#(as long as its anything but american/j)

[renard-dartigue]

Hi now i'm curious what is the beef with the rappers

Man this is going to be long so I'll try to keep this simple and entertaining. I hope this comes across as clear cause I'm shook right now.

Here is a glossarie to break thing up:

Prologue (The Spark 🔥)

Round 1.1 (Physical Education 💪🏾)

Interlude part 1 (Roots 🏠)

Round 1.2 (2 Warning Shots 🔫)

Interlude part 2 (Pusha the Seer 👁)

Round 2.1 (Knifes Out 🔪 )

Round 2.2 (The Nuke 💥)

Epilogue (All eyes on him 👀)

My Theory 🤷🏾‍♂️

Highly recommend checking out the tracks yourself while you read along.

Prologue (The Spark)

Let it be known that I am a neutral party and that I don't take sides when it comes to rap beef. I was here for the music and creativity. I am just trying to recount events to the best of my knowledge. Sorry if some details are inaccurate.

Okay so basically, Drake, J Cole, and Kendrick Lamar are the Big 3 of the rap world right now.

A month ago, Future and Metro Boomin (two rapper who supposedly don't fuck with Drake anymore) released a song with Kendrick Lamar called "Like That". In the song Kendrick took a shot at Drake and J Cole, saying there isn't a big 3, its only him on top.

4 weeks ago J Cole dropped a track called "7 Minute Drill" that is dissing Kendrick. However, in a move that is very uncharacteristic of J, he took down the official track and formally apologized to Kendrick. Thus signaling his exit from the rap battle.

ROUND 1.1 (Physical Ed)

Drake on the other hand dropped "Push Ups" 2 weeks ago, a diss track that went after other rappers he doesn't like but mainly Kendrick. In it, he made fun of Kendrick's height and his contracts. He then ends the song with "I was really try'n keep it PG" meaning he has a nuke on Kendrick that people don't know.

Not long later, Drake dropped ANOTHER diss track "Taylor Made Freestyle" with Ai voices of Snoop Dog and fucking 2PAC! Kendrick has stated before that 2pac is one of his idols so this must have been a deep cut. In the song Drake claims Kendrick doesn't write his own music and uses the writers of Taylor Swift. Relating a rapper to pop music is seen as disrespectful.

INTERLUDE PART 1 (Roots)

Before I continue, I want to give a brief run down on how the public perceives these two rappers.

Drake portrays himself as a superstar, he's always on social media flaunting his success and partying with other celebrities, seeing alot of women and living a lavish lifestyle. His music is catchy, something you put on in the club. Most of his fan base praise him for his sick beats and witty lyrics. He's been in the music industry for a while and is no push over.

Kendrick Lamar is a very private person, doesn't expose anything about his personal life unless its on a track. He almost never gets into fights with anyone. He is a family man, stressing the importance of being there for his wife and son and encourages other fathers to do the same. His fan base praise him for his creative lyrics and highlighting the black American condition.

ROUND 1.2 (2 Warning Shots)

2 Day ago, Kendrick Lamar came back with his first official diss track on Drake called "Euphoria". In this song, Kendrick goes in on Drakes fake personality. Drake has always been known around the community as a bit of a poser, he grew up in Canada and was raised by his white mother, a relatively comfortable childhood. He was a star on the popular show Degassi when he was young. garnering him a fan base early in his career. Kendrick doesn't approve of Drake appropriating black American culture and acting like he some tough guy. When in reality he is a Canadian nerd thats disrespectful to 2pac. All throughout the song, Kendrick hits at things that many people have know about Drake, such as his behavior around underage girls. He also called Drake a deadbeat father who isn't in his son's life, even referencing his lost battle to Pusha T. Then Kendrick finally warns him that he has more dirt that he is willing to share if Drake takes things further.

Similar to Drake, Kendrick dropped another track called "6:16 in LA" later that day. This song focuses on Drake's environment, specifically the people he hangs with. Kendrick implies that Drake paid people to dig into his background and when they didn't find anything, Drake made up stuff instead. Kendrick then says that someone in Drakes group is leaking information to him about something even more serious. Also planting a seed in Drake's mind that his supposed friends don't actually like him, just like the clout from hanging around him.

INTERLUDE PART 2 (Pusha the Seer)

Taking a quick break again, we need to discuss something that occurred long before Drake's battle with Kendrick.

5 years ago, Drake was in a rap battle with rapper Pusha T, someone who was smaller than Drake at the time in terms of popularity. Pusha dropped a song called "The Story of Adidon" where he dropped a bomb that Drake had a kid and wasn't taking care of him. Drake initially denied it but it was later revealed to be true.

Since then Drake has never responded to Pusha T's diss track, making Pusha the current winner. And Kendrick is bringing it back into the light.

Round 2.1 (Knifes Out)

Around 2 am EST time of May 4th, Drake drops his diss track, "Family Matters" one of his strongest songs, switching his flow 3 times in the span of 7 minutes. In true Drake fashion, its a club song with a catchy beat. Like his previous diss, its aimed at multiple people but the main focus is on Kendrick, even bring up "I was really try'n keep this PG".

