Oh Lord, heal this bike

Dress

c. 1909

by Pickett, London

Art nouveau necklace “Fuchsias” by Georges Fouquet, 1905. Visible in Petit Palais, Paris. [OC] [1232x1848]

unappreciated ships → queen consort & don luis de vega, affairs of the court

“The Gothic Bride” by Bhumika Sharma | SS 2016

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You can follow the tag #Swords for Fics if you want to keep up without following me :)

Available Chapters: 1: Dumb Ways to Die  2.May Your Blade Be True! 3.On Your Guard! 4. Making the Cut 5.Stick ‘em With the Pointy End 6. It’s Like a Dance 7. The Measure of A Man 8.A Crossing of Blades 9.Like Chess, but with Knives An Interlude About Story Telling 10. You Can Barely Lift Your Sword 11.Buckle Some Swash 12.Dual Wielding 13.Everything is a Weapon 14.Got Your Sword!

Dual Wielding Fighting with Two Swords or an Offhand Dagger

Fighting with a dagger in the offhand instead of a shield was a common practice. A long dagger made an excellent tool for catching the opponent’s weapon while attacking with your own. While attacks were made with the dagger, it’s greatest benefit was as a defensive tool.

Here the dagger is being used to restrain the attacker’s weapon (note: The big guy’s sword is pointed away from the dagger guy. Again, the problem with flat images and flat swords is swords tend to disappear in perspective. My apologies for the unclear drawing.) The dagger user is now free to attack with their sword in their next action.

I have more experience with double swords so we’ll be talking mostly about that now. We both know that’s why you’re reading this chapter anyways.

Two Swords are used like off-sync partners, with one movement slightly behind the other while they’re in motion. One might temporarily stay still to cover a line while the other attacks, but you’re not going to be fighting two battles at once except for in exaggerated cartoon circumstances. We’ll talk about fighting multiple opponents in “I’ll Take You All On” (chapter coming soon)

As an example, if two downward cutting attacks are being used, what this off sync movement achieves is that as the first sword finishes it’s blow, it deals with the opponent’s weapon. The second sword is a split second behind the first, and now has a clear path to finish it’s blow. The first sword continues to restrain the opponent’s weapon.

In one pattern of attack, the lower sword begins with a thrust, forcing a defence from the opponent then the upper sword begins it’s preparation. The lower sword then follows and does it’s own cut ending as the new top sword. Beginning with the thrust provokes a reaction from the defender and buys time for the first sword to swing back in preparation while the attacker remains covered.

When defending with two swords you can use any of your usual defences as outlined in “A Crossing of Blades” but you need to be careful that you’re not criss crossing your arms and getting tangled up. That’s another reason for the off sync movements. If they follow their patterns and both do the same action, the arms will stay untangled.

Crossing the blades to collect the attacker’s sword is one of the coolest looking defences you can do with two weapons. This one also works well with a dagger in the offhand.

Things get more complicated when both opponents are dual wielding. Now each opponent can restrain with one sword and attack with the other. Even so, they’ll still be following those same slightly out of sync patterns. 

It might feel like we can do two things at once, but really we’re just switching quickly between two tasks. It’s better to have two swords working towards one goal then trying to have them both achieve two different things.

Often in one action you’ll still be catching both of your opponent’s swords in the defence.

Paintings by Henrik Aa. Uldalen

Henrik Aarrestad Uldalen (1986)is a self-taught artist whose creative production revolves around classic figurative painting, presented in a contemporary manner. Henrik explores the dark sides of life, nihilism, existentialism, longing and loneliness, juxtaposed with fragile beauty. 

The atmosphere in his subject matter is often presented in a dream or limbo-like state, with elements of surrealism. His focus on atmospheres rather than narratives and realism leaves his painting open for many interpretations. Check out his website.

If you aren’t following Cross Connect, you’re missing out.

ART PRINTS BY MICKLYN 

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I love cooking hearty dishes, and warm treats in the Fall and Winter, which is why I also love slow cooker recipes. So here is massive list of recipes that are great for this time of year!

Soups, Stews, and Entrées

Creamy Wild Rice and Turkey Soup

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Red Lentil, Chickpea, and Tomato Soup with Smoked Paprika

Parmesan and Tomato Soup with Gnocchi and Chicken

Meatball Stew

Simplest Chicken and Dumplings

French Onion Soup

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

So Easy Coq au Vin

Sugar-Spiced Pork with Squash and Potatoes

Pasta with Eggplant Sauce

Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

Meatball Sandwiches

Chunky Pot Roast-Portobello Soup

Garlic & Herb Cheesy Chicken Dumplings

Creamy Tortellini Soup

Macaroni and Cheese

Swedish Meatballs

Chicken Fajitas 

Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

Creamy Portobella Mushroom Chicken

Spinach Lasagna 

Cabbage Rolls

Butter Chicken

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Pizza Stew and Biscuits 

German Potato Soup

Creamed Chicken and Corn Soup

Pot Roast Stew

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Fall Harvest Chowder

Chicken Cacciatore 

Beef Tenderloin

Tomato Basil Ravioli Soup

Apple Cider Pork Roast

Goulash

Creamy Italian Chicken and Rice

Apple Sage Pork Tenderloin 

Green Beans, Sausage, Potatoes

French Dip Sandwiches

Minestrone Soup

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken

Baked Spaghetti 

Zuppa Toscana

Beer Mac and Cheese

Sweet Potato Casserole 

Italian Red Wine Roast Beef

Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Desserts and Sweet Treats

Gingerbread Pudding Cake

Pumpkin Pudding

Chocolate Lava Cake

Rocky Road Cake

Apple Dumplings

Turtle Monkey Bread

Rice Pudding

Almond Bark

Cinnamon Fudge

Pecan Pie Cobbler

Caramel Apple Pie Dip

Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Caramel Sauce

Apple and Date Crunch

Tequila Pears

Candied Almonds

Peanut Butter Cup Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Spiced Applesauce

Cinnamon Roll Pull Apart Bread

Cherry Dump Cake

Berry Cobbler

Turtle Brownie

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake

Carrot Cake

Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding

Caramel Peanut Butter Hot Fudge Cake

Beverages

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Chocolate Coffee

Vanilla Crème Brulee Latte

Caramel Apple Spice

Pumpkin Chai Tea

Autumn Brew

Spiced Pomegranate Tea

Hot Mint Malt 

Buttered Apple Cider

Snow White Cocoa

Pumpkin Latte

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

Hot Cranberry Apple Punch

Aztec Hot Chocolate

Bourbon Citrus Sipper

Horchata Latte

Chamomile Toddies

Cranberry Apple Cider

Spiced White Hot Chocolate

Gingerbread Latte

Mulled Wine

Breakfasts

Spinach and Cheese Frittata 

Breakfast Stuffed Peppers

Creamy Banana French Toast

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal

Hot Cocoa Oatmeal

Cheesy Breakfast Souffle 

Breakfast Casserole

Blueberry Breakfast Casserole

German Pancakes

Sausage White Gravy

Cheesy Hash Browns

Cream of Wheat

Egg and Broccoli Casserole

Eggnog Cranberry Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Ham and Egg Casserole 

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Pumpkin Bread

Cinnamon Rolls

French Toast

Pecan Pie Oatmeal

Bacon, Egg, and Hash Brown Casserole

Apple Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal