View allAll Photos Tagged ASKING
Since Virginia was asking which wooden stamp we'd take on a paradise island, I thought I'd make a card with one of my favorite wooden stamps, the Newspaper Tulips. :) Actually I love the Old Writing wooden stamp that I used for the bg too.
All pics are ©Rosa Rusa. All rights reserved.Please dont use them before had my written permission. mail me if you need one]
Thelonious Monk - Ask Me Now
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JZ7Ws2ArXo&feature=related
serie Dublin [36]
#explore-22-08-2010
Style info;
* Dress - (this is a top, skirt and over throw) .Enfant Terrible. Pandora
* Lash Applier, Eye Liner and lower liner - Zen Child Designs - Hekate's Daughter Makeup EvoX
Both out now @ Enchantment maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Nymphai/108/82/3515
* Bindi (around eye, and modded to remove the gem) and nose deco - [AERTH] Seer Regalia
out at we love roleplay;
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Riverhunt/129/130/1503
Skin .... this is my fav pale skin EVER! - Nar Mattaru.Elizabeth Skin in the skin tone Ghoul.
Also wearing the . Nar Mattaru . Stiletto Nails Base Kit with the Texture Add-On {Goth Pack 02}
Nar Mattaru mainstore;
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cerberus%20Crossing/217/17...
Orb - Aii - Orb Censor
Aii mainstore - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Aii%20and%20Ego/123/155/1521
Head - LeLUTKA Halle Head 3.1
Hair - Doux
Harness, Halo, Shoulders, Hips and Horns - Petrichor
3rd Eye - Clover
Anything else you want to know, please ask
*** PLEASE ZOOM FOR ALL THE DETAILS ***
Oh, it's just my favorite yellow dress. "Where did I get it you ask?" ohhhh..... well, I love this dress so much, I actually got it at RAVE... embarrasing, I know.... but their clothes are actually pretty nice now.... I swear! My black flats, which you can't see here, are COACH. Thanks for asking!
For FGR: My, what is that you're wearing?
Humor me & View On White it's really much better!
** ooohhh...... I sound like a snotty B*@#h don't I..... yeah... I really don't care where I buy things, as long as they're cute.... the thing about rave is that their clothes used to just disintigrate while you were wearing them.. that's what is embarrassing. I actually pride myself on my bargain hunting :)
Photo: ask.me tell.me / social graphic project
subject: iconography
Photographer: alex calder
Model: lafras le roux
Location: Fort Sutter, California
01/100
The Abandoned Pennhurst Asylum
May 25th, 2014
Some info on this historic location:
“Pennhurst is the scariest place I have ever seen. Period. I have traveled all over the country visiting haunted places and attractions and nothing compares to this incredible, dilapidated campus. Last October, I was approached by the owners of Pennhurst Associates, and asked if I would like to be a partner in their haunted attraction. At first I was skeptical because everyone thinks this industry is easy, with a “get rich quick” attitude, and we all know how much work is involved and how hard it is to be successful. I was really skeptical…until I visited Pennhurst. The day I drove into this huge complex of brick structures, I was hooked. I knew this place had the potential to be the greatest haunted attraction ever. With a ton of money, corporate sponsors, the right build crew, and a great plan, Pennhurst Asylum could come to life and entertain the hard core haunters. Not only does this place have an incredible ambiance, a built in cult following, and a treasure trove of unique props, it has a history; a history riddled with accusations of torture, abuse and neglect. A history of mental patients chained to the walls in dark tunnels, children left for years in cribs, sexual abuse by the staff and even murder. All this happened behind the walls of Pennhurst State School, Spring City, Pennsylvania.