Drake doubles down on his black identity and mocks the fact that Kendrick and other rappers are saying he isn't black, (incorrectly assuming that they are coming at him for being mixed when the real issue is that he is appropriating black American rap culture as a Canadian mixed man who grew up in a safe environment) Drake not only calls Kendrick a fraud who only raps about black issues for attention, Or that his activism is performative. He makes a shocking claims that Kendrick is a wife beater. Then Drake says that Kendrick's son doesn't belong to him and implies Kendrick's producer was the real father.

The track caused an uproar. But only for the span of 15 minutes. Because Kendrick did the unthinkable.

ROUND 2.2 (THE NUKE)

Almost as if expecting Drake's move, Kendrick Lamar did what no one saw coming. He dropped his diss track "Meet The Grahams" about 15 minutes after Drake released "Family Matters".

This time around, in a fashion almost unheard of from him, Kendrick strips all the usual metaphors from his lyricism and structures his track like he is speaking to Drake and his family, 4 parts per individual.

Kendrick begins by speaking to Drakes Son, Adonis, the same son Pusha T exposed Drake for neglecting 5 years ago. He's apologizing to him for his father's behavior. Kendrick speaks to him softly but sternly like a mentor, telling him not to be like his father. Kendrick tells Adonis all the things Drake did and warns him not to do them too: involved with escorts, plastic surgery to appear more black, surgery to look more muscular, hiding a kid. (Kendrick stresses that Adonis is black regardless of being mixed, further highlighting that he isn't discrediting Drake's blackness because he's mixed but because he isn't being himself.) Finishing of by telling the kid to be proud of who he is.

The second half is Kendrick addressing Drake's mother and father, Sandra and Denise. Kendrick speaks to her like he's revealing tragic news, explaining to her that her son is involved in disgusting things. He goes down a list of things, his tone growing more intense and angry. Kendrick then claimed that Drake is employing and enabling pedos in his group, and hopes they die. Even implying that his group is going to be raided by the feds some day.

The third half is the MOST shocking of all. Kendrick begins talking to an unnamed individual, simply calls her babygirl. Similar to Adonis, Kendrick takes on a somber tone and apologizes to her for Drakes behavior. He says its not her fault Drake abandoned her, says that she is deserving of love. He warns her not to become a target for people like Drake to pray on and says she has so much to offer the world.

Kendrick revealed Drake has ANOTHER kid and isn't in their life! (Allegedly)

To close of, the fourth half is Kendrick speaking directly to Drake, his tone tired. He tries to reiterate that he doesn't have hate for him. However, Kendrick says Drake was the first one to go after his family and he couldn't let it slide. He once again calls for Drake to take the mask off. Then says this isn't a rap battle anymore, tells Drake he is fighting himself.

Epilogue (All eyes on him)

And so here we are, waiting for what will happen next.

Drake posted an Instagram story denying the claim he has another kid. But given what happened with Pusha T, we can't quite take his word for it yet. We should wait a bit to see if anything comes out.

Kendrick hasn't put out a statement on Drake's claims about him but given the recurring theme of Drake being a manipulative lier, Kendrick clearly denies it. Given how private he is, its difficult to prove or disprove it. Much like Drake's claims, we will have to wait and see if any evidence comes out about it.

Drake and Kendrick stans are at eachothers throats right now, arguing over who one and whats real or fake.

Right now everyone is looking to see if Drake is going to continue the battle or stay silent like he did with Pusha.

My Theory

Personally as an outside observer who only followed the beef for good music. I think this goes beyond a simple rap battle.

Here is my theory: Someone from Drake's clique told Kendrick that Drake and his producers were writing something about him. Real or fake, Kendrick was pissed. And so he drafted 3 tracks, dumping everything he hates about Drake into them. And then, with the leaker's help, Kendrick baited Drake into a battle, goading Drake to drop the "Family Matters" track so he can shut the battle down with "Meet the Grahams". Or maybe his first 2 tracks were a warning to Drake that if he released a track with lies on him he would reveal he has another kid.

I do think Kendrick initially had good intentions in trying to help Drake be a better person. But maybe the more he learned about Drake the less sympathetic he felt.

But I don't know thats just how I see it.

Thanks for reading my essay. I hope it made sense heh. I encourage healthy discussions in the comments and reblogs please. But everyone agrees that Drake is inappropriate with young girls. We won't argue over that.

[aheathen-conceivably]

Long before the last note Antoine had grown aware of Zelda’s presence; but as he finished, he looked up at her with a newfound vulnerability in his eyes. As she stared at him unmoving, he absentmindedly moved his hand along the strings to fill the quiet left by the watching stars, “Was it alright, you think? Writing lyrics, it’s new. Harder than assembling notes, if you ask me.”

She looked at him in amazed silence. His original piano pieces had been brilliant, and sometimes he had written ditties for her to sing, but never before had she heard him sing his own lyrics. She had always known how much he loved it - this place that he had left but that walked alongside him everywhere he went; but it was so much clearer this way, so full of both love and hate, loyalty and disdain, longing and relief, that it was difficult for anything other than music to encompass it. 

