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© 2008 2012 Lloyd Thrap Photography for Halo Media Group
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My travels around the UK by car for three weeks with my son. June/July 2019 Wales.
Day eight ..making our way to Aberystwyth for the night. We stopped in the Village of Hay-on-Way to look at the book shops and to get some lunch.
Hay-on-Wye, often abbreviated to just "Hay", is a small market town and community in the historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire) in Wales. With over twenty bookshops, it is often described as "the town of books", and is both the National Book Town of Wales and the site of the annual Hay Literary Festival.
The settlement's name is first referred to between 1135 and 1147 as Haya; in 1299 the name of La Haye is used. By the 16th century it was simply called Hay, and the use of the river as a suffix is a later addition. In 1215, a Welsh name, Gelli was recorded, and Gelli gandrell in 1614; the two names may have been used concurrently in 1625. The English language name, Hay, is derived from Old English hæg, possibly meaning a "fenced area" and a noun used in late Saxon and Norman times for an enclosure in a forest. The Welsh word celli (lenited to Gelli) has a range of meanings including wooded areas of various extents.
For More Info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay-on-Wye
Browsing through photos from the summer and I thought how nice it would be if it were warm enough to go outside and capture the moon. Oh well, we'll all soon be complaining about the heat and mosquitos.
Hope your Christmas was wonderful! Time spent enjoying being together with family and friends is the best time spent.
Browsing my archive in search for what might become an upload I came across the photograph above that I took in November 2009. It was one among other stuff I keep in a group labeled “failures”. A quick glance at the original shot would reveal nothing interesting other than some flowers and a butterfly or what looked like one, all set against a lifeless wall made of dust-colored bricks with the in-between cracks being loosely stuffed with cement. This is how it looked when I first downloaded it from my camera last year.
This time there was something new to perceive. While the wall represented impediments hindering or slowing down progress in my life, the flowers and the butterfly bore resemblance to good things: Making friends online and exploring new depths in terms of human relations, enjoying thrilling novels, photography, Flickr, an exciting movie, a lovely song…etc in the time when everything around was not only frustrating but in many times saddening, sometimes seriously!
Realizing that life is far more complicated than a mutely flat wall to speak for and that those impediments had to be felt in some way or another…that hours, days and weeks are never the same and that the ups and downs carry us, we like it or not, from one stage to the next and the next, I sat down with my friends the laptop computer and Adobe Photoshop with a new vision in mind: Writing all that down in a legible and perhaps funny photographic language.
I thought of transparent or nearly transparent columns of somehow different widths to stand for those days and weeks. Now for the columns to play their assigned roles each would be given a particular layer mode and/or opacity level different from the adjacent, to speak in “photoshopic” terms with the varying widths referring to the seriousness of the situations. In this way they would lighten up at times and darken at other times, get wider, that is to say easier now and become narrower, that is harder shortly after…appear refreshing at stage A then depressing at B. Rhythm is out of control as harmony intersects with chaos…the common with the irregular…the predictable with the unexpected!
Gradually and inadvertently I found myself engaged in a world where fancy overlaps with real life and the work started to put on a garment different from being a nearly duplication of some other works intended to shed light on the here and now of my life.
From that point the entire attempt became secondary and even trivial to what my mind was now trying to crack: IMAGINATION!
Searching the net for some info several months ago I remember I was more than astonished to know that Jules Verne, a capable French author wrote in 1865 “De la Terre à la Lune” (From Earth to the Moon) and that H.G. Wells, that brilliant British novelist whose “Kipps” I studied at high school did publish his scientific fiction “The First Men in the Moon” in 1901. The idea that the two great men had such admirable talents to conceive of such great ideas DECACEDS before NASA was impressively capable of replacing the word “fiction” with “Fact” proved to me how great achievements could be traced back to some daring dreams of brilliant people.
Now that I had something more serious to busy my mind with, I ended the amusing dialogue I was having with Mr. Photoshop, shut down the computer and started a new mental journey.
