Lux Apollo

Ah, I remember this from last year, back before I started talking and giving likes much. It's a great short, lots of fun to read again.

Okay, apparently I'm feeling symphonic this weekend. Tonight I'm offering up William Walton's 1st Symphony, in B-flat minor. I've been a fan of Walton's music since I was introduced to it in my first year of university when our amazing choir director put the cantata Belshazzar's Feast on the concert docket for us in the winter semester. That's another amazing piece of music, especially if you are singing from inside it. Anyway... there is a lot to be said about this piece (the symphony), but the first movement is my favourite. The 'false ending' in the last minute of the 1st movement is awesome. It's atmosphere just drenches you as the super-charged thrust of the movement redoubles in tension and pushes into the might of the final conclusion to the movement.

November 08 2021 I tried to handle things myself but I know fuck all about choosing the right counsel for the job and one that I can actually afford, especially since I need someone from a firm that has offices both here and in L.A. Emma gave me a list of lawyers, but in particular she recommended a woman named Evangeline Whedon to be my attorney for this lawsuit. She gave me the day off to head into N.Y.C. to meet with her this afternoon. Evangeline – or Vange, as she likes to b

Okay, I've been trying to keep myself detached and unoptimistic about Nintendo's future with home console electronics ever since the Wii U bombed, but now that the teaser trailer has been released for the NX - or Nintendo Switch, as its name turns out to be - so much of the leaks have been proven true-ish... and it looks awesome. To be honest, this is exactly the kind of gaming system that I've been waiting for. I've been a mobile gamer since the original Gameboy came out in the 1980s, but always had a home console of some sort up until I stopped playing console games as much during the early part of the original Wii's lifecycle, partly because I wasn't home enough to make investing in a non-portable system (especially one as expensive as the offerings by Sony and Microsoft) a losing proposition. I'm cautiously optimistic that the Switch may actually be something that works for me. A friend of mine was bitching that he doesn't want another system with 'all these kids games and no substance' - meaning, he wanted crap with blood and guts and guns and cars and punching hookers in the face I guess. Well, the marketing for this system in the trailer automatically shows that they aren't going for 'family' here so much as the young adult market. That means a diversity of games, including more hardcore titles. I mean, they had goddamn Skyrim in the trailer, didn't they (or was it just a new Monster Hunter title from Capcom, which is likely to be a good sell too)? The developer list is pretty extensive. This system is far from lacking 3rd party support, at least at this time. Hopefully any issues that have been rumoured from early hands on - frame-rate drops, for example - are being worked out, though some of that stuff can come from poor programming on the part of the developer as much as hardware issues, sometimes. Have we reached the point of saturation for graphics-heavy computer/home console gaming and people are willing to move past that for (hopefully) better gaming experiences? Does this seem like a hit or a miss to y'all at first glance?

It's been too quiet in here. We need some Kalinnikov - perhaps Symphony No. 1 in g-? Damn, Kalinnikov could write a good melody. The second movement, the andante commodamente (starts at about 14:25), gets to me every time I hear it. Something about the harmonies and the harp-violin textures paired with that melody in the opening and closing sections is just so... I don't know, I don't have words for it right now, but it is special to me. I wish Kalinnikov had lived longer and had a chance to write more with his wonderful musical voice.

I too am questioning Don's reasoning. Preemptive pain by doing something you don't actually want to do is ridiculous. Is he actually just looking for an out? Sigh. So many threads to follow... this story feels more like an intricate web than the more straightforward (albeit warped) flow of Twoey. It's an interesting difference.

Thanks Parker, glad you liked it!

Yeah, we aren't always a corps of engineers with tons of money to spend redirecting a river...

That captures it fairly well.

Never feel bad about things taking a pause. This was great as usual, and the lines before the break had me smiling brightly. Hmm... is work stress and some other Toronto foibles going to become the next issue in Jason and Corey's relationship? Or is Jason going to end up laying some frustrated smacks own on his firm and leave? Being a solo lawyer is tough, but Jason is a smart, hardworking guy...