She brought her hands together in something that may have been a clap if she wasn’t so afraid to disrupt the stillness of the desert air. On silent footsteps, she left her reverie behind and moved to sit where he had made room for her on the worn wooden bench.

She looked at him earnestly, trying to ease his fear with even just the movement of her eyes, “It’s brilliant, Antoine, truly.” And she meant it, not just because she was under his spell and not her own now; the judgmental eyes of God and her sisters were shut out when she was in his orbit. Now there was only him and his memories for her to get lost in. 

He left his hands on the strings, still playing the familiar notes as though they helped make the admittance easier to utter, “You were right, you know? When I play it’s like I can see it all laid out in front of me. Or better yet, under me. Like I’m above it, observing it all like a story. Makes me realize I loved it more than I thought I did. That house. That place. Her. I wrote it because I know it’s gone now, probably nothing but rubble under a cheap government build. I just don’t want to forget. Or maybe I don’t want the world to forget.”

The stars looked down on them as his smile widened with every inch she drew closer to him. They reflected brightly in her eyes as she leveled them to his, “Would you sing it again? So I can hear it better?”

He let out a small laugh, just as much in relief as in humor. “Surely you would prefer to sing it? With a voice like yours I would hate to imagine what mine must sound like.”

She brought her knee up on the bench with them, curling as close as she could without dislodging the guitar from his arms. “Hush and sing. You don’t need me now.”

“I always will, Mrs. Duplanchier. No matter what. But as you wish….” 🎶

Part 3/3

(As Antoine is meant to have written House of the Rising Son in this universe, I’m going to leave a little disclaimer about this song and its origins under the cut, in case you are interested!)

The origins of the song House of the Rising Sun are much older and more complicated than I have presented here. Folklorist Alan Lomax has written more on it if you are interested, but it is commonly thought to have originated as an English folk song, morphing into the version we know today amongst various groups of American immigrants.

Perhaps best known for its 1964 version by The Animals, it has long formed a staple of American folk, blues, rock, and country recordings, with recorded versions by everyone from Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, Doc Watson, Nina Simone, Dolly Parton, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Alt-J (amongst so many others). However, I have taken inspiration from the earliest known recorded version, which was done in Appalachia in 1933.

Of course, in having Antoine write this song I have compressed much of this history into a single figure, as well as slightly twisted the meaning of the song to fit the story line. The latter is mostly based on personal interpretation of the lyrics and is purposefully meant to draw a line from this family’s musical heritage through the 1960s and beyond. It also gives a face to the very real figures behind many of the staples of American music that have come to us from the early part of the 20th century, many of which were written or played by black men and women whose songs have continued onward while many of their names and stories may have been forgotten.

[lycanlupins]

SFW Alphabet - Jimmy Darling

Warnings: None

AN: holy shit its been so long since i’ve written for the evan characters, sorry if its ooc but i missed this guy ♥️

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

He’s very physically affectionate! He’ll hold his partner whenever he can, rub the back of their hand with his thumb, anything he can do to constantly be touching them.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

He would probably be wary at first if they weren’t a “freak”, but he would soon seen them at every show or nearly every show and start to chat them up a bit. He knows they don’t treat him any different and he’d probably let his guard down.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

BIG cuddler! He likes to spoon or cradle his person for sure. He’d probably give little back rubs or soft kisses on their temple/top of the head.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

He’s so domestic its actually probably annoying to everyone else. He wants to settle down, have kids, live the “american dream” life. Even if he adopts the kids, he wants the whole white picket fence and golden retriever vibes.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He would tell them gently but firmly. He knows its for the best, what with everyone in any town hating him for the way he looks, and maybe he knew that his partner wouldn’t have thrived living with the rest of them.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He’s down for commitment 100%. He’d probably take some convincing but about half a year at the very most would be how fast he’d get engaged, he’s an old school kind of guy. He sees something he likes and he’s gonna make sure he keeps it close by.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He pretends to be a hard ass but he’s really a softie. He wants to be loved and held and coddled just as much as he loves to do that for others.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He’s got a solid hug for sure. Probably warm and inviting but also one that shows he’s a safe space and a protector.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

He’d say it so fast if he were drunk. Give him a bottle and he’d tell his partner after a few weeks of dating, but sober it might take him a month or two. He wants to make sure his partner is the one.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Big jealous man alert!! He’s one to hold his partner extra tight to him or kiss them around someone he’s a wee bit cautious of. He gets extremely jealous around people without a deformity flirting with his partner.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

They range from soft and sweet to passionate and hungry, but mostly they lie somewhere in between. He likes to kiss his partners hand a lot but he absolutely melts when his partner does the same for him. Especially when he’s feeling anxious, a soft kiss to his palm will soothe him immediately.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

