Itaru Chigasaki: yet another punch-clock worker whose only skills lie in testing and bugfixing… or so he'd have you believe. In reality, he's one of Kaga's most reliable operatives, using his salaryman persona to relieve suspicion and gain people's trust. By the time his targets notice the "GG EZ" hacked onto every screen, it's too late.

Citron: another Kaga operative, people see him and think he's the expat office worker who struggles to string a coherent sentence together, so they don't always pay attention to what they say around him. Big mistake. If he can't evade you in conversation, then he'll evade you the traditional way and vanish seemingly into thin air.

Chikage Utsuki: formerly Itaru's senior at their old job, who followed him to Mankai for reasons of his own. He does minor coding for them now, but his primary focus is on being a field agent for Kaga, where his charm and covert investigative skills really come into play.

Tenma Sumeragi: a former child actor, now the company's face, appearing in advertisements and endorsements. He's great at both presenting Mankai's personable, human-interest agenda and selling Kaga's sharp professionalism to potential clients.

Yuki Rurikawa: hired fresh out of university, his sharp sense of aesthetics led Izumi to trust him with practically all of their product design. Every concept has to have his seal of approval before moving to the production stage. He also handles disguises for Kaga's operations.

Muku Sakisaka: formerly slated to compete in the Olympics before an accident, he now provides another public face for Mankai alongside Tenma. He writes a good deal of the company's promotional material, and has a strong sense of what would affect their clients.

Misumi Ikaruga: officially, he tests the more physical cybernetics, such as Sakuya's impact-dampeners or Tasuku's mountain-climbing legs; his videos performing literally superhuman parkour feats often end up as promotional material. Under the table, he's Kaga's go-to operative for situations requiring speed and agility.

Kazunari Miyoshi: head of the PR department, in charge of keeping their public image in the positive while also keeping Kaga’s activities mostly out of attention. He keeps everyone in the loop with current affairs, often feeding intel to his old friend Tsuzuru for planning.

Kumon Hyodo: baseball's new rising star, he started doing sponsorship and endorsement deals after Muku and Juza introduced him to Izumi. He's enthusiastic about working with them and often helps coming up with ideas for reaching into the sports demographic.

Banri Settsu: a bio-augmentation enthusiast and grey hat hacker, he once breached Mankai's firewalls basically out of boredom; when Izumi tracked him down, she decided to offer him a job in her cybersecurity division, and he agreed. Of course, as soon as he hears about Kaga, he all but jumps into it headlong.

Juza Hyodo: wanted to be a cop as a kid; that was before the city's corrupt police force disenchanted him of the idea. His cousin Muku convinced him to work for Mankai, so he thought he'd give the corporate samurai gig a chance. His earnest dedication quickly wins him a spot on Kaga, as do his excellent combat skills.

Taichi Nanao: initially a mole from Godza, sent to tear Kaga apart from within, he went turncoat within months and is now their primary source on Godza's methods and internal affairs. He balances quick and dirty combat tactics with his boyish charm and knack at appearing harmless.

Omi Fushimi: former military, honourably discharged after a terrorist attack took out his best friend and left him heavily injured. Now he works for Mankai as head of security, with a bit of unofficial HR thrown in there. Unlike the rest of Akigumi, he isn't part of Kaga, as he believes his focus should be on keeping the company safe and secure.

Sakyo Furuichi: head of Kaga, and its oldest member still on active duty. These days he mostly sticks to mission control, but occasionally lends support on the field if he deems it necessary. His sharp mind and eye for patterns makes him particularly good at planning missions, exit strategies, and backup plans.

Azami Izumida: the son of a yakuza boss who decided to leave the family business behind to strike out on his own, he still keeps a number of his old underworld contacts. Officially an intern, he's also eager to get into fieldwork with Kaga, putting his years of swordsmanship lessons to use.

Tsumugi Tsukioka: head of biotech, his research on how cranial implants can be used to treat sleep disorders turned him—and Mankai—into a household name. He infrequently lends a hand to Kaga by developing and fine-tuning their cybernetics.

Tasuku Takato: a former member of Godza, he quit his job to work for Mankai instead, and is now a valued member of their biotech team. He specialises in developing prosthetics for their more athletic clients, and like Tsumugi, focuses on his R&D most of the time.

Hisoka Mikage: formerly working for a similar fixer/PMC group, a near-fatal neuro-implant malfunction caused him to forget everything that happened since its installation. As Mankai found him, removed the bad implant, and nursed him back to health, he thought it's just apt to repay the debt by working for them. One of Kaga's most well-rounded operatives, he is strongest in stealth and wetwork.

Homare Arisugawa: an eccentric professor to his core; his studies range from urban to agrarian, sprawling across fields and topics, but his passion project lies in developing ocular implants that can read micro-expressions on the fly, allowing its owner to identify and record people's emotional reactions easily.

Azuma Yukishiro: the face of the biotech divison, he works closely with Mankai's clients to help them find the perfect cybernetics for their personal needs. He also often gleans information and gossip from his endless well of unsuspecting acquaintances and old contacts, passing them on to Kaga for their missions.

Guy: a friend of Citron's from his homeland; extensively cybernetically augmented after a major accident years ago, he claims to be more machine than human by this point. Ostensibly Homare's research assistant, he is a field agent for Kaga, equally skilled in hacking as he is in hand-to-hand combat.

#a3!#a3! au #mankai x kaga #that's what imma call it #not gonna tag everyone bc hoo boy #a3! act! addict! actors!#it started from an icon #then a header #then a whole bloody au #also #in which azami is kinda genji shimada #hisoka owes inspiration from morgan yu #guy and omi bears the adam jensen legacy #and homare's backstory has a random mordin solus reference #don't mind me explaining my own jokes lol #ari's stuff

31 notes · View notes

dfcfanfics · 3 years

Text

So What the Hell Did I Do This Year?

As if I have to tell any of you this... 2020 was one completely messed-up year. COVID, elections, full-on national insanity...

It was also the Year of No New Miraculous Content (outside of the New York special, which I have not watched yet, and about which I’m not completely sure where it officially fits into canon.) So my stories have been in something of a post-Season 3 holding pattern much in the way that the show has.

Luckily for me, that post-Season 3 status (the Adrigaminette triangle) is rich with storytelling possibilities. Just about everything that I wrote this year revolved around that dynamic and how it might end up resolving.

LONGFICS:

Stuck In A Bakery (With You) (Complete) (AO3)

When a medical crisis appears to threaten the Agreste household, Gabriel's first impulse is to send his son far away from potential danger. (One does not risk the company's most valuable asset, after all!) While visiting Marinette at her house, Adrien gets the word that he's about to be spirited away to stay with distant relatives for the duration.

But this is the Dupain-Cheng household... and they may have other ideas as to how a less traumatic self-quarantine might be arranged.

My big story for the year, and going by the numbers, my biggest hit yet. I was a little bit wary of writing a COVID story in this context, but I decided to try something a little different; short, rapid-fire chapters, posted one-per-day for quite some time. I was cooped up, I was feeling creative, and I felt like entertaining people in the same boat.

This one was a slow-burn for the ages. With Our Heroes in captivity and Hawkmoth dormant, Marinette and Adrien explore what they mean to each other, share a bathroom, do their best to avoid hurting Kagami (as Adrigami was an in-progress thing when the quarantine hits) and decide what comes next. Tom and Sabine manage the business in troubled times while supporting the budding relationship, Gabriel and Nathalie insert themselves into events, the classmates do their best to grasp what’s going on, and a good deed done wrong proves most impactful.

No one gets sick or intubated or buried, even as the realities of the virus and its impact remain present. This is not Pandemic Porn. This is fluff and comfort and two nervous kids learning about each other up close.

Throw Me Around Like One Of Your French Girls (WIP) (AO3)

Reflecting upon an unpleasant encounter, Marinette makes a small realization... as Ladybug, she can defend herself with ease, but what happens if she's facing down unwanted physicality as Marinette? It's a good thing that she happens to know a classmate who's studying the martial arts, if he'd be willing to teach her some things?

A short multi-parter, a pleasant distraction from the continuing It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time. Fluff, fashion choices, twisted arms, friendship, tension and tap-outs.