What occurred to me next had its roots in the book of Genesis. “God saw all that he had made – and it was very good!” Genesis 1:31 it was so clear now that our God, the most genius and the most creative ever, had that trait: Imagination or the ability to imagine things even before they come into existence. He saw all that he had made and it was very good!!! Where does that lead? Doesn’t it mean that the most brilliant designer, the most creative engineer ever had mental sketches? designs? Perhaps even prototypes that He worked on over what “we” regard as “giant periods of time”, resulting in what we now call “evolution”? For me it is certain that all were in His creatively creative mind long before He decided to roll up His sleeves for hard work! Having finished the creation and now examining His marvelous masterpieces I can imagine Him admiring the fact that whatever He did did exactly match His earlier visions (imaginations) and as if saying “All our calculations were so accurate… all designs so perfect…ALL IN ALL IS SO GREAT”…
Now what does that have to do with you and me? Well, we, human beings, are said to fall under the “Animal Kingdom” category. A scientific theory that held and will continue to hold true as long as we have our “mental eyes” wearing the glasses of materialism and as long as we keep examining “only” our “physical” existence and that under the microscopic lens of our hi-tech biolabs. Genius, creative and open-minded like Sir. Charles Robert Darwin we might be regarded yet with our perspectives still imprisoned within the boundaries of “traditional scientific criteria”…the jailor that would never permit that we look beyond the visible and/or perceivable worlds of MATTER.
Based on the assumption that we are highly ranked or superbly developed animals we then have to compare ourselves to our less developed siblings and see where would that lead. Animals do think indeed, some of them are so clever; they use tricks, even improvise maneuvers to communicate, compete with one another and survive. But can you tell me of an animal whose patterns of thinking have ever proved to be creative enough to compete with and conquer us humans? I’m sorry my friends but we are “unique” and that “missing link” will never be found in my opinion simply because it never existed!
Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness,…” Genesis 1:26. In the image of God? After His likeness? How? Tall or short? Slim or pudgy? Dark-skinned or Caucasian white? Don’t think I’m joking…some and I say “some” people in the part of the world where I live would see it this way!!! But it is so obvious. There is no code here to decipher and the entire idea is so easily grasped: to be made in the image of God and to be created after His own likeness is to bear the divine genes of the Creator, among which is the ability to imagine, spiritually speaking of course.
I know that for that “some” of the people what I say here falls under blasphemy. Now what I really believe I’m doing is glorifying God who planted in us that remarkable holy likeness in order that we become like the Creator: creative! What sin did after was that it brought “dirt” which in turn drove the “holy” out of the human entity…now that’s another story but what I mean is that I believe that the credit for whatever honorably impressive and admirably creative along recorded history of mankind belongs to Him, Elohim who decided to make us in His image, to create us after His likeness…hallowed be His Name for ever and ever… Amen!
Following is a bunch of quotes on “imagination” and for my new friends I’d stress that by putting my own quotes among those by great people I’m not counting myself as one of them. I’m a humble person but only with some vision to share.
“I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them” by Pablo Picasso
“They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night” by Edgar Allan Poe, "Eleonora"
“Trust that little voice in your head that says ‘Wouldn't it be interesting if...’ And then do it” by Duane Michals.
“Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun” by George Scialabba
“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see” by Henry David Thoreau
“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed” by Albert Einstein
“Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought” by Albert Szent-Györgyi
“To think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted” by George Kneller
“I believe in the imagination. What I cannot see is infinitely more important than what I can see” by Duane Michals, Real Dreams
“When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge” by Tuli Kupferberg
“Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless.” by Jamie Paolinetti
“You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'” by George Bernard Shaw
“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.” By Jesse Jackson
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” By Albert Einstein
“Imagination is the first step towards achieving the impossible for it has the power to release God’s image implanted in us all, humans” By Salwan Binni
“If you are still dreaming, if your mind is capable of imagining beautiful things then forget about impediments and know you are on the right track. Imagination is the early manifestation of the upcoming uprising. It indicates the urge in our minds to rebel against the reality, hence to create a better one” by Salwan Binni
“Imagination is the mother of all arts, without it human civilizations would have withered and died out long long ago” By Salwan Binni
“The first secret behind creativity is imagination…then follow persistence, discipline, hard work and maybe luck” by Salwan Binni
“Imaginations make up the daydreams of the genius. Once they are materialized, we ordinary people, get to call ‘breakthroughs’” By Salwan Binni
Have a great time everybody! God bless!
New MK puffer 50% off at SteinMart. perfect for the storm we are getting. shopped the mall and lunch at Chili's
No exciting action but interesting to see. they will eat any type of vegetation. Can be a pest, I have one visiting my garden unfortunately.
to do my make upI used the Stila pallet
www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P275717&categ...
and a mix of Maybelline
and
www.hottopic.com/hottopic/Accessories/Cosmetics/Eyes/Yell...
and
snow
www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P61011&catego...
and
www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P228204&categ...