He’s good around children and wants them in the future, at least 2 to start, maybe 3-4 at the most.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Usually he’s up early doing physically intensive work but sometimes he likes to sleep in and hold his partner in the soft morning light.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Usually watching TV if he has one, if not he likes to relax with the radio quietly playing in the background and his partner by his side with cold beer in his hand.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He’s not an open book by any means. He’s cautious for a reason but after a few months he’ll probably start to open up emotionally. He won’t trauma dump immediately but you’ll learn a lot very quickly once he’s comfortable.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

He’s not super patient, he has a quick temper and he’ll make sure he gets his point across whether the person likes it or not.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He takes in details super easily so he’d remember everything his partner tells him. He’d remember their favorite flower, favorite book, anything that makes them smile he would be sure to take note of.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

His favorite moment is probably meeting his partner. He would remember every detail of their outfit, if they were wearing makeup, what style their hair was in, he’d reminisce on every detail of that day when he’s feeling sad.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He would die or kill for his partner no questions asked. He puts his money where his mouth is but doesn’t expect the same out of his partner, he just wants to be sure they know he loves them through and through.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He puts in a lot of effort, mostly physical labor, to make sure everything is perfect. He likes to work with his hands to show his love. Whether that be making something for his partner or driving them anywhere without letting them lift a finger, he wants to be sure they’re taken care of.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

His drinking habits he picked up are bad for a while. He also has an awful temper and he’s stubborn. So very stubborn.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He knows he’s hot so he keeps up with it a little but really he just goes about his day without paying any mind to it.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

He would feel so incomplete without his partner once he has them. Its like he’s missing half of himself without them around.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He’s a sleep talker! Especially when he’s only half asleep or just barely fell asleep, he’d probably whisper cute or incoherent things to his partner which would make them giggle.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Someone who’s a sloppy drunk. He’s dealt with it enough from his own bloodline, he doesn’t need to add any more of it to his life.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He sleeps sprawled out on his mattress unless he’s with his partner, then it can go either way with his partner curled up in his arms or laying on top of him with his arms wrapped around them.

[asclexe]

⭐️ government-forced blog intro post ⭐️

(new and improved!)

welcome to marvin’s marvelous mechanical museum!

🌟⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟

^ me if you even care..

art above by the one and only @pingunaa

remember 2 to do ur daily clicks for palestine

free everyone!! help some people in need!!!

fun websites masterlist

suicide hotlines

this could save your life!

kys /j <3 (KEEP YOURSELF SAFE /srs.)

hai!! hello!! hey!! what’s up!! basic info/fun stuff below the cut (very long intro soo sorry)

*flash/blink warning for the blinkies

name: asclexe formally? cameron causally, but call me whatever! no, seriously! idc! nicknames (ex: cam, ronnie, cammy, etc) are welcome! feel free to call me your pookie or your son or child or something, be creative!

⭐️gender and pronouns: i am uhhh. nonbinary i think. they/them preferred, but it/its or he/him are also fine!! i prefer gender neutral terms, but i also am more masc leaning. like im a man. but also just a person.

⭐️not specifying my age but im a minor. B cool!! internet safety!!

⭐️sexuality: aromantic asexual aplatonic lesbian dumbfuck

⭐️nationality/country: american fuck my stupid baka life (EST timezone)

⭐️ i am also white :/

⭐️star sign: leo :3

⭐️personality type: intj (also houses mtbi if u care)

⭐️religious alignment: atheist cause im god /j 💪💪

bigots and pedos/zoos are lame and not welcome. i bite scammers. exclusively nsfw/kink blogs not welcome. im a kid. ed blogs please do not follow me because im uncomfortable with that. also don’t expect a follow back if youre over 24 cus thats weirdd

also if ur a diehard stan of anything pls think :3

dni if you’re from earth or human. aliens only blog. /j

and everyone else is welcome :3

⭐️fandoms im most active in:

house md

doctor who (only on season 2!!)

good omens

warrior cats (on arc 5 but i don’t plan on reading them)

dungeon meshi

movies in general

+ any other fandoms i consume in the future!!

⭐️fandoms i rarely post abt but still enjoy

tbosas/the hunger games

dead poets society

six feet under

a series of unfortunate events

fnaf

she-ra/the owl house/steven universe/gravity falls/etc

bluey

barbie/monster high

doogie howser md

scott pilgrim

the amazing digital circus

the middle

stardew valley

the spiderverse

abbott elementary

aggretsuko

i will post abt my sims occasionally :3 most posts are text posts bc im untalented

*i’m looking to get into evangelion, supernatural, hannibal, saw, and dexter 👍

i write fanfiction and poetry (i take requests feel free to hmu), i do local theater, i make pride icons (also requests hmu) i drabble in the occasional doodle, and i like baking and watching youtube and scrolling through tumblr and walking through the forest and my neighborhood and making bracelets and spending money and laying on the floor and singing and dancing and being silly and reading medical textbooks and cool novels and hanging with my irls and idk, yeah! life! carpe diem!