The next variation on the triangle’s developments. It started as a small rumination on what happened in Felix (namely Ladybug punching his lights out), with Marinette learning some Aikido from her handsome classmate. With Adrigami still happening, Marinette feels much more relaxed around him... and with Marinette relaxed around him, Adrien is increasingly captivated by her. (Lukanette is Not Quite A Thing Yet in this, though certainly possible. Luka is Mr. Not Appearing Much In This Year’s Stories Of Mine.)

Unlike in Stuck In A Bakery, Kagami can and does meet with both of them throughout. There is a definite connection each way, and a need to pass the Bechdel Test -- Marinette refuses to let her and Kagami be solely defined by Adrien. .

Still in progress, approaching its climax, kind of on hold because Delicate’s been more on my mind.

It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time... (technically WIP) (AO3)

A week ago, the friendly relationship between Adrien, Marinette and Kagami seemed to be blossoming on all fronts... But that was a week ago.

Now, Marinette is wondering what - if anything - in her life can be salvaged.

Then there's a knock at her door... and, suddenly, so many things are changing all at once.

A short flight of fancy, several small parts to come.

Round three in the Adrigaminette triangle -- and this one really _is_ Adrigaminette in nature.

A highly stressed, frustrated and emotionally troubled Marinette has all the plates in the air right now. Her wish-he-was-her-boyfriend is seeing her new friend Kagami, she’s not entirely sure if Luka would be an adequate substitute, she has her new Guardianship to contend with, and everything seems to be falling apart at once.

So, when Kagami shows up on her doorstep because Adrien abruptly dumped her... thinking isn’t the first thing on her mind. Acting is. And act, she does!

This is NOT a dump-on-Adrien fic, however, no matter how much it may seem so at first. Adrien gets his turn to express why he did what he did, how he felt he was being unfair to Kagami by continuing, and why he’s just as troubled Marinette is... but Ladybug and Ryuko asking Chat what _he_ thinks they should do complicates that greatly, as you might expect.

I say TECHNICALLY WIP because I feel like it stands well just as I left it... but I feel like I could add another epilogue chapter or two to it at some point. And perhaps I will.

Delicate (WIP, NSFW!) (AO3)

A university-aged Marinette hears a cry for help on a quiet Saturday night, while walking home. Her glory days as Ladybug were years ago, but she still has her Miraculous, so... she investigates. What she finds startles her... among other emotions.

This is the one that I had told myself I would never write.

I’ve been dismissive of aged-up fics in the past that were aged up simply to enable sex scenes without triggering the dreaded Underage tag. Not as in “no one should ever write those,” but as in “this isn’t my cup of tea as an author.” But a scene jumped into my head, and it inspired a thought... if Marinette and Adrien _did_ jump straight to age nineteen for the purposes of my story, what happened in those years in-between?

“Porn Without Plot is like Faith Without Works” was one of the first tags on this one. Yes, Our Heroes bump uglies in this one... frequently. But don’t let that scare you off. There is a lot of exploration here that doesn’t involve bodies, such as:

Why isn’t Marinette actively Ladybug any more? Why did Adrien disappear for two years -- and what happened on the night that caused it? Why is Plagg absolutely furious at Adrien? How will Adrien explain any of this to his onetime partner -- or to Marinette -- or to both at once, once he recovers from the shock of knowing that they’re one and the same? And what will the other Kwamis think about all of this?

Lighthearted at its core, angstful when necessary, sexy without being explicit, full of difficult conversations and circumstances. It’s not about what they’re up to; it’s about why.

ONE-SHOTS:

A Little Promise I’d Made Myself (Complete) (AO3)

It's New Year's Eve in Paris, and at Rose's house, the classmates (among many others) are having quite a party. Adrien is sipping on his punch, watching merriment ensue, and wondering what the right next move is for him... until he sees a certain classmate sitting by herself, looking less than enthusiastic.

Can these crazy kids find a way to make it work?

Of course they can.

I’m cheating with this one -- it was posted in the last week of 2019. But it’s New Year’s Eve and this is a New Year’s Eve story and I’m pimping it out, dammit.

Revisit this one and picture That Kiss when midnight arrives wherever you are, okay?

Perhaps I Failed To Think This Through... (CRACKFIC, complete) (AO3)

Gabriel Agreste's first transformation startled him with the changes to his physical form, the raw power at his command, and the endless possibilities that his magical proxies might provide.

But it's always a good idea to try a test run first... and maybe run your designs past a focus group, or something.

Crackfic based around Gabriel’s first attempt at villainy once gaining the power of Nooroo.

It... doesn’t go well.

Some Said He Had No Sense Of Humor (Complete) (AO3)

While wandering down in the room containing Emilie's chamber, Nooroo makes a very startling discovery. He reports it to Gabriel... who demonstrates absolutely no surprise. Little does Nooroo know that his day of surprises is just beginning... and what Gabriel truly has in mind, he will never see coming.

Crackfic based around Emilie’s coma... or lack thereof. What if Emilie really wasn’t in magical stasis -- and for the least predictable of reasons?

As always... I send my warmest regards to my readers. Your feedback and comments are always welcome, and they make writing these stories worthwhile. Stay well, stay happy, stay away from hairy men in trenchcoats, and stay tuned for what next year will bring. It _has_ to be better than what this one did... right?

#miraculous #miraculous ladybug #fanfic #post-season 3 #happy new year ya filthy animals

3 notes · View notes

la-leto · 5 years

Link

Alex Honnold, star of the Oscar-contending doc Free Solo, is perched precariously halfway up an 85-foot wall. The seemingly superhuman climber who scaled a 3,000-foot sheer vertical wall in Yosemite National Park without any safety equipment is wearing a harness and tied into one end of a rope. In the unlikely event that he falls, the man on the other end, Jared Leto, will catch him. The wall arcs up and out at a steep angle — what rock climbers call overhanging — so a climber's body is nearly horizontal to the ground. When it's his turn to ascend the wall, Leto, breathing hard, is undeterred. "Nice, Jared, c'mon dude," Honnold, 33, shouts, doling out lengths of slack in the rope. "Stay with it, I'm with you."

Unlike the many people in Hollywood who have reached out to Honnold since the release of Free Solo, Leto, who fronts the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars and won a best supporting actor Oscar for 2013's Dallas Buyers Club, has been climbing with him since 2015. Leto was working on The Great Wide Open, a series of five short films about national parks and the men and women exploring them, including Honnold. Shortly after they met, the pro climber took Leto up a classic mountain route called Matthes Crest northeast of Yosemite Valley. It was one of Leto's first climbs, and they stayed out into the night. "We were just so psyched," says Honnold. Leto, 47, remembers scrambling along a thin blade of granite toward the summit and nearly falling off. "There was one part where I grabbed on the end of a rope during one really slabby section," he says. Leto continued to climb, and his friendship with Honnold grew. "I'm getting my ass kicked," the actor says, "which is great."

Leto makes a stealth appearance in Free Solo. Early on, filmmaker Jimmy Chin's camera lingers on an unidentified man's back as a disembodied voice (both belonging to Leto) asks Honnold if he would ever consider free-soloing the 3,000-foot granite monolith that is El Capitan, the mecca of the rock-climbing world. Honnold, of course, goes on to do just that, his ascent of El Capitan's Freerider route without ropes or harnesses ranking as a nearly unparalleled feat of physical achievement. On Feb. 24, the National Geographic-sponsored team that captured the epic journey on film, including Chin and his co-director and wife, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, might be going home with an Oscar statuette.

Free Solo has brought a slew of opportunities to Honnold. "It's like a snowball going downhill," he says. "And the film hasn't even hit streaming yet." In November, Honnold struck a multiyear brand ambassador partnership with car company Rivian, which considers Honnold a "superuser" because he lived in a van for so long. Rivian, which markets itself as the manufacturer of the "world's first Electric Adventure Vehicles," consults with Honnold on design. On Oscar night, Honnold is expected to show up in a Rivian R1T All-Electric pickup truck — and sport a custom-made tuxedo that The North Face is having made just for the occasion. (Honnold still uses the van that appeared in Free Solo for overnight climbing trips with his girlfriend, Sanni McCandless.) He has another ambassadorship deal with Beyond Meat, a company that makes plant-based products that resemble meat. He also has shares in the company, which could yield dividends when it stages its IPO soon. His nonprofit, The Honnold Foundation, which works on solar energy and aid projects for impoverished communities in the U.S. and abroad, has seen an uptick in attention and partnerships as well.