Total cost was probably like 60$ for the set.
Also crystals are Swarovski flat back.
The Porchester, published in the third issue of Solstice Magazine! You can purchase a physical and digital copy over at www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/993220 See our images on pages 66-73!
See more on my website at: www.tomsimmonds.com | www.tomsimmonds.com/analoguebox
And in my blog: clickedbytom.tumblr.com/post/131689519169/the-porchester | thomascolesimmondsphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/the-...
Model: Anastazja Rendak @ PRM Model Agency
Make-up: Silvia Tonelli
Hair: Johan John
Styling: Shirly Piperno
Designers: Chloé Marlow, Sebastian Aquiles Albornoz
Photography: Thomas Cole Simmonds
-----
© Thomas Cole Simmonds. All rights reserved. My images may not be used without my permission.
My Website: www.tomsimmonds.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/ThomasColeSimmonds
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/tomsimmonds/
Twitter: twitter.com/tom_simmonds
Some more handheld people watching shots from the regular street market in the Old Town's Grassmarket area
gold fish, top light with DF400 1/8 again, but this time colour temp is lower, K2900.
was going to make purple highlight instead of blue, maybe need a depper red coloured transparent sheet on the bottom.
its facial looks angry,like a grandfather catches his grandson browsing prono web...
These photos are for the participants. Tag waterbloggged on IG if used! On phones, set your browser to PC or Desktop view and a download arrow should appear.
Farrah Fawcett as repainted and styled by Noel Cruz of www.ncruz.com.
Farrah is shopping in the Barbie Store Diorama by Ken Haseltine.
More repainted art by Noel Cruz are featured in the 1Sixth Winter Hardbound Edition available in Hardback/imagewrap or paperback cover. Also as a PDF or eBook. Order here: www.blurb.com/b/9320555-1sixth
eBook: www.blurb.com/b/9320555-1sixth?ebook=690084
Photos by Steve McKinnis of stevemckinnis.com
Browsing my old LDD design folder today and came across a very early WIP of a VW Beetle, as in only the wheelbase and fenders, and decided to try and get it built.
The curves of the real car were quite difficult to represent so this ended up being broken down into three sections for the chassis. The front and rear section are basically the same with the middle section joining the two as well as providing the necessary angles for the look.
When it came to the curves of the roof line I was struggling quite a bit so this became a cabriolet, the folded roof represented on the back by the black curved slope parts, sure did make the design process a lot easier.
Building instructions available from RepuBrick and Google Drive.
Comments, criticism and questions are welcome, and as always keep an eye out for more.
Cormous, perennial, herb, to 0.35 m high. Fl. purple-blue-yellow, Sep to Nov. Brown sandy loam or clay, red, white and black clayey soils, gritty sand granite. Seasonal creeklines and wetlands, near salt lakes, hills, valley slopes, paddocks.
Melody: Okay, so which one do we order?!
Sadie: Alls of them!!!
Oh, the evils of online shopping! o_O
Finn tagged along with me and John as we went to Trondheim for the weekend.
we visited this awesome store called "interia life style house" that had all kinds of fabulous furniture, clothes, decorating stuff and all kinds of bits and bobs you'd love to have in your home. I was too shy to take lots of pics, since it was pretty crowded, being Saturday morning, but I did manage to snap a couple.
“i have the ‘Play the Melody’ philosophy.
It means don’t over-arrange, dont make life difficult.
Just play the melody- and do it the simplest way possible.”
----Jackie Gleason
Yesterday i did levitate, and while im doing an up side down pose, i felt dizzy.
My human instinct said i needed to sit upstraight- safety first.
After few minutes I went downstairs to watch television and perhaps relax my eyes.
Next thing i remember was waking up past twelve, and it meant i missed day 25.
I did browse my pic form yesterday’s, and every single photo was a crap.
But i won’t make life difficult for me today.
I grabbed my camera, did the simplest possible pose i could, and tada, life can be so simple.
I hate the distortion the kit lens gives me when i flip it this way. Such a distraction.
listening to this www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2D07wrBNMk while editing ~_~
Here's my blog
26/365
Here I am, gazing through vast amounts of technology which have transformed modern day living. Browsing through the aisles, I am quite excited to see how technology is rapidly changing and evolving. My task today is quite simple, having advised my friend of the value of having a fast-charging mobile phone adapter, I was summoned to a technology retailer to help select the item. Somehow, I find myself exploring fridge freezers with Food AI technology.