Pennhurst was constructed and opened in 1908 as a state school for the mentally and physically disabled. Pennhurst's property was vast, covering 120 acres. Created to house over 10,000 patients at a point in time, Pennhurst was one of the largest institutions of its kind in Pennsylvania. Half of Pennhurst's residents were committed by court order and the other half were brought by a parent or other guardian. It was devoted strictly to the care, treatment and education of the disabled. Originally named Pennhurst Home for the Feeble Minded and Epileptic, it finally was just called Pennhurst State School. Pennhurst employed a large number of staff to help assist in maintaining the facility. This staff included a board of trustees, medical staff, dental staff, and specialists in psychology, social services, accounting, and various fields of education. The grounds of Pennhurst included a 300-bed hospital, which had a full nursing staff and two surgeons on call at all times. Others at Pennhurst included members of the clergy and farming experts who grew most of Pennhurst's food . Pennhurst was an essentially self-sufficient community, its 1,400-acre site containing a firehouse, general store, barber shop, movie theatre, auditorium and even a greenhouse. The buildings of Pennhurst were named after towns in Pennsylvania such as Chester and Devon. The original buildings were designed by architect Phillip H. Johnson. All of Pennhurst's electricity was generated by an on-site power plant. A cemetery lay on the property, as well as baseball and recreational fields for the residents. Many of Pennhurst's buildings were strictly for storage; however, the majority were dormitory and hospital-style living quarters for the residents. Many of the buildings had security screens that were accessed on the inside, to prevent patients from escaping, or jumping to their deaths. Most of the stairwells had security fences to keep patients from jumping over the railings. Many of the buildings are linked by an underground tunnel system designed for transportation of handicapped patients to and from the dormitory, recreational buildings and dietary.
Pennhurst was often accused of dehuminazitation and was said to have provided no help to the mentally challenged. The institution had a long history of staff difficulties and negative public image, for example, a 1968 report by NBC called "Suffer the Little Children". Pennhurst State School was closed in 1986 following several allegations of abuse. These allegations led to the first lawsuit of its kind in the United States, Pennhurst State School and Hospital vs. Halderman, which asserted that the mentally retarded have a constitutional right to living quarters and an education. Terry Lee Halderman had been a resident of the school, and upon release she filed suit in the district court on behalf of herself and all other residents of Pennhurst. The complaint alleged that conditions at Pennhurst were unsanitary, inhumane and dangerous, that these living conditions violated the fourteenth amendment, and that Pennhurst used cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the eighth and fourteenth amendments. After a 32-day trial and an immense investigation, prosecutors concluded that the conditions at Pennhurst were not only dangerous, with physical and mental abuse of its patients, but also inadequate for the care and habilitation for the mentally retarded. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania also concluded that the physical, mental, and intellectual skills of most patients had deteriorated while in Pennhurst.
In 1986, Pennhurst was ordered closed, and began a program of de-institutionalism that lasted several years. Once the buildings were closed, they began to rapidly deteriorate from lack of heating, moisture invasion and vandalism. Thousands of people began to illegally tour the property spray painting everything in sight and breaking all the glass in the place. Theft was rampant and the destruction of the property was in full swing. Patients were thrown out and a large homeless contingent developed in the area.
Pennhurst fell into complete ruin as the complex was shut down. Buildings were abandoned as they were, with patient’s clothes and belonging strewn about. Furniture, cabinets and medical equipment were left to decay as if someone had just got up and walked out the front door. This is the place that will eventually resurrect into one of the most studied properties in the ghost hunter media, and will become an amazing haunted attraction.
As I research the history of this place, I begin to realize the potential of Pennhurst as an intriguing location for a haunted attraction. This place is really haunted. Several reputable Ghost Hunter groups have documented audible recordings, temperature changes, and unexplained movement of objects in the buildings of Pennhurst. This is the kind of environment I want to build the next generation of haunted house; a proven haunted location.
My team, headed by John Brady, Shawn Sieger, Jim Souflous, Todd Beringer, Rob Sieger and others search the complex for valuable props. We wander deep into the tunnels that stitch the complex. We move into the basements of maintenance buildings, storage areas, dormitories and dietary in search of unique items that will set this haunt apart from all other. We find a huge electro-mechanical device that has to be the control for the electrotherapy department. It is so old that it used electrical tube circuits developed in the 30’s. Insulators and other unrecognizable devices are strewn about the room. This is a huge find. As we cruise through the old abandoned hospital, we harvest giant 48” surgical lights that are suspended from the rotting ceilings. They are mounted on tracks that allow the lights to be moved to focus on the unsuspecting patients. These will be perfect in the rooms for our haunt. We find medical cabinets, drawers, storage lockers, operating tables are everywhere. This is a veritable treasure trove of props for our attraction. As we move through the dark corridors, with flashlights moving side to side, I can’t keep the feelings of growing anticipation from my mind. I know there is something out there but can’t put my finger on it. I come around the corner and enter a small room to the right, and there it is; the morgue. I recognize it because it has two drawer slides and a refrigeration unit on top. This is what we came here to find. This will be one of the most unique features of our attraction; a real morgue scene. Stainless steel tables with large drains, stainless steel cabinets, lab equipment and a real, 1930’s autopsy table! I am blown away by this scene. I can picture the thousands of customers coming through our attraction knowing that everything in here is REAL. My arms have gooseflesh!