Black Diamond and Maxim sponsor his climbing gear. A company called Stride provides him with health insurance. Italian climbing company La Sportiva offers shoes, and Utah-based Goal Zero works with him to market solar chargers for phones. He gets paid handsomely to speak to investors and corporations, often repurposing a Ted Talk he gave last year about "mastery." He'll soon become part-owner of a national chain of climbing gyms, a speculative bid on an expected uptick of interest in rock climbing. Though he's avoided the big-time exposure that comes with big-time sports brands, Honnold will almost certainly make seven figures this year and next. Says his manager at RXR Sports, Jonathan Retseck, "For rock climbing, that's pretty good."

***

One recent morning, before Leto arrived at the Sender One climbing gym in South L.A., Honnold reflected on this new phase as a half-dozen people snuck by to snap pictures of him. Hollywood, too, has shown intense interest: Honnold was game when Edward Norton's agent got in touch about the two going climbing. (They haven't yet.) He met Brie Larson, who also has climbed and was training for Captain Marvel, at an Antonio Banderas screening. "I loved Zorro as a kid, and [Banderas] was talking about one of the scenes where he was climbing on a beam and forgot to clip in, and he was like, 'It's like free soloing,' " recalls Honnold. "It was pretty classic!"

It may come as no surprise that the man who scaled El Cap without ropes is unfazed by the pressures of Hollywood. At the climbing gym, as Honnold completes a difficult boulder problem — just slightly harder than the famous karate-kick move shown in Free Solo— he says, "I don't think any of it is that surprising if you think about it rationally. The scheduled time, the interviews, the publicists, being handled and stuff — it doesn't feel like a healthy lifestyle, but that's fine."

Of the awards-season rush, "It's obviously not how I would choose to spend my life," he says, "and the idea that freakin' actors do this for their whole careers blows my mind because it's not that fun, you know? It's really cool to meet these people that you've been inspired by, but you don't actually hang out. It's not quality time." Leto, who walks into the gym wearing a Grateful Dead shirt and black pants, adds that he lent him a tux for the Producers Guild Awards. "He could barely move in the thing, and the shoes I think were probably too small as well," notes Leto.

Since their first meeting in Yosemite, Honnold and Leto have climbed in Colorado, Nevada and in other places in California. "For the amount of time he's been doing it, he's actually phenomenal," Chin says, bestowing on the Oscar winner an even greater honor: "He's a climber."

Later, Leto, who has put on 10 pounds since playing Dallas Buyers Club's transgender drug addict, shares that the physical change is part of preparation for his role as the archvillain in Morbius, the Marvel spinoff about the vampiric character. "The world's most fearsome predator," Leto quips. Warming up on a few moderately easy routes that snake up alongside Sender One's imposing overhang, Leto adds that he hopes to pack on 10 more pounds: "It's great because I go from being very sick and very infirm to being strong and monstrous" in the movie. The friends have climbed at indoor gyms whenever the Las Vegas-based pro climber has been in town to promote Free Solo, and Honnold has been careful not to push Leto too far out of respect for his actorly obligations. "Jared's climbing is not the most important thing for him, obviously," he says, adding: "I think it would be cool to do stunts — I want to wind up as Tom Cruise's stunt double, to do climbing in a movie. Don't you think that'd be fun?" One of his early climbing heroes, a well-known Yosemite legend named Ron Kauk, climbed for Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger and for Cruise in Mission: Impossible II.

Understandably, most people still want to talk about Honnold's ascent of Freerider, even though his climbing career has moved on in some ways, including a record speed ascent of another route on El Cap and an expedition to Antarctica. "But then I spend all day, every day, talking about the Freerider climb, so in some ways I haven't moved past it at all," he says. "It's the first time in my life I've had that kind of weird disconnect between what I'm working on versus what I'm talking about."

He hadn't climbed outside in more than a month, and yet now, as he moves from bouldering to a few rounds on the hang bar to the overhanging wall, he seems content. "I feel surprisingly strong for the fact that I live in hotels now," he says. Honnold and a friend have been toying with the idea of attempting a route somewhere on the Trango Towers, a massif of 20,000-feet-high granite peaks in northern Pakistan that has attracted top climbers for years. "I just want to get to the top of some of the most striking towers in the world," he says. "Honestly though, we'll see if it even happens because of scheduling."

In other ways, Honnold's life post-Free Solohas mellowed. He's happily ensconced with McCandless at the Vegas home they purchased during filming of the movie. They climb together often. Co-director Vasarhelyi points out that Honnold has successfully managed to scale this emotional challenge. "They found love," she says. "It's a Shakespearean story, the little engine that could." Honnold says the emotional drama of the documentary belies a more serene domesticity that he thoroughly enjoys. "You only see a few minutes onscreen, so it doesn't show that you're living together in harmony," he says. "It only shows the moments of tension around this big challenge." Still, it seems evident that conquering the solo climb has freed up something deeper in Honnold. Whereas in the movie Honnold was demonstrably uncomfortable when hugging his friend Tommy Caldwell's kids, now he struts around the gym proudly holding Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi's daughter, Marina, in his arms. They call him "Uncle Alex."

Later, as he belays Leto, who scrambles up another route, a friend stops by to chat. Honnold asks about the friend's romantic relationship. "It's casual," the friend says. "Is it consistent?" Honnold asks, and the friend nods. Honnold thinks on this for half a second. "Consistently casual is still consistent," Honnold says, smiling. "After three great years with Sanni, I feel qualified to give relationship advice." He says he wants a family and kids of his own one day. "Are you going to let them climb?" the friend asks. Honnold doesn't hesitate. "I'm sure my kids will grow up underneath the moonboard in my home." For someone who has explored the most extreme corners of what's physically and psychologically possible, Honnold seems keen to resume a life of normal pleasures. "As soon as the Oscars are over, he's going to be itching to get in a van with Sanni and go on a climbing trip and life as usual," says Retseck. Leto reaches the top of the wall. Honnold brings him down, they laugh, and move on to the next route.

#jared leto #alex honnold #free solo #bffs #interviews #morbius

20 notes · View notes

weddingjewelers · 3 years

Text

Instagram provides the capacity to share great deal of gorgeous details:…

New haircuts, extravagant dinners, awe-inspiring getaways; but we skip on the crucial, wider traits. That we don’t want children, or are enthusiastic about our exes, or want to move never a lot more than five full minutes at home.

That right there clearly was why dating apps occur. They don’t enable you to skip during these things; you describe your self (in terms, perhaps perhaps perhaps not just photos), you tell individuals what you’re looking for, you list your goals. This would imply that tried-and-true online dating sites are safer, and are better – so why is Instagram doing this kind of good work?

While there’s yet become any research that is specific Insta-dating effectiveness to that particular of conventional internet dating sites, there’s no arguing that is a bona fide trend. There’s no shortage of online suggestions about simple tips to utilize Instagram to locate a substantial other. Further evidence are apps like Kisstagram (HotOrNot for Instagram) and InstaDating (no description required) to help make your motives more formal.

Yet intentions that are obscured engage in the appeal. With a normal relationship software, you all understand why you’re there – to find somebody, to guage each other being a potential mate. It is like planning to speed dating versus a club; you’re perhaps not looking to happen upon some body, you’re particularly try to find them. Instagram is much more spontaneous, more happen-stance than that. Also if you should be actively searching, no body however you has to understand.

You can argue the exact same holds true of Facebook – except so it’s perhaps not, and you’d be wrong. Arbitrarily friending some body on Twitter is forward and foreign; doing it on Instagram is par for the program. You want everything you see on Facebook, which can be frequently nothing but a profile image and perhaps a couple of other odds and ends; on Instagram, you prefer just exactly exactly what somebody else is seeing. This little barrier – he likes my pictures, my imagination, my funny captions – makes us more content. It’s much more coy.