A cow moose along side a Chena River Slough browses on the rich plant life that's doing very well with all of our recent rain.
WEEK 3 – Memphis Kmart Closing, II
I browsed through the fixtures some, taking pictures as I went along, which is why these may seem slightly all over the place, haha! (Unusual for me, I'm actually uploading these in the order they were taken instead of arranging them into something more presentable.) Anyway, as I neared the back of the fixture sale area, I noticed the meat service department was also visible, way off in the back here. Also in this shot, you can see on the left edge the area I was able to get these pics from last time from.
(c) 2017 Retail Retell
These places are public so these photos are too, but just as I tell where they came from, I'd appreciate if you'd say who :)
One of my favorite weekend activities is browsing old pictures. As our processing techniques and perspectives mature, some of these pictures that were overlooked at the time get a second chance. They are also portals to some of the happiest/craziest times on the road, like this remote location in the great basin along a steaming geo-thermal hot creek. We had planned for a sunrise shot, but were not prepared for the unusually cold night, hence the star trails from 2 in the morning :) Happy weekend end.
Peace W^C.
You can order prints on 500px
Nikon D810 Fine Art Photos John Muir Country-- Kings Canyon & Sequoia! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photography during a Breaking Thunderstorm with Majestic and Interesting Skies!
Enjoyed photographing the John Muir Country-- Kings Canyon & Sequoia in California furing a breaking storm! Also shot it all with the Sony A7r as well as the Nikon D810 and the wonderful Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens as well as the new Tamron AFA012N700 15-30 mm f/2.8-Di VC Wide-Angle Lens for Nikon F (FX) Cameras and the Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens !
I hope that you enjoy browsing through my photos and comparing and contrasting the Nikon D810, sony A7r, and the various lenses!
Long story short, you can't go wrong!
The Sony A7r and the Nikon D810 have the same sensor! While the D810 saves the RAW in 14bit lossless compressed (or uncompressed0, the A7r performs a bit of lossy compression, which I have never noticed, but which some say they have!
At any rate, I am super excited for the Nikon's next camera as well as for the recently announced Sony A7rII Mirrorless Digital Camera! Some highlights include a 42 MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor, a
BIONZ X Image Processor,
Internal UHD 4K Video & S-Log2 Gamma, and a
5-Axis SteadyShot INSIDE Stabilization system!
I'll be ordering mine for sure! And I have a feeling that Nikon will be releasing something epic soon--a 50mp+ camera with awesome dynamic range!
And important thing to remember is that even though pixel sizes keep getting smaller and smaller, the technology is advancing, so the smaller pixels are more efficient at collecting light. For instance, the Sony A7rII will be back-illuminated which allows more photons to hit the sensor. Semiconductor technology is always advancing, so the brilliant engineers are always improving the signal/noise ratio. Far higher pixel counts, as well as better dynamic ranger, are thus not only possible, but the future!
Yes I have a Ph.D. in physics! I worked on phototranistors and photodiodes as well as an artificial retina for the blind. :)
You can read more about my own physics theory (dx4/dt=ic) here: herosodysseyphysics.wordpress.com/
And follow me on instagram! @45surf
Facebook!
www.facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken
www.facebook.com/45surfAchillesOdysseyMythology
Compare these D810 shots with the photos taken with the Sony A7r and new Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens!
After looking through my work,what do you think about Nikon vs. Sony? Do you prefer the Nikon D810 and Nikkor / Tamron / Sigma lenses /glass, or the Sony A7r and Sony Sonnar Carl Zeiss e-mount glass/lenses? I love them both! And I am so excited about the Sony A7rII !
Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photography!
I love shooting fine art landscapes and fine art nature photography! :) I live for it!
45surf fine art!
Feel free to ask me any questions! Always love sharing tech talk and insights! :)
And all the best on Your Epic Hero's Odyssey!
The new Lightroom rocks!
Join me on instagram! @45surf instagram.com/45surf
Greendale: Day 11 of the Misfits' Undercover Operation
With the rest of the Misfits still enrolled in the college, Drury had left Rigger, Reardon and Gar to browse the nearby mall. With them distracted, and in good enough spirits, he was able to enter the Ballroom, a small bar in Greendale's town center without arousing their suspicions. As he opened the door, he was met with a large, suited guard, standing between him and his contact.