Back at the Administration building, construction is moving forward. All the asbestos has been abated, the floors have been repaired, roof repaired, windows replaced, and structural inspections have been completed. The building is safe for use as an amusement building. Now the hard work of turning this into one of the most complex haunted houses is under way. A full electrical upgrade needs to be completed. Smart lighting, imbedded audio systems and fiber optical controls will be installed. Pneumatic infrastructure will be run throughout the building so props can be installed in any room. A lot of work must be completed in a few short months in preparation for the 2010 season.
We want this attraction to be a full experience of Pennhurst, but we need to work the audience up slowly so they won’t chicken out right away. This place is so creepy, that we need to get the ticket sales completed before they see the complex. A state of the art POS system will be installed by Interactive Ticketing, and can handle the thousands of expected customers. This system will track every ticket sold, and with the aid of digital scanners that are integrated with the internet, and keep track of each customer. Once the customer has bought their ticket, they will be guided to the walkway that surrounds the complex. This walkway will act as a huge queue line to the main entrance of the haunt, but will take them on a tour around several other buildings before entering the Administration building. As the customers walk the 800’ long walkway, they will experience the vastness of Pennhurst. With over 10 buildings in view, most in bad condition, they will be able to witness the downfall of this once beautiful campus. The once beautiful courtyards are now overgrown and the children’s playground equipment lay rotting all around. As the people approach the Admin building, they will be diverted to the side and then around to the front and into the main entrance. A large stone portico greets the crowd as they are ushered into the attraction. A unique feature of Pennhurst will be the museum. Many local residents have a strong feeling that the memories of the atrocities that occurred here should be preserved in some way so that they will not re-occur in the future. With this in mind, we felt that the construction of a Pennhurst Museum was in order. We have reconstructed four rooms on the first floor that will act as an indoor queue line and, at the same time, teach the public about the history of this magnificent place. With high tech videos, historical photos and artifacts from the past, the customers will be able to go back in time and witness the rise and fall of Pennhurst, as it happened. As they move slowly through the museum, they will notice that the rooms are beginning to decay. By the time they enter the great corridor the building has fallen into disrepair. This is when they will enter the scariest haunted house imaginable.
With an asylum theme in mind, and real, antique hospital equipment on hand, we began to build our attraction. We painted the entire interior with a special barrier sealant that encapsulates any lead paint and is also 100% flameproof. Rotted flooring has been replaced, and roof leaks have been plugged. We install MDF board as a wainscote and paint it to look like the marble that was part of the original building, but stolen long ago. We want an old time feeling to envelope the customers; a feeling of going back in time. The first room you enter is the intake office, complete with a psychiatrist giving you the Rorschach test, otherwise known as the ink blot test. As the Dr. engages the crowd, slides flip by on a large screen. After the intake, you enter the de-lousing showers, where shower heads spew out a combination of fog, air and CO2, giving it a cold feel. Other rooms include the dietary unit with copious use of existing cafeteria items like tray holders, rolling carts, plastic ware, cups, plates, tables and ovens. Pneumatic and actor scares abound in this haunt as there are a large number of great setups and hiding spots throughout the building. Moving upstairs, we have a large room with the ceiling removed. It shows the expansive architecture of the building, and the roofline looms over 35’ above your head. The focus in this room is the old, female actor in the corner, who is sitting in a vintage wheelchair. She is spot lighted with down lighting that also shows beds, furniture and other belongings. As she distracts the crowd, a switch is flipped and flood lights reveal the height of the ceiling, filled with another animatronic surprise.