*also i’m trying to get into reality shifting! (im not a freak i swear)

⭐️my fav music artists (a little all over the place:3) jack stauber, will wood, lemon demon, tally hall/miracle musical, dazey and the scouts, mommy long legs, the oozes, bear ghost, mitski, chappell roan, weezer, the smashing pumpkins, my chemical romance, laufey, liana flores, faye webster, MARINA, pearl & the oysters, queen, no doubt, slipknot, korn, mindless self indulgence, hole, some olivia rodrigo, charli xcx, some vocaloids,

i love pretty much all kinds of jazz, rock, and showtunes (except ballads. i dislike ballads)

my music taste can be described as like. neurodivergent weird kid alt rock and hot girl summer pop.

(music recs are very much welcome <33)

*taylor swift enjoyers follow at your own risk (i hate on her occasionally. i really dislike her music and she’s also not that great of a person)

random facts about me :3

⭐️i’m left-handed (bully me for it ik im a freak)

⭐️unfortunately a theater kid :/

⭐️tall for this website

⭐️the most insufferable and annoying person ever

⭐️DOESNT BITE!! (i swear)

⭐️ i’m genetically pitch perfect but i’m awful with rhythm

⭐️favorite planet is ur mom (i ❤️ venus)

⭐️honors roll baby 🔥🔥

⭐️im most likely neurodiverse?? undiagnosed but speculated

⭐️perpetually alone only child 😔 please talk to me i love chatting with people, asks and replies preferred, dms okay <33

⭐️favorite color green. all of the shades.

⭐️i haven’t cried properly in like a year and i am not breaking my mewing streak

⭐️minorly touch/attention starved :3

⭐️single & ready to mingle!! (please don’t fucking talk to me like that im aroace and a minor )

⭐️REBLOGGING MACHINE 💪💪

⭐️i’ve never seen an episode of spongebob but saw the musical

⭐️#1 BEST XBOX SIMMER 🔥🔥

⭐️im nicer than i seem (i’m also a very negative person in general but i keep my thoughts to myself!)

⭐️i have a massive sweet tooth :3

⭐️(new) tags guide!⭐️

*note this is a new system i’m trying out, some older posts do not apply

#asclexeposting - all original content

#camyyaps - unhinged text posts/late night eepy time posts/yapping in the tags

#cam touches grass - the rare times i go outside and touch grass and do stuff

#ask the fellows - relating to my ask blog (go follow it go do it its @ask-the-ducklings go ask stuff)

#me ask :3 - reblog of something i asked another blog

#mootie :3 - if we’re mutuals and you send me an ask i tag it with this :3

*you also get your own individual tag for asks, for example @pingunaa is ping :3 and @rubeslovesthesmiths is rubes :3, etc

#cammy’s 4 later tag :3 - stuff for later!!

#cam plays the sims :3 - my simming tag

old man doctor yaoi prompt list :3

my house md oc :3

⭐️side blogs!⭐️

@ask-the-ducklings - ask/roleplay blog 4 the house md duckligns

1/2 of @meanwhile-on-the-road, the other half is pookie @sillyhyperfixator

@house-md-referrer - house md references

@theindierockcafe - writing blog

this will be mostly reblogs of my silly mutuals/my fyp, i try to make original content often! I ❤️ REBLOGGING ART YOU SHOULD DO IT TOO!!!! hope we can get along! ask me whatever! i don’t know! be nice and respectful cause i’m a minor!

SPAM MY ASK BOX :3 create lore, send me images, ask for comfort, WHATEVER!!!! im friendly and ill answer your ask eventually.

disclaimer; i live in the us and a snowflake so im occasionally political, nothing too extreme im just scared 👍 i also don’t spoiler tag!! sorry!

if you want me to share your fundraiser; give me some time to verify you!!!! i promise im not ignoring you!!

blinkies made in the blinkie cafe :3

[antebellumite]

tumblr fake posts but it's exclusively the US congress 1830s-50s. this will probably not make sense to anyone. it barely makes sense to me: [this is a long post. press j to skip]:

12 notes

forthurricane

guys help three senators from my party are outside my door and its a sunday and im scared i think they want something.

forthurricane

they want me to blackmail the president.

2 notes

henrywisingitup Follow

ohhhh goddddd ok so the coworker that called me a slur at work a few days ago IN PUBLIC just got a duel challenge from a friend of mine aslkdf. istg i hate him so much he's so annoying and he needs to resign or kill himself immediately. i hope he accepts the challenge fucking dies or gets shot up. good RIDDENCE fucking turd pile of trash empty bladder dung beetle puppy bastard LIAR. welliamgravely Follow

what'd he call you?

henrywisingitup Follow

an aboliti*nist.

congressionalglobe

Congblr Heritage Post. #congblr heritage post #senblr heritage post #houseblr heritage post #lmao remember when abolitionist was a slur guys #thank u pierceuinfiftytwo #i hate this post #and i think u do too #mod greeley

346,356 notes

Anonymous asked hi i'm sorry if i'm bothering you with this ask but i'm kinda new to this whole politics thing ( was just recently elected by my constituents so this is my first term ) and i would like to know how to get started on congblr? i've been recently appt to the house and i'd love to engage more with the community. do u have any blogs you'd suggest to me? bunnybrownfrench

hi anon!!!! i'm so glad you're here and in the house too ! ( it's where i am- frankly the Better House of Congress too while we're at it ). sadly i don't know what politics or party u have and i mostly scurry round the democrat side of the aisle more than anything, so i might not be able to help u that much, but i can try to give you some good ones!