"You're late," the guard noted.
"Couldn't find a parking space I liked," Drury lied, placing his cocoon gun and the accompanying cartridge of white pellets onto the cork crate beside him: holding his arms out so that the guard could pat him down, pausing as their hands reached the large stuffed rabbit Drury had forced halfway down his back jacket pocket.
"It's for my son," Drury blushed. "He'll be 20 this month."
The guard raised a judgemental eyebrow, but gave way nonetheless, allowing Drury access into the private booth. The seated occupant rose to his feet and offered his hand out to greet him.
"Mr Walker. We haven't been formally introduced yet. My name is David Li, but you can call me-" he began, only for Drury to cut him off.
"-Bookworm, yeah, yeah, Roman's right hand, I know. Chuck's mentioned you. Said you were an honourable sort. Or at least as honourable as a mob accountant gets, I suppose... He's also said that he wished you'd find more... eh, 'ethically sound' employment."
"Oh, I'm quite satisfied in Mr Sionis' employ, thank you," Li smiled politely. "Although we have been... challenged, as of late. Perhaps it's better to show you: Here."
Li reached into his briefcase and handed Drury the first of many photos, as Walker tried his very best not to throw up.
"Lucio Moxxom. October 31st. Halloween. Head decapitated and mailed to the Sionis penthouse," Li explained, before moving onto the next victim:
"Marco Viti. November 5th. Bonfire Night. Thrown into a Steel Mill furnace. Headfirst."
And the next:
"Angelo Mirti. November 16th. Thanksgiving. Drugged and strung up outside the East End Warehouses. A pound of C4 placed... Well, in a place best left unsaid. And since then, there have been three other murders just like them. Remind you of someone?"
"Julian..." Drury realised, as his heart sank.
"Yes. There was a note attached to the first victim's... ah, head, which matches the handwriting we have on record... Here's the copy I made," Li handed Drury a small sheet of paper, and he read it aloud:
"'Roman Sionis... should've stayed in Italy... blah blah... day of reckoning...' bit pretentious... 'Before this year is through, we will see you burn.'" Drury read. "How come I didn't hear about this sooner? Why didn't you go to the cops?"
"Because the last thing Mr Sionis wants is the GCPD intruding on his businesses. He gets enough bother from the Bats: Something we have in common, I hear. We can help you with that," Li lowered his glasses. "Mr Sionis, believes there's a connection between Day, and this man: The White Mask. And, on Halloween, a recent blood test confirmed his suspicions that White Mask, real name: David Franco, is the son of Richard Sionis. His father. This revelation has Mr Sionis reeling, as he's now certain that Franco, has joined forces with Day to remove him from power."
Though he had only been half listening, Drury suddenly perked up. "Sorry, Dave Franco-?"
"Yes, believe me, we all know what it sounds like... Might we skip the jokes and focus, please?" Li sighed.
"Oh, no, we can not just gloss over that. I've got so much material to work with!" Drury joked.
"If you could concentrate please-" Li restated, as he motioned to his bodyguard, the burly man who had patted Drury down earlier with firm enthusiasm.
"Right, yes, sorry," Drury gulped. "Continue."
"In the weeks since he first received those blood tests, Mr Sionis has turned to Henry Ferris: Iron-Hat, a vile man really. Ferris, believes that to catch Day, we must first lure him out into the open. And what better way is there, than with a holiday party? I believe you're familiar with the annual Janus Cosmetics Christmas ball."
"I am, yeah," Drury reminisced. "But you could wrap Roman in tissue paper and a big red bow, and Jules would probably still show up. Doubt it matters to him, but it would limit casualties."
"You're being sarcastic, I take it," Li noticed. "Believe me, you have every reason to distrust my employer, hate him even, but if you do nothing, if The Calendar Man kills Roman Sionis... Well, you have no idea the kinds of monsters he's kept at bay. Or the evils that will rise up in his place..." Li stopped himself from elaborating further and instead, took a pen from his breast pocket, and scrawled a few digits onto the napkin beneath his soda. "The offer stands. We can grant you safe passage into Gotham, however many guns you require, and in exchange, we request your expertise in dealing with Calendar Man. I'll be staying in the hotel on Rhodes Street; visit me there when you have an answer."
==Greendale: Day 17==
"You didn't tell me you were working with Sionis," Kuttler frowned.