Another part of the building is an area that has suffered a moderate fire. Door frames and headers are charred, and the smell of burnt wood is still perceptible. The area that was burned housed two sound proof cells; small rooms where patients could be locked away and their screams could be totally muffled. The floors, walls and ceilings are 6” thick with heavy insulation stuffed between the studs. The interiors are lined with sound proof tiles, and the exterior is sheathed in another layer of sound proofing. Even the doors are 8” thick and insulated. As you walk into these rooms, you can feel the air get heavy, the sounds deaden and you can imagine how the patients felt being locked up in the pitch dark with no one hearing your screams.
As you can imagine, the really cool rooms are left for last. With tons of great, original props, we build out sets that appear to be real operating rooms. One room is set up to be themed as a lobotomy operating room. Steel tables, medical cabinets and surgical equipment are everywhere. Actors bring off the scare and make this scene believable. The next room is our autopsy chamber. This room is decorated with the original equipment we found in the old hospital. The cabinets mounted to the walls are stainless steel, and look brand new, even after 50 or more years. The large sink structure, with an industrial size in-sinkerator, and long overflow drain, is up against the far wall. On the right is the original two drawer morgue unit, moved here from the hospital basement, and restored to its original form. The drawers roll out as easily as they did when first installed, and the refrigeration unit above the drawers adds to the realism of the scene. To top it off, an antique autopsy table stands in the center of the room. I bought the table at a funeral home auction 15 years ago and it has now found a new home. Overhead is a huge surgical style lamp, measuring over 40” across, and fitted with a friction gear that allows one to direct the light in any direction.
Another great room design we are using is the shock therapy room. This room has tile walls and floor, large overhead lights (harvested from the depths of building c) and the original electroconvulsive shock therapy machine retrieved from the hospital. Most modern ECT machines deliver a brief-pulse current, which is thought to cause fewer cognitive effects than the sine-wave currents which were originally used in ECT. Our machine is of the sine wave type, and caused unconsciousness and convulsions for 15 to 30 seconds. It is a large stainless steel console with dials and meters, and long electrode leads still attached. Our shock table is hinged in the center, and can tilt down for easy loading and unloading of the patient. The table has a latch where the actor can drop the foot of the table and attack the audience. This coupled with bang sticks, strobe lights, fog machines and a blistering 400 watt soundtrack make this one of the premier rooms at Pennhurst. In all, Pennhurst Asylum will have 18 complete rooms, not including the 4 room used in the museum. All of these rooms are highly detailed to be realistic in every way.
We have really strived to mix fact with fiction, folklore with fear, to come up with some of our unique room designs. There have been accounts of an old dentist chair that was located in the deep recesses of Mayflower, one of the more notorious dorms at Pennhurst. This chair is a little different than the ones you and I are used too; it has restraining straps attached to the arms, legs and headrest. This chair was reportedly used to remove the teeth of patients that were prone to biting the staff here. Imagine yourself being strapped into this device and having all your teeth ripped out without any kind of medication. This is just one more example of how unique this location is.
The most intriguing part of Pennhurst is their tunnel complex. All of the buildings on the campus are connected by above ground walkways with tunnels under them. These tunnels are 10 feet high, 8 feet wide and thousands of feet long. Concrete floors, tile walls and concrete ceilings create an incredible echo effect at certain intersections. In fact, I have looked behind myself several times to see if there is someone following me a few feet back. The echoes are so distinct you can hear whispers from hundreds of feet away.
As the guests are scared out of the last room in the Asylum, they find themselves in a large foyer with paintings and photographs on the walls. This is the queue line for the tunnels. Once through the lines, the guests are ushered down a long set of stairs and into the basement. Once there, with a temperature drop of at least 20 degrees, they are let through the double doors that lead to the exit…900 feet away. Scenes and actors appear at intersections along the way. Glass jars with cages around them contain the only lighting down here, and they are all connected to commercial lighting controls that are programmed to flicker, dim and occasionally go completely dark. We also added several subsonic bass tubes that cannot be heard, only felt. This will induce an uneasy feeling in all who enter the tunnels. Special chicken exits have been designed into the tunnel system and I’m sure will be used many times. This will be the scariest part of this attraction. The best part of the tunnel system is that it will contain our guests on their way back to the main entrance. People coming into the show along the walkways above will hear the screams emanating from the tunnels below them. They will hear the reactions to our show before they even enter the walkways leading to our haunt. What better way to elevate the anticipation and fear level than to hear, first hand, how scary this place is. If this place is scary to seasoned haunters, imagine how the general public will feel.