@/gowestyoungman is a good source for news, and i'm personally a fan of @/mattbradydaggeurotype but @/geopeteralexhealy has some great portraits! obviously anyone has to follow @/oldhickory if they're a dem ( or even a whig ) they have great posts, lots of drama and thought provoking articles. a vv funny scroll. @/greatcompromiser is on the opposite side as a whig, but always sophisticated in their arguments, with nice shitposts in between to lighten the mood if you're uneasy about the american system.

@/jquincy and @/oldbullion are mostly serious blogs and if you're a westward expansion fellow, they're top blogs for u to follow. a bit hard at times, but personally i think they have great humor to make up for it ( unlike @/castironman though if you're here for what he posts all the more strength to u i suppose). @/redfoxkinderhook is also a good blog but they rarely post ( and never anything personal). @/godlikedan is my personal favorite blog. they have everything on there- drama, shitposts, detailed analysis, longposts, important info, aesthetics, etc.

for the rest tho anon, i'll leave it up to you! go out and explore! find the blogs u like; i wish u the best of luck!

15 notes

greatcompromiser hey guys, look at this BEAUTIFUL new commission i just got from @/mattbradydaggeurotype! it was wonderful to work with you, matt! <333

oldbullion

every day i wake up.

#body horror

555 notes

gallerywatcher Follow

why he kinda......

robrhett Follow

this bitch thirsting over baldy mcuseless LMAO

gallerywatcher Follow

hearing strong words from a guy whos blog is devoted to john c calhoun

244 notes

jrandolphofroanoke

i have herpes. greatcompromiser

yeah? and????? we know.

jrandolphofroanoke

IN MY EYES. IN MY EYES.

135 notes

bunnybrownfrench asked: orgies in hell over secession!! dailyaskstotheussenate

i forgot i asked for poem recommendations for a moment.

0 notes

#ask #bunnybrownfrench

castironman follow It is with great misfortune that I continue the discourse of the past week, but due to recent actions by certain other accounts, I have to re-engage with this conflict. Again, I would like to say that I stand firm in by belief that the 2BUS should not be re-instated, and that I resent the idea that I have somehow 'flip-flopped' or 'betrayed' my past ideals or other people in regards to what I believe to only be my own rational decisions, all logical as I will prove. read more

greatcompromiser

oh you've got to be kidding me.

read more

#fucking fuck offfff JOHN #dumbass ungrateful bitch #subtreasury discource #castironman #i shouldve let oldhickory hang you

54,233 notes

theliberator

Hello, all. The Liberator is proud to announce a new mod today to assist in spreading the antislavery message. Presenting: @/frederickdouglass! We're very glad to have a new member to the abolitionist movement, and even more so to have a new mod with us today! We're sure they'll do great work, and we hope you share our excitement as well!

-Mod Garrison and The Liberator Team

theliberator

Hello, all. Disregard this post, since we cannot delete it. Frederick Douglass has been removed from the mod team.

#info #state of the blog #mod update #mod garrison

44 notes

dailyaskstotheussenate

to the anon who asked us when the gag rule is going to be repealed.

the day that john quincy adams finally snaps and decides to murder the rest of his colleagues on the floor.

or never.

#misc

234 notes

thenorthstar

Hello all, Frederick Douglass here. As you might be aware by now, The Liberator and I have since parted. The reason for this is due to several irreconcilable differences, some political, some personal. The drama has since cooled down, but due to the blowout from our conflict, William Lloyd Garrison and I have agreed to since part ways. I am currently running @/thenorthstar on multiple platforms available in my bio.

Garrison and I are still part of the abolitionist movement together, so if you're worried about the harm this might cause to our end goal of emancipation for enslaved people in the United States and the complete destruction of the slave system as it stands today, do not worry. I will be reposting a catalogue of my speeches and writings here that were originally in The Liberator- which you may feel free to mute as you wish. My advocacy for human rights will proceed as normal.

Please do not contact me to ask about just what occurred between The Liberator and I, however, as that is something that I both do not want to discuss, and feel it is unnecessary considering this blog's true content matter.

#info #blog #the liberator #please direct any and all comments about wlg to mr smith from now on

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higherlawseward Follow

Let's settle this once and for all.

littlegiantofillinois

/lmao.

#bro's getting ratioed so hard i almost cant watch. #SEWARD #delete this sewage boy

brecknridge Follow

fellas is it gay to bring a flower to your senate colleague as your first act in congress to express your admiration for him (also from your state)( literally the most famous senator of your era)(you plucked this flower straight from your home state and tenderly carried it all the way to washington dc to hand to him)(kinda cute too)(this is the first time you've met him)(whig party, you're a democrat)(70 yrs old)???

brecknridge Follow

fellas is it gay to bring a flower to your senate colleague who's dying in a washington dc hotel room and sit by him for hours on end talking about politics and personal life before he finally expires his last breath and you tenderly are the last person to gently readjust his pillow as he falls asleep in your arms...

oldbuck Follow

No.

brecknridge Follow

oh ok

43 notes

godlikedan

A gift from a friend. ;) ;) ;)

godlikedan

Wait.

godlikedan

Everyone stop reblogging this. This was supposed to go to my other blog.

godlikedan

PLEASE.