"No, I didn't..." Chuck murmured, just as confused as he was.
Drury approached the False Facers and shook hands with Li. "You remembered my terms, yeah?" he asked.
"Yes," Li spoke. "We already have people bringing Mr Sharpe to the rendezvous point," he confirmed. "We are, however, still struggling to locate Mr Fiasco. We've not heard from him since he was released from GCPD custody."
"Forget it, Len knows how to disappear: he'll be deep underground by now," Drury reasoned. "He's never really liked the spotlight."
"Quite," Li agreed. "We have a small smelting plant in one of the neighbouring towns. I've arranged to have your truck moved there, where it can be quietly decommissioned."
"But not before you 'quietly' scavenge whatever Bat-Tech you can get a hold of, right?" Drury questioned him, hesitantly reaching into his back pocket, and placing the keys into Li's expectant palm.
"Perhaps," Li said coolly.
"Oh, mind you, I quite like the hood ornament," White remarked, as he ran his fingers along the grill of the truck. "Might have to keep that for myself."
"Uh, Drury?" Chuck interrupted, speaking on the group's behalf. "Could we maybe talk about this for a minute?"
Drury, looked back over to Li. "Five minutes," the Bookworm relented. Walker nodded gratefully, and rejoined the rest of the Misfits.
"How exactly did you arrange an escort from the Great White Shark of all people? Did you subscribe to the Iceberg Lounge's loyalty scheme?" Kuttler inquired, a note of sarcasm in his voice.
"They do that?" an oblivious Mayo asked. "What a gip!"
"Dru?" Rigger asked expectantly, electing to ignore Mayo.
"Well, you remember those couple of days we spent in the city center? Blake had his teaching gig, you got your sword, Gar got that nifty new lighter and we all had a brief pint in that place on L-Street?"
"Sure, that was the happiest I've ever been," he replied.
'Really?' Gar thought.
"Well, while you were browsing through shops, I actually had a meeting with Li there: The guy with the hat. We'd been texting for a couple of days prior; think Sharpe maybe gave him my mobile... Doesn't matter. Well, matters a little... But, what's important is, Li told me that Sionis' people are being taken out one by one. On holidays," he stated, pausing for dramatic effect.
'Julian...' Chuck gasped.
"Jules?" Blake wondered. "But that'd mean..."
"Exactly. I think we've found our mastermind," Drury concluded.
Ten placed his head in his hands. "God, Drury, I thought we moved past this," he sighed wearily.
"We did, I know, I'm sorry, but look at the facts: We know Carson isn't smart enough to play the long game. Julian is. If he's part of- or the leader of the Outcasts, we have to take him down. We could end this all, right here."
"Just like in Nanda Parbat, right?" Reardon asked, standing his ground.
"That was different. Please," Drury pleaded.
"Ok, Drury, let's say that he is behind all this, that he paid Krill and promised Carson revenge: that still doesn't explain that Zolomon ghoul," Chuck addressed it. "What does he get out of this?"
"Guess we'll just have to ask him ourselves," Gar stated, as he stood by Drury's side.
The other Misfits, looked more hesitant to join him.
"There'll be a party," Drury tried to entice them. "Booze. Food. Women," directing each of these at Flannegan, Mayo and Blake in that order.
"I'm in," Blake replied confidently, as Rigger also cheered enthusiastically.
"You know me, boss, I'm just here for the paycheck," Otis agreed.
"And if there's a free buffet-" Mayo licked his lips. "Well, that'd just be swell."
'Swell...' Gar mouthed, looking at Drury and nodding affirmatively.
The next to speak, Chuck sighed. "God, peer pressure is a bitch... Hell yeah, let's do it," he smiled. That just left Ten.
"Hey. You said you trusted me," Drury smirked.
"Eh-" Reardon protested.
"You said, 'Drury, I trust you,' you did," he teased.
"Hey, if you said that, it's on you," Blake shrugged.
"Well, that's- That's not a direct quotation," Reardon responded. "It's not!" he repeated to the skeptical ensemble. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "Fine."
"Does it even matter what I think?" Kuttler asked bitterly.
"I mean, I thought I'd at least give you the illusion of choice," Drury smiled boyishly.
"Good job," he scoffed.