Another unique feature of Pennhurst is that it is really haunted. Featured on the Travel Channel, the Ghost Adventures crew have recorded many strange voices, noises and unexplained movement and documented this in their shows. The Pennhurst Ghost Tours, open to professional and amateur ghost hunters, has been a huge success, with recordings, photos and accounts of physical contact throughout the Pennhurst complex. So, if you want to get scared, come to Pennhurst Asylum. You may even witness the supernatural… whether you want to or not.”
Go to you bosom: Knock there, and ask your heart what it doth know.
William Shakespeare
Read more at www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/william_shakespeare_...
San Francisco, California
I was asked how I compose with my pinhole box camera, to which my standard response is: “I point it that-a-way”. People laugh when I say that and it’s a little moment of camaraderie. It is practically the antithesis of all things “Ansel”. “Why even bother?” may be the unspoken thought in some minds, and indeed I often wonder why I enjoy the relative lack of precision afforded -and required- by pinhole photography. In truth, there are a number of reasons.
First and foremost, perhaps, is that I cannot be Ansel. [or Ruth Bernard, or Atget, etc]. No one can. And if I try to be any of them, I won’t have enough energy left over to find out who I, myself, can be.
Next, there are surprises. Not always. Like most things photographic, true successes are few, and the time spent in the field is often the only reward I get. But occasionally, the result ends up being a gift I had not completely anticipated.
The last I might mention is surrender. When I place the camera, I have to wait. This image took 30 mins. During that time, I wandered, I wondered, I looked about, watched others work, talked to passers-by. I was alive in the moment, tethered but awake, slacking, lollygagging. Time is it’s own reward, it is precious beyond description. And this surrendering to the moment, this abiding… well, maybe I’m actually chasing this, maybe I just think I’m a photographer.
Point it that-a-way.
Rose from last autumn...
We do not loosen our hands' intertwining
(Not caring so very much what she supposes),
There when she comes on us mistily shining
And grants us by silence the boon of her roses.
Robert Frost
*** *** ***
I'm stampolina and I love to take photos of stamps. Thanks for visiting this pages on flickr.
I'm neither a typical collector of stamps, nor a stamp dealer. I'm only a stamp photograph. I'm fascinated of the fine close-up structures which are hidden in this small stamp-pictures. Please don't ask of the worth of these stamps - the most ones have a worth of a few cents or still less.
By the way, I wanna say thank you to all flickr users who have sent me stamps! Great! Thank you! Someone sent me 3 or 5 stamps, another one sent me more than 20 stamps in a letter. It's everytime a great surprise for me and I'm everytime happy to get letters with stamps inside from you!
thx, stampolina
For the case you wanna send also stamps - it is possible. (...I'm pretty sure you'll see these stamps on this photostream on flickr :) thx!
stampolina68
Mühlenweg 3/2
3244 Ruprechtshofen
Austria - Europe
* * * * * * * * *
beautiful xmas stamp Spain 24c € 0.24 christmas (Madonna Jesus Child; painting by Alfredo Roldán) Holy Night sello navidad Espana postage 24c Angels 邮票 西班牙 圣诞节 天使 noël timbre espagne рождество марки Испания Natale francobolli Spagna angeli jul frimerker spania engler クリスマス スタンプ スペイン Karácsony bélyegek Spanyolország عيد الميلاد طوابع إسبانيا 크리스마스 우표 스페인 คริสต์มาส แสตมป์ สเปน Boże Narodzenie znaczki Hiszpania Jul Christmas Giáng sinh Božić Vánoce Χριστούγεννα "חג המולד“ Kerstmis joulu Weihnachten noel navidad Божић natal क्रिसमस natale クリスマス عيد الميلاد 圣诞节 Karácsony Boże Narodzenie рождество 크리스마스 Ziemassvētki Kalėdos Spain xmas stamp 24c
SATURDAY OPEN MIC!! ANY QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/CRITICISMS/CONCERNS, you go right ahead and ask here. and I'll go right ahead and answer here.
WEEKEND ROLL CALL:
My weekly column on Manolith.com is up!!
Featuring some of my favorite photos, accompanied by an all new essay, this week I talk about why it's wrong to hate beautiful people like Steph, here.