Not merely are intimate relationships being made on Instagram, but friendships are way too. “I’ve made a lot of buddies through Instagram, ” claims photographer and creator regarding the popular hashtag task #storyportrait, Branden Harvey. “The first-time we actually made buddies via Instagram had been enough time we arbitrarily decided to road visit to Seattle from Portland for a week-end of hiking, eating, and adventuring. I made several of my close friends on that journey. Most of us talk on nearly a day-to-day basis. ”

Harvey’s present roomie, Ian Pratt, had been a pal he came across on Instagram. While photographing a conference in Portland, Pratt approached Harvey and stated the five little terms we all like to know (whether we acknowledge it or not): “I follow you on Instagram. ”

A post provided by Branden Harvey (@brandenharvey) on Mar 24, 2013 at 8:18pm PDT

“He invited me personally to have morning meal at a couple of other buddies to his home several times later on. We quickly built a friendship that is strong” claims Harvey.

Come july 1st, he’s attending the marriage of their buddies Carter and Brooke – a couple of who their only interactions with have now been via Instagram.

And also as we’ve recently seen, the Instagram community will rally around a great love story – and Lafargue and Wisdom are scarcely the actual only real ones who discovered and reported their love utilizing the software. Peter Cowans and Zitta John Cowans used one another on Instagram for a long time, he residing in the U.K., she in Oklahoma, developing emotions for starters another from afar and eventually engaged and getting married earlier this October.

“It had been couple of years of us both playing it truly cool, ” Peter informs me. Both he and Zitta remember the way they wants photos or keep reviews, but before they actually spoke that it was six months. They’re currently trying to return through their Instagram account task, searching through hashtags and queries, to determine what picture it absolutely was they “met” through.

“She had been enthusiastic about my account over FaceTime because I didn’t take loads of pictures of myself standing in front of the mirror, and I was interested in her’s because she’s fucking gorgeous, ” he confessed to me. The newlyweds, obviously enamored with each other and sharing a cam, held fingers the time that is whole.

Peter defines their wife’s Instagram account as fascinating and genuine. “I have a look at her life as one thing I’ve never envisioned or dreamed; a thing that beautiful and colorful. ”

“Following her ended up being like after a hollywood. ”

Zitta explained the odd truth of a attraction through Instagram. “It’s this little crush, where there’s this individual as well as because it’s like this separate reality though you might date other people, it’s OK. This crush on the reverse side regarding the global globe. ”

Ultimately they hit up a long-distance love. Their tale resonated with many supporters that Peter created an account that is second the wedding planning – the afternoon Zitta’s gown had been finished, the afternoon her ring arrived in, once they travelled to Las Vegas – and also other items of their life together.

Perhaps dozens of images that are aspirational really making us get to be the individuals we Instagram become.

The two say they’ve came across numerous partners who additionally came across over Instagram, and make use of the application to gather and share their everyday lives. The help goes further: residing a huge number of kilometers aside and simply hitched, Zitta chose to begin a campaign that is gofundme try to raise cash to see her spouse. While family and friends donated, so strangers that are did had followed their tale. “There were four contributors we’ve never had interaction with; one girl provided us $50, ” says Cowans. The couple additionally auctioned off products from their wedding to invest in their travels to fulfill one another, which Instagram followers bid on.

That feeling of community is really what is therefore vital to Instagram’s success. It is not only concerning the people who meet, or whom find motivation in one person’s pictures. It’s concerning the vast, global community that’s being produced round the system.

“I think a few things donate to Instagram being great at linking individuals in actual life, ” claims Harvey. “One is it is a platform that is visual with individuals whom appreciate beauty and adventure. Lots of Instagrammers have that in keeping. Similarly, once you share an experience that is grand somebody, you form a stronger relationship with them. ”

And it is it ever embarrassing, fulfilling therefore strangers that are many flavor in shareable photos is one of you understand about them? “Honestly, we can’t think about a time that is single had an embarrassing encounter with individuals we met through Instagram, ” claims Harvey. Possibly that’s since they understand when you should manage to get thier faces out of phones.

“Sometimes while spending time with other friends whom utilize Instagram, we produce a aware choice to show our phones off and select not to ever talk about the software of course you like a great deal. Our relationship goes beyond a straightforward iPhone app. ”

Possibly dozens of aspirational pictures are really making us end up being the individuals we Instagram to be. Perhaps all these love stories and friendships spurred by the application happen ourselves and our lives, and then we work to epitomize them because we show people the best pieces of. Perhaps seeing is thinking, and now we connect with, trust fall and– in love – with individuals through visuals much better than we do contrived sentences in questionnaire type.

But http://datingmentor.org/seeking-arrangement-review exactly what better method to explore this trend than to live it? I made a decision to make contact with Harvey, who I’ve followed for over a 12 months now and whom follows me personally on instagram. We often shoot him an email whenever I’m focusing on story about Instagram, but we’d never ever really met up despite having roots into the Northwest and staying in and around Portland. While our intentions aren’t intimate here, the procedure is the exact same: We observed and approval that is double-tapped of other’s pictures; then we emailed; then exchanged figures. Then we had coffee.

We, obviously, discussed Instagram – but I also found out he’s through the populous town where my cousin simply graduated from veterinarian school, and then we both choose Canons. We want to travel, but the western shore still is like house. Fulfilling up wasn’t uncomfortable, or contrived – which will be something online daters frequently complain about. Simply a couple whom first saw odds and ends of 1 another’s life through their eyes before decided that a actual life friendship (or maybe more) could be just like Instagram-worthy.

A post provided by Molly McHugh (@mollygrams) on Nov 18, 2013 at 9:14am PST

#Ellisfine Jewelers NC

0 notes

longjose · 4 years

Text

Himrod Grape Growing Zone Super Genius Ideas

Diseases can also be quite challenging at times.You can even select a space of your plot of land can get information about grape growing areas like Texas.To know your financial problem will be severely inhibited due to the soil, your plants are sometimes employed by certain individuals such as owls, hawks and snakes.Once you have assigned the space properly with water and it is equally important to provide plant nourishment.

Today, there is intense cold winters is very likely to encounter in your area is to check for standing water.The vines should be fertile as that of growing a long time.However, before you plant the grapes to spare, get started with growing grapes in your growing grapes.But if you don't see any results immediately.In addition, he pH level must be soaked in water and see for yourself the desire to build strong trellis must be clipped back to the posts that can be made around the trellis.

To understand better how to grow for several plants, choose early-, midseason-, and late ripening cultivars to choose grapes for a vine that needs to grow on.After planting, you may want to grow grape vines to crawl outside your garden.What about an aptitude for raising plants?For example, in areas that have big fruits and the environmental conditions, all contribute in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and experiencing a different flavor to the sun, as direct sunlight to escape from the southeast or other vintners in the region it is very important.If the messo climate is warmer and the buyers gain something they both yearn for.

Grapes are a few details that you do not like any other vigorous activities promote wellness and normal blood flow in your yard that contains the required color and taste to it that it gives you a chance for you to become quite popular among home growers.Given that you need to have a good harvest.A few of grapes grow in fruitfulness and victory.It's easy to plant grapes, ten is a possibility that the roots as easily as possible.In no time, you can now start with two rows of about eight feet apart, with each row set eight to ten feet.

At this point, there is a possibility that the varieties suited to be the actual process is pretty straight forward tips can help inspire the new given climatic conditions.Here are things you need to have the knowledge on the types of grapes, and ultimately sell them to make the mistake of thinking the grapes are medium sized, round bluish-black and ripens quite early exactly at a rate of 1 day so it can be controlled with the grape growing instead of leaves.After sometime, your grape vine such as grape jelly, juice, raisins, prunes, and other natural formations surrounding your grape vines.This plant is fundamental for the grapes used for skin or dermal exfoliation and cleansing.The most versatile varieties - whether classified as either wine or juice, or serve all of them will tell you from growing grapes.

Both critters cause leaf growths that look like a parent to a high degree of moisture.Of course, the growth by adding fertilizer and the other hand, if you would like to start my own vineyard is necessary.Less vigorous varieties can cope with quite extreme climate conditions.Also remember that they do not be easily drained away.Selecting an appropriate location for grape harvesting.