==Gotham City==
The Apartment of the Deceased Jumbo Carson. Now home to his brother Ted, his daughter Bridget and their lackey Roger Hayden
The door creaked open, as Julian Day entered the room, his hands smelling strongly of hand sanitizer: A habit he had taken up since his meeting with The King of Cats. Hayden, was currently sat atop the kitchen stool, watching cartoons with intense delight, while his hands caressed his beloved Medusa mask.
At the side of the room, Bridget was putting up a Christmas tree; with many of the decorations recovered from her childhood home to celebrate the first Christmas she was spending with her father since his return- a gesture gone unnoticed by Carson himself.
"Allow me," Day said softly, as he reached into the cardboard box of mementos and placed the star at the top of the tree. 'No tinsel?' he noted. 'Pity.'
Leaning against the kitchen counter, Carson perked up. "Who'd you kill this time, huh?" he demanded, as he poured himself a cup of black coffee.
Day didn't reply.
"And where the hell's Krill anyway?" Carson continued to press. "Would never have agreed to this arrangement if I'd known you'd be poaching my people for god knows what."
Bridget, was actually quite grateful for Krill's absence. Though responsible for bringing her father home, Krill himself had been both crass and disrespectful to her family, with his constant jokes aggravating Carson's already foul temper. Day, at least, buried his insults in flowery language that often went over her father's head.
"My partners have Krill working on a separate assignment right now," Day spoke. "You, should stay focused on yours."
"Separate assignment- Stay focused? But I'm not doing anything!" Carson disagreed.
"Precisely," Day said coldly. "I can't have you bumbling around Gotham like a drunk Darth Vader."
"I-," Carson stammered. "We should be out there, searching for the putz who killed Jacob!"
Day took the coffee pot out of Carson's hands, and poured the steaming liquid into his festive mug. "No. You really shouldn't," he disagreed. "The matter has already been dealt with. Pass the milk, please, Roger."
Carson intercepted Hayden's hand. "No, 'Roger,' don't pass him the goddamn milk! Dealt with? Dealt with?! You have no right to-"
"Oh, and you do?" Day scoffed. "It was your failure at the hospital that got Ant-Man captured. And your inaction that got him killed."
Bridget arrived at her dad's side and placed her hand on his shoulder, in an attempt to calm him down. "It's not worth it," she urged.
Carson took a deep breath. "That's my point," he told Day. "Listen, if you'd just let me talk to your partners, we could coordinate on this. Let me set the gas mains alight, hit the power station. Something big to draw Walker out of hiding!"
Day paused to process the magnitude of Carson's suggestion, and brow furrowed, turned to Bridget sympathetically.
Dejected, Carson changed direction. "At least I'm trying! While you were out... washing your hands? I, had a talk with the White Mask. Turns out, he's seeing somebody,"
Day rolled his eyes. "Barson, I'm really not interested in tabloid news and idle gossip," he said disinterestedly.
"But you'll like this: His new girlfriend, is none other than Jenna Duffy. Lynns' girl. You know what that means, don't you? They broke up," Carson said gleefully.
Day raised an eyebrow, suddenly invested. "Really?" he wondered.
"Really?" Carson quoted. "Yes, really, why would I lie? It was a big teary eyed thing, Franco said. Apparently, Lynns had to choose between her and his best friend, and he chose Walker. Crazy, right?"
"Crazy," Day repeated. "Hn. Congratulations, Barson, perhaps you're not all that useless after all," he concluded.
=The Iceberg Lounge's Private Bar=
Sionis was sat in the backroom, in a makeshift surgery room. Doting over him, was Lazlo Valentin: Professor Pyg. Sionis, had refused anaesthetic, of course: He'd heard all kinds of horror stories about Valentin transforming simple surgical procedures into nightmarish experiments. Presently, Valentin had been put to work adjusting Sionis' face in anticipation of the holiday party: Sandpapering his scalp, varnishing the surface and tracing over his skull-like features with a small scalpel, all to accentuate Sionis' fearsome visage
"Pretty as a picture," he snorted, as he kissed Sionis' bald scalp tenderly.
"Thanks, Porky. Feel better already," Sionis remarked disingenuously, as he unhooked the white bib from his person, and admired himself in the overhead mirror.
"Sir, the Misfits are outside," Li's voice announced through the door.
"Alright, give me a minute," Sionis replied as he swatted Valentin away.
"Look lively, the strippers are here!" White yelled crassly, as he and Li led the Misfits into the parlour. The convoy, had arrived later than scheduled, having first stopped off at Kuttler's home, to allow him to recover various devices and gadgets he believed would be useful against Day and his apparent henchmen.