Check it out, because this time? This time I tell you exactly what I look for in a model: CLICK HERE
My blog, where I post pictures, music and various stuff from around the internet that is simply to die for: BLOG.
Because money is good, and giving me money is better: BUY MY BOOK!!!!
Hub of my internet empire: MY WEBSITE!!!!!!
Where I am either a)funny or b)very close to funny, in 140 characters or less: TWITTER
THANK YOU. END OF LINE.
This old fella and his new kit was asking for it this morning....and he fucking got it a couple of waves later...only advice I can give you sir...work with the tide ....not against it...
So latest jack pic ask to what music do we listen and I think it could be nice to answer here
Well, I got many favorites song but if need to select one it will be believer-imagine dragons cause it representes me with that thing about pain and blah blah blah, my favorite singer will be twenty øne piløts, I like their letters and melody (lane boy) also I like Shawn Mendez a little I like stitches and treat you better
Old song will be hooked and feeling or sweet dreams
A song that I want for make and edit is young god, gasoline and treat you better from Halsey and Shawn Mendez (savifrost, yep I have an obsession)
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www.youtube.com/afvideoproduzioni
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Me on web:
www.artabout.it (set)
www.artabout.it (set)
Streetfashion Magazine (interview)
Streetfashion Magazine (model pic of the day)
www.organiconcrete.com (flickr selection)
www.artishere.it (interview)
www.arsenicmag.com (set)
www.photoone.org (editor award)
www.photoone.org (editor award)
getinspiredmagazine.com (set)
getinspiredmagazine.com (set)
getinspiredmagazine.com (set)
getinspiredmagazine.com (set)
getinspiredmagazine.com (set)
getinspiredmagazine.com (set)
getinspiredmagazine.com (set)
caprice magazine (my photo)
Oorspronkelijk was dit voertuig gewoon brandweerrood, voorzien van watertank, motorspuit en HD haspel tussen de manschappencabine en de tank. Later is het voertuig voorzien van een nieuwe opbouw en is de wagen in "dessert" camouflage gespoten.
“So what is your story?” Nahla asked while idly and in bored fashion flipped through a random book sitting upon one of the desks.
“I’m just an Elf.” Solarawen replied, eyes shifted slightly over her left shoulder to the tiefling. “Don’t touch that.”
“Well, to look at you one would guess that but there is something a bit more about you. I see the scars along your shoulders and hands, what caused those?” Of course not listening to being told to stop touching things, she continued to flip through the pages while plopped into one of the not so comfortable wooden chairs. A soft protest of a squeak came from her shoulder where a small primate did it’s best to hide from the large white owl upon the elf's shoulder. Though Thalk’s golden eyes never left the small morsel’s position. Solarawen closed the book she had in her hands, a hesitant glance at the scars spoken of before she placed the book back and pulled another. “I mean, if I am going to be doing work for you the least you could do is give me a little information.”
“Information you would then turn and sell to someone else? After I am paying you gold to give me information on others?” Her tone did not sound accusatory, in fact it was rather even and blase throughout most of the conversations Nahla had with her.
“Gold is easy for me to come by,” A slight wave of the tiefling’s hand to dismiss the idea. “I’m curious and want a story instead. Your story. I mean, it isn’t like anyone is going to ask about you. No one even knows you yet nor do they probably care to. You’re just some random student so far. And even if they did, What would I tell them? A pretty elf had some curiosity but lacked the social skills to get to know them? I’d probably die and your story would die with me in the process of asking around. So why not? It is all the payment I am asking for. I’d say that is fair.” There was a sigh, that caused a smirk to curl on Nahla’s lips. She knew that sigh well enough to know she was about to get what was asked for.
A clap of the book and Solarawen turned around walking over to the table with an expression that Nahla couldn’t quite read. It wasn’t exactly annoyance nor was it amusement. In fact, something about it seemed almost sinister or devious in a way. That couldn’t be right, elves weren’t like that. So she thought.
“So what do you want to know?” The question posed as she settled down in a chair across the table. “About the scars? Or about where I am from? You have my name and my general information already. What is it you so desire that you would refuse gold in turn?” The tiefling licked her lips and leaned forward. The book in front of her was already forgotten and shoved to the wayside.
“Tell me about the scars. I’ve not seen scars like those before. How did you get them?”