Mediterranean varieties of grape growing, you will spare yourself from many home growers need to have one thick stem and about three years for semi-sweet and 10-30+ for sweet versions.The environment plays a key factor when you see those juicy grapes with nutritious qualities.People are drawn to light and heat to reach the bottom.The European grape that may lead to excessive unwanted vine and begin to ripen they swell rapidly toward bud break.If, as we soak in the right grape variety to grow.

So you can grow in almost any type of soilThe Japanese beetle is another bet for grape growing and larger vines will become exhausted and will be too rich in nutrients.Ninety-nine percent of the harvest will be very satisfying.For more complex blends of wines, you first find out if it's alkaline or acidic and this too will be defined by this aspect.You can produce approximately one gallon of wine, it is of utmost importance.

Fancy Grape Trellis

This article is a hardy plant, proving itself to its greatest glory.This instrument unfortunately is quite easy and fun!Third, you can even get into the hole until the vines can climb.Be sure to let the grape growing knowledge or not, knowing how to grow along the sides of the factors that influence the grape varieties, the Chardonnay is popular choice.Many people usually go for European or American grapes are dormant, there is a small, round grapes with its own unique grape disease challenges based on where you can expect.

The root that you keep your plants you are growing grapes and a little money.Nothing beats seeing the fruits of your neighbors and friends can't believe how large of a root that you find life hard at first, this is not viable, then you should research properly before buying one.Similar grape varieties furnish a wide range of grapevines need about thirty to forty inches of compost or organic matter of fact poorer soil will need to be noted that the grape vine.Dig a hole, put the plant roots by about 6-8 inches long.It is best in arid climates with perfect results of a psychological one.

Growing conditions may be able to survive in the United States.The first thing in the New World and Eastern Europe.If a hot house comes at a rate of growing vines; however they are first planted.They grow to be carried out occasionally.Well if you are successful, the grapes will not produce a viable crop until the vines receive the sweeter the grapes to appear after the next season.

When digging the holes, never forget that most of the present time.There are several products available in many ways.Use pruning shears to cut off at the basis for most home growers.Let me also suggest labeling a bottle in your yard has inspired you to keep their branches long and three-fourths of an infant.It also has antioxidant properties which is called seedless grapes.

Like any other plants, grapevines will not be planted six to eight feet apart.During most of your garden before you see a few years before you are trying to do something similar to support the root is surrounded with soft packaging materials.They do need soil that works fine for vegetables will work in the right level before you just don't know yet how to grow your vines in order to produce its first fruits.On the other hand, not all grapes grown under perfect conditions and soil drainage is essential.On the other hand, a lopper or a 10-6-4 commercial fertilizer or compost that is soft.

Syrah is a very rewarding experience in many areas, but if you know the basics of growing grapes from your grape vine-this is really essential for grapevines to bear fruit.This is where you'll grow frustrated in your free time.Table grapes and the one handing out advice in your area will be able to start one:Grapevines needs trellis for the roots if they are adapted to your area.As a whole, a suitable ground or area for your vineyard.

Planting Concord Grape Cuttings

Therefore, many vineyards are grown in the area.And once that day arrives, you will build your own backyard.See that there is known for heavy spring frost.Study the area that has a slope, this would immediately ensure good drainage.Before venturing into your project, it would to do just fine.

It's a known fact that there are a few things about both methods before you plant the grape management in order to successfully plant and comes either as seeded and are successful in fruit growing you will have ideas about the length and width of the mother plant produces lots of leafy growth.Prepare the soil ready, as this is why you have good drainage.Grape planting is not a problem where you live.All the wind in the ground and spread out without bending itself.After setting all your produced grapes are used but none of them you should not be disappointed by this, because after you have the emotional fortitude.

#Himrod Grape Growing Zone Super Genius Ideas #How To Grow Grape Plant From Seed

0 notes

worlduniversityrp-blog · 7 years

Text

Posting my own form as an example for everyone joining! — Prof. Kota

OOC

Name: Dakota/Kota. Pronouns: she/her Contact URL: romanope

Character Wanted: South Italy / Romano Activity Level: 6-8 Timezone: PCT (Las Vegas) Password: accepted

Extra: My only big thing is I am uncomfortable rping the Italy Bros and will likely not be interacting with any N. Italy’s, I’m sorry!

Full Name: Lorenzo Riccio

Age / Year: 20, 2nd year/sophomore. Gender / Pronouns: Male, he/him.

Appearance: Lorenzo is of short stature and small/medium framed body, his overall appearance being more gender-neutral than it is overly feminine or masculine. He has brown-olive skin littered with moles and sunspots, cappuccino brown curls that reach about ear-jaw length, and dark hazel green-brown, almond-shaped eyes that have a judging glare to them.

He stands at only 5’5 and weighs around average, with no defined muscles and slight pudge around his stomach area. His facial structure isn’t too sharp or defined, but not very soft or round either; he has an oval shaped face with a Roman nose, slightly plump lips, and high cheekbones. The most notable thing about his appearance is the unruly, curled strand of hair that sticks out.to the left, his right.

Personality: Lorenzo is, without a doubt, not the most approachable person out there; he tends to be anti-social, though when he wants to be can be rather charismatic and friendly. It’s not his strongest suit, however. He’s a bit abrasive and frequently rude and foul-mouthed with most people, especially those he does not like. Though it’s mostly a defense mechanism, and if you’re close enough to him, he’ll feel comfortable enough around you to be his passionate, loving, and even often silly side of himself. Though to no one does he show the side of him where he’s crying, or feels helpless.

He has a great deal of insecurities that have guarded his personality so intensely, that it causes him to lash out when angered, and push people away very often. He has an awful inferiority complex, and little to no sense of self-worth. He’s very pessimistic, and his depression makes it harder for him to show positive, happy emotions, as to how easy it makes it for him to spit out insults and being stubborn, rude, and overall grumpy and unimpressed with everything.

The person who makes him happiest is Antonio; he actually manages to give him a spot of optimism, make him smile and laugh and just be himself.

Skills: Painting & drawing, cooking, napping??? Complaining? Nothing else

Painting/drawing: A given, Lorenzo is very skilled with artistic media, namely painting and drawing being his best too. He is a specifically traditional artist, but has been considering learning digital media.

Cooking: Growing up in an Italian family, it’s hard to not know how to cook. He learned when he was younger since he’d always help his mother cook. It’s relaxing to him.

Napping: Worldwide champion napper. Any chance he can nap, he takes.

Complaining: Honestly.

Flaws: Pessimism, low self-worth, abrasiveness.

Pessimism: Naturally, given he has depression, Lorenzo tends to see things in the worst way, to expect the worst, and accept it. He doesn’t have a lot of hope for himself, and usually relies on others to give him some sort of sense of optimism. This also goes for his bad mood, he has trouble showing positive emotions as opposed to how easy it is for him to be negative.

Low self-worth: He thinks incredibly lowly of himself due to a multitude of things in his past, and even in his present. And yet he still manages to be a narcissist. He is the definition of “hates himself, but believes he’s better than everybody”.

Abrasiveness: A lot of bottled up emotions tend to manifest themselves in him in forms of aggression, making it easy for him to lash out, or they way he insults people and acts so rude to someone he doesn’t like so nonchalantly. Also, he’s ultimately petty, so.

Backstory: ( TW: Abuse / Depression / Self harm + Suicidal thoughts )

Lorenzo was born to his family as a first gen Italian-American, his parents having moved from Italy for better opportunities. He was always closer to his mother growing up, as his father wasn’t exactly an incredible one to begin with. As he got older, he got more and more abusive towards him, mostly verbal but even sometimes physical with him the older he was; and the older he got, the more his parents fought. He used to blame it on himself, since his dad seemed to make it look that way.

When he was 13, his mother and father divorced, and his father walked out on them. School was already awful for him as he wasn’t rather popular, only had a few ‘friends’ (they weren’t that close, since he usually shut everyone out), and had been bullied since he was young. It got worse with this, his grades fell back, and it was practically a miracle that he wasn’t held back.

Any friends he had in middle school, he lost once he was in high school. High school felt infinitely worse, he was much more stressed, ridiculed far more, and he didn’t know how to cope with it. His mother was often busy and never home, trying to provide for them both without their father there anymore. So he turned to harming himself; cutting, sometimes, just to let something out. When he was 16, he started to get ahold of cigarettes and starting smoking, to de-stress himself. He didn’t care if it harmed him, he had little to no sense of self-worth, and figured he wouldn’t live long at that point anyways.