#lmao get wrecked. #always knew you had a porn blog danny

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oldbullion

real talk everyone in this senate needs to stop having drama.

#@/castironman @/greatcompromiser... looking at you both #stop it

133 notes

roberthayne

menstruation sounds so cool....but why doesnt it ever happen to men???

godlikedan

remind me how you got elected again.

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oldbullion

going to @/oldhickory's inaugeral party. I expect a solemn affair.

oldbullion

F U CK they broug ht t cheeessseeee....

12 notes

jgiddyings

back to work in the senate :D~~~!

dawson Follow

tf i thought we censured you??

jgiddyings

i got reelected :) :) :)!~

#take that mofos #no blocking or muting can remove me NOW #suck my dick

65 notes

memberofthehouse

OH MY GOD I HATE this house chamber so much the acoustics are horrible and its so crowded istg I am blaming Thomas Jefferson for all of this. the room was clearly already too crowded in the 1790s and then the louisiana purchase just comes by and Fucks! Shit! UP???? by doubling the amount of people who have to be stuffed in here??? and everyone keeps on smoking and spitting tobacco everywhere and its too hot??? i think the lead is killing me. i think the air is killing me. i think my colleagues are going to kill me. I DEFINATLY THINK HENRY WISE AND HIS COMPANY IS TRYING TO KILL ME???

Kill me.

henrywisingitup

get used to it buddy.

rogertaney

we're making court decisions in the goddarn congress basement if that helps.

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littlegiantofillinois

so horny for her

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chucksumner

just saw william seward and jefferson davis taking a carriage together. i don't get it. am i the only one who thinks that as antislavery advocates we in the senate Shouldn't be playing nice with slaveholders??

28 notes

forthurricane Follow

breakfast is very fufilling i say as a person who's morning meal consists entirely of a carton of milk and one (1) expired bread loaf garrison Follow

everyone please stop reblogging op is literally jefferson davis.

#dni

52,346 notes

goldtippedguttapercha-deactiv

Not to be mean but this coworker of mine needs to get caned. 23,233 notes

senatorero hangman foote threatened to kill me again today. can someone please tell me if this means im part of the antislavery club.

vivelasboston Follow

are you a republican? because otherwise i think it's appropriation.

senatorero

oh for christs sake

#personal 4 notes

littlegiantofillinois

such a cruel world... so many good laps to sit on and no one to let me do so.

#SO MANY SOFT LONG CONGRESSIONAL LEGGGGS #THEY ALL LOOK SO COMFFYYYYY #ah well #no comfort or joy in life i suppose #time to bully president pierce into expanding popular sovreignty into kansas nebraska!!! :)))))) #this won't cause any issues

33 notes

[qaraxuanzenith]

I've been saying this for a while, but finding this post on my dash has, I feel, given me more tools to express this thought about why Jews (especially in the US and American-dominated online spaces) are feeling increasingly alienated by their leftist friends. Why many Jews who otherwise lean left will vote right, much to the dismay and even revulsion of their leftist friends. Why many Jews end up feeling "safer" leaning right. Why it is not fair or reasonable to "blame" these Jews for exercising their democratic right of secret ballot in such a way.

I'm screenshotting the post because (a) it's long, and (b) most of its content is not actually the point here. I'm not trying to argue with the OP or with my acquaintance who reblogged it onto my dash. I just want to explain what I find troubling about it.

The post is, as I said, long. I'll be honest: I only skimmed it. I'm not American. So skimming past - scrolling past to see the rest of my dash - I saw a lot of things where my brain went "Oh, that looks bad," but, you know, in a vague sort of way. Bad, but doesn't impact me directly. Or bad, but not in a way I can do anything about it either way (especially since I can't vote in the US). Or bad-ish, but that's not an issue of deep importance to me personally. And then I saw this:

And suddenly I felt hostile to the OP, because oh look, they just lumped in supporting my homeland, where my family live, which is currently under attack and in dire need of support, as a "bad" thing. Suddenly I feel like OP hates me, or at least, considers my continued existence on their own list of "bad-ish, but that's not an issue of deep importance to me personally."

But you know what? I kept scrolling. It felt like such a mild lip-service anti-Israel line that I thought, "Maybe this person doesn't hate Jews and Israel so much." I reevaluated my initial hostile response and decided to give OP a second chance, to walk it back. It sickens me that I've gotten so used to racism against my people that some expressions of it just don't register anymore. But I kept scrolling, and it got worse.