“By meddling in magic before I was ready.” Nahla’s eyes squinted at the answer.
“Come on… More details, please.” Another sigh and the tiefling’s smile would grow to show her pointed teeth.
“When I was young I fell in love with a male who, in turn, fell in lust with me. All he wanted to do was have relations. Meanwhile I was trying to think of a future we both could have. Perhaps the naive nature of a younger self. While he was feeling me up, I was planning children and a home. I was daydreaming about how the introduction of him to my family would go. While that introduction got postponed time and time again. His choice of course. Until it could no longer be postponed because I was with a child.” Nahla raised a brow but was now intently listening.
“Everyone in Silverymoon knows my family are purists. Only elven blood in the family. As it turned out, my… choice in a male partner was not full elven blooded. He knew this of course, but chose to have his fun and when it came to the consequences… Well, he did not want to face the wrath of my mother for a child that would be… impure.” By this point of the story Nahla’s features changed slightly. Brows furrowed and head tilted with a hint of confusion in the expression on her face. She’d never heard of such a thing. The elves she had met throughout her life, at least the ones above ground, seemed to be tolerant if not loving of all life.
“So, this… partial elf decided that instead of facing down life as an outcast with me… because I would be exiled due to my child of course and lose everything. He decided to attempt to erase his mistake. To defend myself and my child I attempted to protect myself with magic I had not yet mastered. My mother caught us in the midst of battle and threw a chain lightning spell. She couldn’t have known what it would have done. At least I tell myself that. She was just trying to separate us. It killed him.” Solarawen nodded slightly. “And the baby. It went through one of my hands and out the other, which is where these scars came from. Instead of having me healed she insisted that the marks be left as a lesson. To what, I am not sure of. She claimed to not attempt magic without properly studying it first. Of which is true, had I studied it things might have gone differently. I might have chosen different spells or just misty stepped away and escaped with my and my baby’s life.” There was an awkward silence that followed before Solarawen stood back up and returned to the shelves she had been looking through already.
“I’m so sorry, Solarawen…”
“Don’t be. You now know I am not a simple naive elven maiden. Now, to business. I want to know of all the deity priests and priestesses within waterdeep. Just general information. I am not one for detailed stories.”
“As you wish.” Nahla stood up and brushed herself off. Though she agreed to it, she most likely would not seek out Solarawen again. Something about her didn’t seem right, and that instinct was what kept the orange haired tiefling intact for most of her life thus far. “You’ve a pleasant evening.” A polite bow of her horned head as she started to make her way out of the tower library. Thalk’s golden eyes stayed upon her and her little friend until they rounded the corner of a bookshelf.
“You too.” Solarawen muttered into yet another book. She was not a fool. She knew she’d never see the tiefling again. She’d have to find another way to gather information.
I have finished today 2 repaints for a very nice person :) She asked me to "refresh" their two Elsas. I work these days like a machine :) I have some to show you ;)
Give me a kiss to build a dream on
And my imagination will thrive upon that kiss
Sweetheart, I ask no more than this
A kiss to build a dream on
A Kiss to Build a Dream On
Song composed by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby and Oscar Hammerstein
Asked this woman if I could see her tattoo. She told me it's 20 years old. I thought her feet were dreamy, love the polish and shape of her nails. She told me she's 68 years old. She was beautiful, I would have guessed in her 50's.
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© 2019 Hubert Burnett
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Thanks for asking me if I am fine.
I am and I am just very busy preparing for an exhibition in Tokyo with other work now.
I try to make a new painting, but maybe because I feel I should hurry, my painting gets worse and worse :-((( I have just started the same one again yesterday. I hope this time it works and otherwise I might give up exhibiting this painting in Tokyo.
Apart from it, I went to the RHS London Orchid show on Friday and Saturday. The show includes botanical art exhibition and because the standard was so high, it was actually both encouraging and discouraging.
I took photos there of course, but there were not many acceptable shots either. I have to work hard in many ways. I uploaded one of few so-so shots here. This is Paphiopedilum malipoense.
Happy Birthday!
Many people ask, including myself "What did the original scene look like?"
I thought I would let everyone see the original shot of this particular post. A crop, elimination of two crows, add my signature, lighten the scene and that is it. OK. So thats all my eyes and Photoshop expertise will let me do.
Original is in first comment box below.