"Just remember," Drury was warning them, "Roman's not exactly our biggest fan. Because we keep trying to kill each other. So tread carefully." He paused, as he sniffed the air. "Did you just varnish this floor?" he addressed Sionis' bodyguards. "Smells great."
"Lynns!" Sionis greeted them, as he entered through the backdoor, adjusting his red tie as he made his way towards them.
"Mr Sionis, sir," Gar replied a little awkwardly, as the two shook hands firmly.
"Roman, son. Call me Roman. Here, sit down," he offered, pulling a chair out for his former employee, and handing him a crystal glass of whiskey. "You too, Flannegan."
Chuck looked like he was going to throw up. "Otis, he threw me off a building," he muttered in his ear.
"That's business, Brown, you gotta look past things like that," Flannegan responded, as he too accepted a glass from Sionis.
"Aha, Kite-Man," Sionis sneered, finally addressing the rest of the group. "How was your trip?"
"Eventful," Chuck responded.
"Oho, I'll bet," Sionis replied, recalling their last encounter with sadistic pleasure. "Please, as a sign of good faith; your comrade in arms." With the snap of his fingers, the door opened behind them, as Montgomery Sharpe was escorted in by Iron-Hat Ferris, and a rather familiar hooded figure. As Ferris made his way to Sionis' side, his attention was drawn to Gar and Rigger. "Aw, look, they come in different colours now, that's neat," he said mockingly.
As Gar's fist clenched, Joey instead pulled his arm back as if to say 'It's not worth it.'
"Hello everyone, happy holidays to you all," The Dragon King cheered. "Montgomery has told me all about you, of course," he elaborated, placing a hand atop Sharpe's shoulder.
"Love that guy," Sionis said. "Caught him raking through my dumpster for body parts a while back."
"Quite so," Ito said nostalgically. "When Mr Sionis first asked me to tend over Montgomery, I was hesitant, but during our weeks together, I have been most impressed by his growth and maturity."
"That Montgomery?" Reardon asked, noting Sharpe's uncharacteristically quiet composition.
Ito paused, as his reptilian eyes locked onto Drury, and his gaze softened. "Ah, of course, you must be Cliff Walker's boy. You look so very much like your father."
Ito's remark, was intended as a compliment, sure, but Drury had never felt sicker. He put on a fake smile, and thanked him.
"Alas, I'm afraid I cannot stay for the festivities," Ito admitted. "My daughter, Cynthia, is having a sleepover this weekend with her fellow classmates, and it is paramount I remain there to supervise her, to limit any potential ruckus. She gets awfully rebellious when she has too much sugar. But, you should know that I have cookie dough proofing in your fridge downstairs. Once it has been baked, it shall be splendid."
"Thank god," Sharpe whispered under his breath, as he finally exhaled. "He's a nice guy and all, but he eats pizza with a fork and he hides all the alcohol," he confessed to an appalled Blake. "Lost $200 to his fucking swear jar already."
"Montgomery?" Ito inquired in a paternalistic tone.
"I said ducking."
Been browsing through many of your photostreams and there is a recent string of some truly fantastic work being uploaded. There seems to be a bit of a transitionary period with everyone's recent photos, I guess corresponding to the "change" of seasons.
Have another look/listen to my favorite (current) musical artist; this photo's title from the lyrics.
Enjoy your weekends!!
So, I was browsing the C4C creations looking to see if any of my favourite builders had put up anything cool I could spend my money on, and came across the micro planet express ship I had previously admired during Sean & Steph's last IB round. Thinking this was the perfect chance to own a creation from a pair of builders I admire deeply, and a creation from one of my favourite TV shows Futurama too, I went ahead and bought it.
Some time went by, and then they put up pictures of the complete Planet Express building together with the micro ship I bought, saying the buyer was getting the whole thing... Being the buyer, I did this :O and almost fell off my chair...
So here it is, safe and sound :) The building came as a bit of a puzzle, but the tower and ship was surprisingly (almost) completely intact after it's journey.
Words really can't express how awesome you guys are! Thank you so much! :) I hope some day that I can do something equally awesome for you...
For now, this will sit proudly on my shelf, providing me with inspiration to improve my own building skills.
PS: micro figs of the Planet Express crew are added by me, just for fun :P
PPS: those of you who know the state of my LEGO room might notice that there are visible parts of my desk in the background!!!