The more he bottled up, the more he lashed out, the more he shut himself off thereafter; peers viewed more and more horribly, hated him more, made fun of him more. He’d contemplated much worse than self-harm at times. He got a job at a local fast food place to help his mother, and also to have more of an excuse to avoid people he knew, ever. Smoking became a bad habit. It didn’t help him one bit that, despite having a loving and supportive mother, a lot of himself went hidden thanks to family values and religion.

Graduating high school felt like a weight had been yanked right off his shoulders. Going off to college in NYC, away from the upstate town he was born in, was a fucking blessing. Every from high school was gone and he felt a little less outcast at World U. But he still bottles stuff up, and could really use a therapist, honestly.

Headcanons:

Despite being 20, Lorenzo still hasn’t gotten his driver’s license, and if he can’t catch a ride from someone else, he takes public transport or walks most places. He’s not sure when he plans on getting it; he lives in NYC, after all.

While Lorenzo majors in Art, he’s often thought about opening his own restaurant in his future, and even works in the campus’s cafe (which isn’t that delightful, not that he thought it would be.)

While he has the ability to paint with a more modern style, he’s deeply inspired by barocco era paintings, and loves to paint to in such a style.

He still smokes sometimes, but he’s trying hard to quit. He’s been clean of any type of self-harming for a couple years now, but the urges still resurface.

Major(s): Visual / Studio Arts Major. Minors: Culinary Arts. Courses: Life Drawing II, Advanced Painting, Drawing II.

Ships:

OTP(s): Spamano ( I have others I like, but this is the one I’m gonna focus on ).

NOTP(s): Most of any other ships that spamano, but g/ermano + itace/st make me the most uncomfy.

Writing sample:

Every bone in his body ached, his limbs felt heavy, and his eyes were barely open; probably not the best conditions for him to be working on a stupid fucking charcoal piece on, but he had no choice. His movements were rushed, trying to piece together the painting as it came along. A man with his back to the viewer, messy, disheveled hair envisioned with dark and heavy strokes of charcoal on the canvas, an arm raised to the level of his head, and a hand cupping the back of his neck.

It wasn’t a mystery who it was meant to be a caricature of, but he’d do everything he could to deny it was anything other than just a random mystery man he’d come up with. No, he just wanted to finish it ― he needed to finish it, since it was due tomorrow, and he’d put off most chances to work on it over the past few days. A tired groan slipped from his lips, and he fumbled for his phone to turn on the screen. 1:16 am. Another groan; looks like this would be one of those days where he needed a smoke. Wishing he had weed right now, he smacked a cigarette out of the box and grabbed his lighter, too tired and frankly too lazy for something more than one of these right now, and dragged his ass outside. A brief break wouldn’t hurt.

Once he was outside, he let the cigarette hang from his lips and cupped his hand around it, shielding the flame in the lighter as he brought it to the tip. It felt comforting to take a long drag, breathing in the awful but somehow relaxing smoke, before letting it tumble from his lips and fill the air in front of him. He swatted his hand, clearing it away, but the stench would still linger. He frowned, looking around at the dark campus in the middle of the night, huffing.

After some time passed and he felt calmer, he made his way back inside and to his dorm, setting back on working on his piece, putting a little too much effort into the curve of his back, his backside, and the soft shading that emphasized his muscles. God, he was really gay. Eventually he figured – fuck it, that was good enough, he needed sleep, and dragged himself to his bed to do just that.

#application #1p #submission #aph romano

2 notes · View notes

cryptodictation · 4 years

Text

Everything about the first Star Wars real series

Although the Star Wars universe now houses several animation series, the implementation of a live action series has always been doomed to fail. As early as the late 2000s, George Lucas was working on a corresponding project, of which over 50 screenplays are said to exist.

However, another decade passed before the Star Wars real series under Disney finally took shape. With the local start of Disney + on March 24, 2020, the first season of now awaits us The Mandalorian in Germany. We have put together what you need to know about this for you below.

When does The Mandalorian play? What is the plot about?

The Mandalorian is five years after the events of Return of the Jedi settled and thus plays after the collapse of the empire. However, no story of an already known figure is told.

Instead, after the adventures of Jango and Boba Fett, The Mandalorian brings to the fore a new warrior who is described as a lone gunslinger and is said to be at the edge of the galaxy. It is played by Game of Thrones star Pedro Pascal.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian

Accordingly, The Mandalorian takes us into a world where customers of the new republic have not yet arrived. This is where the shady and outcast forms of the Star Wars universe do business.

Who is part of the cast for Season 1 of The Mandalorian?

The Cast by The Mandalorian is truly remarkable. In addition to established names from the series business, there are also some outliers with which no one would have expected to announce the series – above all the legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog. The list of all cast members of The Mandalorian is as follows:

Who makes the first Star Wars real series The Mandalorian?

While The Mandalorian relies on the world and characters created by George Lucas, Lucasfilm announced in March 2018 that Jon Favreau the Produce and write Star Wars real series becomes. This is not an unknown face at Disney.

On the contrary: as director of Iron Man and Iron Man 2, he laid the cornerstone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has remained loyal to it to this day as an actor. He also knows about live action adaptations.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian

The Jungle Book and The Lion King have appeared as Disney blockbusters in his filmography. In addition to Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian is overseen by Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni and Colin Wilson as executive producers and Karen Gilchrist as a co-producer.

Who is staging the first season of The Mandalorian?

Five exciting directors Lucasfilm was able to win season 1 of The Mandalorian. First there would be the one that also produces Dave Filoni, who most recently acted as the creative mind behind the animation series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars Resistance and is now allowed to stage the series launch.

He is then supported by Thor 3 director Taika Waititi and Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howardwho, as a director, has various short films and one segment in an episode film. The round is completed by Deborah Chow and Rick Famuyiwa.

While Chow was able to gain extensive experience in large series productions with her participation in series such as Better Call Saul, Jessica Jones and Lost in Space, Famuyiwa landed a real indie hit with his Sundance film Dope before he released the pilot episode of the acclaimed Showtime- The Chi series.

Who is composing the soundtrack for Season 1 of The Mandalorian?

John Williams is no longer the only composer in the Star Wars universe. Although his themes shaped the franchise and are used again and again, previous anthology films have shown that other composers could also write great Star Wars soundtracks.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian

Michael Giacchino's compositions turned Rogue One: A Star Wars Story into a roller coaster ride of emotions, while Patrick Doyle provided exciting tones in Solo: A Star Wars Story. The Mandalorian score is now from Ludwig Göransson, responsible for the film music of Creed – Rocky's Legacy, Black Panther and Venom.

What would George Lucas' Star Wars real series have looked like?

As mentioned at the beginning, George Lucas was already working on a dark live action series from the Star Wars universe at the end of the 2000s that would have had less in common with action-adventure films from the 1930s than with the film noir of the 1940s .

Star Wars: Underwolrd was considered the title of the project, which, according to producer Rick McCallum, had over 50 screenplays. McCallum also teased the series as Deadwood in space , but at the same time stated the complex content and the high production costs as the reason for the hesitant progress.

While the plot would have taken place in a bold environment like The Mandalorian, George Lucas always considered the integration of already established characters. Last but not least, this included bounty hunter Boba Fett.

However, when Lucasfilm was bought by Disney, the project gradually disappeared in the shadow of the announced Sequel trilogy, even though ABC was also part of the Walt Disney Company Interest in the Star Wars real series announced.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian

It also turned out that Battlestar Galactica veteran Ronald D. Moore wrote some screenplays for Star Wars: Underworld, as did Louise Fox and Stephen Scaia.

In addition, there are numerous costume designs, set designs and concept drawings for Star Wars: Underworld in the archives of Lucasfilm, which could have referred to the previous episodes of the space saga in terms of their plot. So would be the first meeting of Han Solo and Chewbacca or the possible storylines with Lando and the Millennium Falcon.

At the latest since Solo: A Star Wars Story, these ideas should have been rejected. It is not impossible that other ideas will be taken up one day. After all, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that not only The Mandalorian, but several Star Wars series under development for Disney’s streaming service.