Oh Henry! What a fool. I know we didn't really have any time to gain sympathy for him, but I definitely feel none. Lydia will be devastated, but hopefully the things he had a hand in doing to Kraig will numb that. You know, I had this moment of deep suspicion of Park, but then it went away completely. This was such a complete-feeling chapter, great job!

I can’t win, can I? Even when I try I can’t seem to make Things work When you are weak I try to be considerate To keep the noise down I try to distract the cat And let you settle into sleep But you are so, so sensitive Even the slightest sound And you awaken Ready to meltdown In frustrated tears And anger When will the dam finally breach? When will I take a step too far Or one not nearly far enough For this shared existence to crack? You say you love me, But

:-)

Cute lead singer, great song, iconic music video. Bobby isn't the only one giving John headaches, though he of course leaves the largest footprint - at least, the largest of those at Xavier's. There is healthy drinking and unhealthy drinking... I think we can allow John moments of weakness here and there, especially given that he had friends there supporting him. The very fact that he both has people he can rely on and is starting to do it, whether implicitly or explicitly, is definite progress. He's not trying to take the world on by himself. Well, he still slips up in that regard sometimes... ;-)

I just have nothing but the feeling of my body cracking open in pain. Hugs can't even express.

Such a lovely ending, I don't think I could have asked for more. Sigh, I am sad that the story is finished, but glad for it and the great read it has been. Cheers!

I liked the serenity and connection Toph found in this chapter, outside of his encounter with his mother. We know how that scene affected him, and his perception of his mother's behaviours at the wedding. It will be interesting to see more of this when the meeting with the parents for Toph's announcement happens. Weddings are funny things. They can bring about such strong emotions in people - joyful, tearful, resentful, grieving, contentment, impatience, connection, isolation... I'm glad Toph's experience was a positive one and he came out the other side with a level of betterment in his familial relationships. Katabasis, eh? There and back again, a Toph's tale?

November 06, 2021 I was working out in the gym today, overdoing it a little. I mean, of course I’m overdoing it, I’m stressed the fuck out right now with midterm grades and report cards for my students and even more so about this goddamn palimony lawsuit. So yeah, I went down to the staff gym in the subbasement to try and take out my frustration on the weights. I’m not sure when it started, but suddenly I felt like I was being watched. I didn’t hear anyone come in, mostly because

Well, what I suspected was going to happen is happening... yup, Thomas is a deeply scarred person. I wouldn't call him sinister so much as psychologically broken. He spent far too long clinging to a false hope. One has to wonder about his possinle interference in the events of Shane's life before Jason returned. Was Thomas the one who pulled the trigger on having Nikolai offed, or was it truly one of the other mobs he was dealing get with to try to keep his drug riddled boat afloat. Thomas' motivation right now is to get revenge for the suffering he endured because of Jason's horrible mistake, but it is pretty easy to imagine his fingers pulling some dark strings for a long time now. He is too far consumed by his frustration and rage to see that Shane is no longer his and he is only further damaging what fragile relationship he could have salvaged with Shane by going forward with whatever hell ish plan he has in store for Jason. And fucking Denise, of course this would be where she would come in. So what are we going to see here... forcing Jason into lock-down reparative therapy? With Thomas' apparent obsession with karma, putting Jason through a reflection of what Thomas went through wouldn't be unimaginable. Has Thomas or one of his flunkies been stalking Jason all this time? Shane better keep that gun handy... Also... I was a bit struck by the change in perspective here from Jason's frame of reference to Shane's and then Thomas' within a single chapter since up until now this was all through Jason's lens. I understand why you've done it, since it is a much easier way of dealing with the things Jason doesn't know are happening but are important for the reader... *shrug* Looking forward to more, as always.

Phew. For a bit there I thought you were going to say that the cauterization had turned to an amputation and I was starting to freak out. I was wondering if Kye's father was going to die from the blow, and I am glad he finally met justice. Sad-glad that the story is coming to an end, but it seems all is falling in its right place.

Scary as fuck. Good job.

Well done. The others have detailed my thoughts in one way or another so I will leave it at that.