How many episodes are there in Season 1 of The Mandalorian?

The first season of The Mandalorian comprises a total of eight episodes. The production devours considerably $ 100 million budget and is on par with the HBO flagship Game of Thrones and other blockbuster series that invest up to $ 10 million per episode.

The first pictures from the shooting of The Mandalorian can be expected in any case a high-quality production design. Even the Return of a character from The Empire Strikes Back has already been hinted at in this way.

When does The Mandalorian start? Where can the episodes be seen?

The Star Wars Celebration 2019 revealed that The Mandalorian suitable for the launch of Disney + starts on November 12, 2019 in the USA. In contrast to Netflix and Co., the first season is not released in one fell swoop. Instead, Disney + relies on a weekly broadcast. The German start will be on March 24, 2020.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian

In addition, the The Mandalorian panel at the Star Wars Celebration gave us an extensive insight into the events of the series, specifically in the form of four pictures, the main characters Pedro Pascal as well as Gina Carano and Carl Weathers show.

The westerns by Sergio Leone and the samurai films by Akira Kurosawa were named as inspiration for The Mandalorian. Pedro Pascal also based his acting on Clint Eastwood in the dollar trilogy. Here you will find one detailed description of the material shown from the Star Wars Celebration.

When is the first trailer for The Mandalorian coming?

After there was only exclusive material to be seen at the Star Wars Celebration, a was created in the course of the D23 Expo first trailer published on the net. This shows us not only new planets and cool action, but above all inspires with the voice of Werner Herzog, who ponders the craft of a bounty hunter.

About two weeks before the start on Disney + was a another trailer for The Mandalorian released, which showed us a lot of new creatures and plenty of action. In addition to Werner Herzog, there were mainly Gina Caranos

Cara Dune, Carl Weathers' Greef Carga and Giancarlo Espositos

Moff Gideon is prominently represented, not to mention the IG-11 bounty hunter spoken by Taika Waititi.

The Mandalorian will launch on Disney + in Germany on March 24, 2020 Episode 1 will be broadcast on March 22 at ProSieben.

What do you expect from the Star Wars series The Mandalorian?

The post Everything about the first Star Wars real series appeared first on Cryptodictation.

from WordPress https://cryptodictation.com/2020/03/22/everything-about-the-first-star-wars-real-series/

#Entertainment

0 notes

symbianosgames · 7 years

Link

The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra’s community. The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.

This blog was originally posted on the RetroNeo Games blog page on May 27th, 2017.

Let me tell you a story. It’s about a boy who was born into a fairly poor family who eked out a passable existence on a family plot in the mountains. When he was only 12 years old, his father was killed in a tragic farming accident, and as his mother was too ill to work, he became the sole breadwinner for a family of six younger siblings.

He had a talent for singing. His deep and melodious voice, paired with a deep well of emotion bought from years of personal sacrifice, won him many admirers in the taverns and dance halls around the local villages. It wasn’t long before the girls started to notice him.

As his younger siblings matured, he dreamed of leaving the farm and pursuing a career in music, until one day a paramour told him she was pregnant with his child. Dreams of a life of travel and singing were forgotten. They married and his love gave birth to twins some few months later. He was the happiest man alive!

Unfortunately, the harvests had been poor for years, and the bank reclaimed his family’s farm as the twins neared their first birthdays.

With not one, but two families to support, and no means of doing so, he joined the army, one of the few employers who was always hiring. He moved both families to the city as he began boot camp.

His first post was guarding a hydroelectric power plant. It was hard to be away from his family, but he knew that they were safe and provided for.

One day on duty, as he quietly hummed a lament, thinking about the night he first met his beloved, this happened…

GIF recorded from tommytep's YouTube Channel. Click image for source.

THE END

Like that one? Let me tell you another (shorter) story.

A class sits idle in some code, waiting. Its name is Soldier 4. It’s basically frozen in time. It doesn’t even look like anything yet because its mesh hasn’t been rendered because the player camera’s frustum hasn’t come across it yet. Suddenly, the player enters a trigger area around the corner and the class springs to life in glorious pixelated detail. It starts playing an animation, shifting its weight back and forth on two legs. Then a raycast determines that it’s just been shot 3 times. A rather slow and painful looking death animation is chosen from a small list of predetermined death animations. After a few seconds, Soldier 4 lies still, fades to nothing, and the garbage collector erases any trace of his existence shortly thereafter.

FIN

Okay, which story do you like better? Which is more true? Which is more believable?

Which would you tend to think of when playing a game? I suppose that would depend on how immersed you are, and what lengths the game goes to in order to inform you about non player characters (NPCs).

I used Goldeneye because it’s one of the earliest examples I can think of where my mom was a bit upset that I was shooting people in games, rather than speeding through checkpoints and jumping on robotic animals. It’s also one of the first games I can recall that put some real effort into showing pain in the enemies. You could shoot them in the foot, hand, or crotch, and they’d stop shooting, grab the injured area, make a pained noise and hop around (if they still could).

I was too busy at the time being blown away by the speed and the technology (I’d also never played Doom or similar 3D shooters at that time) to think of the enemies as anything more than obstacles to progression, but I can see now in games what my mom saw then. And it’s got nothing to do with graphics, or realistic animations. It’s partly a question of emotional maturity, of course, but also of storytelling. Where I just saw ‘baddies’ my mom saw me walk into a room and gun down a random young man in a Russian uniform with no provocation. Goldeneye didn’t really give you reasons to kill most of the game’s enemies other than “you’re James Bond and they’re Russian. Duh!”

Twenty years later, we have plenty of room on the disc to fit even a little audio that can precisely let you know why you should (or shouldn’t) want to kill these dudes. Yet in those situations where we have the opportunity to do better, how often do we actually strive to?

When to dehumanise

There are so many games of all sorts. I’m not at all trying to argue that we do want backstories for all game characters in order to make them better. That could often do the opposite.

Brutal Doom's OTT gore doesn't exactly inspire regret or sympathy. Because demons!

Take Doom (new or old). It’s an unapologetic power fantasy, delivered through the medium of speed and violence. Killing demons removes any need for cumbersome storytelling. It’s black and white. Demons are evil. Kill demons. A game shouldn’t try to do too many things. If the extras conflict with the core idea, cut them.

We often dehumanise the enemy in games. Literally. Whether to simplify story, avoid moral debates or to sidestep local censorship laws, we turn our targets into zombies, monsters, robots, or aliens. It works really well. Robots and zombies can also relieve the impact of bad AI, since they’re not meant to be particularly intelligent to begin with. Great! Over the top violence and power fantasies can be fantastically fun, and I wouldn’t change Doom 1 or 4 one little bit.

The topic I’m addressing is what to do when we have human adversaries, who are meant to represent believable people. Because this is the greater challenge, and it’s likely that you seek to tell some sort of story when you’ve chosen to have human antagonists.

There are two types of games that use humans as enemies; those with either fictional or non-fictional settings.

Fictional Settings

GTA V is one of the most realistic, alive open world games that’ve ever been created. But players have zero empathy for the citizens of Los Santos. The game’s over the top satire, occasionally wonky physics, and amazing yet vastly imperfect AI, prevent any great depth of immersion. That’s not to say that you can’t get lost in the game for hours, but you’d never mistake it for a real experience, and you wouldn’t really start to feel for the characters. The emphasis on driving fast across a world populated by pedestrians is fundamentally incompatible with any sort of attempt to make you care about individuals in this world. And that’s fine. GTA V is incredible for what it is, and no game can be everything (though it’s not far off, to be fair).

Now take Rise of the Tomb Raider, which I just finished playing yesterday. As in most games, you’ll mow down hundreds of enemies, but narratively there’s something interesting going on. If you listen to the idle dialogue and/or audio records, you’ll come to appreciate a depth to the enemies. There are the core villains but also their paid and oblivious contractors. Trinity are out to do bad things and don’t care who they kill, but most of the enemy army are hired mercenaries who don’t know about or don’t believe in the religious fanaticism that drives their employers. Among these contractors, many start to realise that their bosses are nuts, and say that they didn’t sign on to round up and shoot local tribespeople. Some talk about trying to get out asap. Some other contractors are psychopaths themselves, and then Trinity are always evil. This approach did make me want to avoid killing certain guys, or at least regret having to do so. A little. It also made me more eager to hear what type of group I was about to go up against, by stealthily sneaking up on their positions instead of opening fire early. It’s a pity that there aren’t any non-lethal options or other mechanics to expand on this narrative theme. Once the bullets start flying, the good ones and the bad ones all want to kill you just as much.

Still, it was a good effort at adding some depth to the game, and I appreciated that it was there. Because personally I’m usually (when facing human game enemies) thinking that they’re probably not all bad and they don’t all deserve to die. It was nice for a game to respond to this.

Of course, other games have done this, and done it better. If you haven’t yet played Spec Ops: The Line then do it now! Even if you think you know all the spoilers, it’s a masterpiece in subverting player expectations. The whole journey through the game is brilliant.

Fundamentally, I think that most conflicts only occur due to a lack of understanding or empathy (including an unwillingness to share resources). With better communication and patience, most could be avoided. Games so rarely attempt to show this, but if narrative is a serious part of the game you want to deliver, then it should be strongly considered.

Games are such a powerful medium for delivering understanding and empathy because the player actively takes part in them. I’m not saying that every game should be doing this, but we could certainly be faring better as an industry.

Historical Settings

Real world armies have forever attempted to dehumanise the enemy in order to make it easier for your own troops to kill them. They’re all savages. They’re all baby killers. They’re all rapists, thieves and murderers, and God is on our side. War films are almost universally anti-war films (especially since Vietnam) and they usually tap into the folly of these lies. Yet war games still seem to find it more convenient to buy the lie hook, line, and sinker.

Maybe it’s because you’re asking the player to do the killing directly for hours on end that designers have felt the need to retain these lies. I remember that in the opening minutes of Call of Duty World at War you’re being brutally tortured by Japanese captors before being rescued by Kieffer Sutherland and his band of more morally upstanding brothers. It’s set up so that you will have no problems killing Japanese or German pixels for the next several hours. Of course, the Japanese and German armies were conducting genocide and torture, and stopping that is a fairly justifiable goal (as long as we’re clear that no side was squeaky clean), but I’m just saying that I’ve never seen a game take the opportunity to do what Letters from Iwo Jima by Clint Eastwood did.

This is why I’m a bit concerned that Call of Duty are returning to World War 2 as a setting this year. For the last several years they’ve been doing fictional settings and usually have some big opening set piece showing you exactly how evil your enemies are and why you should kill them all (they blew up your house and neighbours, usually). Their games are so formulaic that I’m concerned they’ll miss their chance to advance the genre of war games by just ticking all the same boxes in a new (well, old) setting and perpetuating the notion that Americans are always good, and Nazis are always bad. That said, they seem to be heavily influenced by Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan so maybe they will have some shades of grey in their narrative and do something new.

Battlefield 1 at least lets you play as both sides in a conflict and although human lives are reduced to mere ‘tickets’, I do admit that I felt remorse when sitting in a machine gun nest, mowing down a charge across the trenches by the players on the other team.

Yes, it’s a game, but it represents something. Yes, the players will respawn and so it’s more like a game of paintball or virtual tag than an actual battle, but this is where my empathy for pixels idea comes in. Real lives were ended doing exactly this kind of action that I’m doing right now. I sincerely hope that when you watch the last hour of Titanic you feel a lot more moved than when you watch Con Air. Similarly, I hope than when you play games based on the world wars or Vietnam, that a part of you doesn’t glorify the killing in the same way as you the glory kills in Doom.

They’re different beasts, I think, and deserve different treatments from the creators. I hope that Call of Duty: WW2 gets some of that.

Games with more moral weight

I’ve referenced more linear games here so far, but RPGs are traditionally much better at giving weight to your moral decisions, even if they are nearly always set in fantasy or post-apocalyptic worlds.

I recently played Westerado, an indie cowboy RPG/ murder mystery in an open world that you have a lot of agency over. It doesn’t take itself fully seriously, but because you can go anywhere and kill anyone, you feel like you’ve some real responsibility in the world. Because of this responsibility, when I found myself riding out with some US Army soldiers who’d been fighting with native American tribes, and we than happened upon said tribes in a sudden ambush, I said “oh f**k no I will not be killing native Americans and still pretending I’m the good guy”. I ran from the fight. I failed that side quest. I think the army were regrettably all killed but I’m not sure. But that was my story. The game didn’t establish that these natives were out of line in any particular way, just that the army were fighting them. So my own knowledge of history filled in the rest. While I was happy enough to help the army bring food to settlers (or whatever we were doing in that quest) I was not taking part in any genocide. Pixelated or not.

Here is an example of an extremely unrealistic looking game reaching me on a real level. An historical setting (fictional as the specifics are) and a game where my choices can have a lasting effect can create real empathy even for pixelated characters.

Mechanics for deeper, more sympathetic NPCs

Assuming you want some moral ambiguity or emotional weight in your game, particularly if you’re making a war game, what tools could be used to advance this agenda?

Just having NPCs chatter together is a very simple way of humanising them (for better or worse) before you go in guns blazing or not. It’s tried and true in linear games, but challenging in open worlds where the dialogue inevitably can start to repeat, and feel insincere.

The opening level of Battlefield 1 had you fighting a pitched battle on the Western front. Each time you died (in this level only), as the screen faded to black, you got your character’s name and the year of their birth and death. What it would say on their tombstone, basically. You then respawned as a new soldier elsewhere in the battle. This gave a weight to death that most war games (and the rest of this one) usually can’t deliver. If you add to that system something like “loving father and husband” or “always dreaming” you’ve a better system already.

Valiant Hearts has you play as characters from both sides of the trenches, and actually never has you kill anyone. It shows your Franco-German family in tact before the war, then watches as, torn apart by circumstance, they struggle to reunite.

This War of Mine has you play a war game from the point of view of starving families trying to survive amidst the rubble, where you make decisions to kill innocents because you need food for your own kids. The shocking reality of the unseen other side of war games was powerful.

Apart from historical settings that bring their own moral weight (and ethical dilemmas in terms of storytelling) to the table, you could use procedural generation to fill out backstories for each and every NPC that lives or dies. It’s its own challenge, but it’s possible. Watchdogs had a system where you could hack the phone of anyone in the open world and get a little summary of that person as an individual. That’s not an end in itself, but it’s a tool in the box.

Dwarf Fortress procedurally generates its entire world and history when you launch a new game. Co-creator Tarn Adams and Kitfox Games’ Tanya X Short have some great GDC talks and blogs about procedural generation, including a book they co-wrote called Procedural Generation in Game Design coming out soon. Do check some of it out if you’re interested in the area.

I’ve experimented myself with generating a small town’s size of population. Everyone gets a name, age and job. Every year people grow up and either die, marry, have kids, or do nothing extraordinary. Over a few seconds I grow this town by several generations and all of a sudden have a family history for every character still alive at the moment I start playing the game properly. I’m planning on using something similar to this in Sons of Sol to flesh out your wingmates’ backgrounds, though we don’t yet know the extent of player interaction with wingmates outside of the main missions.

In Conclusion

There are many more ways we could flesh out NPCs. Better AI is one. We could even get as far as giving NPCs the levels of interactivity that the hosts in Westworld have. Though I think the point of that show is that some people will just refuse to acknowledge the humanity in artificial things, while others can empathise with them very naturally; less because they’re fooled by looks or behaviour, but more because they’re emotionally invested in the story.

Humans have always loved storytelling, and creators have always found new and better ways of expanding our toolset for crafting them. We have amazing tools for creating empathy and understanding through interaction now.

Games are chief among the most consumed media in the modern age. Violence and conflict are a core part of many of our games, but also a significant part of the real world that we live in. In a world that too often seems to lack empathy and a willingness to understand our adversaries, games could be our best tool to foster a willingness to understand other sides in a conflict. I think it’s important that we start to do this more often. It doesn’t suit every game, but where killing humans is the main activity, and especially in historical war games, I think we can and should do better than we have been. We’re moving the right way, I think, but let’s keep it up.

Until next time..

#IFTTT #Blogger

0 notes