So what I'm reading here is an excerpt from the document that sounds, to me as a Jewish person, eminently reasonable and reassuring. Couched in language and context from OP that wants to paint it as a bad thing that the writers of this document believe that Israel, the Jewish state and Jewish indigenous homeland, should be able to defend itself against... *checks notes* three terrorist organizations with genocide against Jews explicitly in their mandate, and one dictatorship country which has repeatedly expressed that it has the desire and is working on having the means to "wipe Israel off the map."

Perhaps OP has been living under a rock (or, like me, only really focuses on political updates that hit close to home) for the past 7 and a half months and is unaware of Hamas's horrific attack of October 7, 2023 against Israel, in which civilians were brutally slaughtered, young women raped, mutilated bodies paraded through the streets, and dozens abducted - many of whom are still in captivity to the terrorist organization which has not allowed any humanitarian visits to the hostages or even confirmed proof of life for those it still holds.

But when I read the above excerpted paragraph, I went from "I'm not American but I guess most of this sounds vaguely bad" to "I hope this party wins." "I hope that this specific part of this platform is implemented because it is offering support, protection, and safety for me and my family."

You - OP and people who share their views; you as non-Jews who do not share in our unique suffering - you have no right to blame us for choosing our own survival. I would expect you to prioritize yours, as well.

It is things like this - not this platform, but this post, lumping in support of Israel against three terrorist organizations and a genocidal dictatorship with all the other "bad" things like deforestation and nuclear weapons, that push Jews to the right, or at least away from this part of the left. It is reading things like this, that take it for granted that my family and I should not be protected, should not have a right to live in our home, that radicalize people like me.

You're right: most of the other things here are things I would deem as "bad," but if I embrace this platform with open arms at least I get to survive, to fight against the rest another day. Better than rejecting it in favour of someone who has otherwise wonderful ideals but wants me dead.

I want to be able to care about all the other "bad" things in that post, in that document, but right now, we are bleeding. If I had to vote on it right now, I would choose whoever penned this document or stands behind it, because I need to prioritize my safety and continued survival over any other platform issue, and if I am not for myself, who will be for me?

Not my friends on the left who decry support of Israel against genocidal terrorists as a bad thing, that's for sure.

[dukeofriven]

A couple days ago that post was going around about that scene in TOS where Spock breaks down and cries after being hit with a virus that limits his ability to control his emotions in The Naked Time. It's a famous performance, one that I think works even better on a rewatch with a stronger understanding of Spock's character (or, rather, what his character will become). The rarity of those tears, the rawness of the performance, the power of it all makes it stand out as something really powerful. I cordially dislike many of the choices Strange New Worlds makes for a variety of reasons, but perhaps one of the most potent is how often Spock cries, how often Spock is emotional, and more than anything its unspoken belief that the human side of Spock is the only valid side. This has long been a tension in Trek: more than any other race besides the Borg, Vulcans are often presented not as different but wrong. Humans needle Vulcans to' be emotional' in a way they don't, say, needle Klingons to be pacifists, or needle Benzites to breathe oxygen. Star Trek Enterprise was really the original sinner here, especially given that—due to clumsy writing and a particular beefy American arrogance on the part of one J. Archer—the Vulcans are repeatedly shown to be completely correct that humans are not ready for space travel. And yet their entire philosophy is sneered at, treated as an aberration of values. The Abrams movies picked up this baton: Spock could only show he loved Kirk by screaming with rage and trying to beat a man to death with his bare hands. Vulcans as Vulcans, as an alexithymia-adjacent species, were always in the wrong, always assholes, the very idea of being un- or under- emotional presented as contemptuous. Freakish. Discovery continued this trend: raised-by-Vulacans Michael Burnham is unrecognizable within a few seasons as she has seemly disposed of the entirety of any Vulcan nature she once possessed. Discovery has to do this because much (not all, but much) of modern Trek relies heavily on pure, unrestrained emotional catharsis for its story beats. Many episodes lack much internal logic or clever plotting:the act breaks all lead to emotive moments and then swing to the next, so that by the end of an episode you're ready to tweet about all the emotions you and the character had—regardless of whether or not those emotions made any sense, or actively undermined the characterization. Perhaps no one is more damaged by this in modern Trek than Spock, who—like my anxious cat—is permanently a single overheard harsh syllable away from some kind of openly emotive reaction. Vulcans have emotions, Spock has emotions, but their central conceit is the way in which they are not ruled by them. In a storytelling world, however, in which being ruled by emotion is equated with being relatable to an audience, Vulcans aren't just different from humans, they're wrong. And so Spock's Vulcan side must constantly be rejected, first Discovery and then SNW: if he's not emoting, then he's not relatable, then he's being wrong, so Spock must sigh, Spock must cry, Spock must constantly wander around looking like a kicked puppy. It doesn't drain the power of Nimoy and that scene for the Naked Time. But it does fail, utterly, to comprehend it.

[yoinkschief]

What’s your general HCs for the fellas ? (Identity, race, sexuality etc)

Whooaagh, that's gonna be a long list, I have a ton of like small headcanons for them that mean like absolutely nothing, but I'll try to keep it to a simple list

Just quickly though:

I HC them all to be generally around 27/28 and in their late 30's/early 40's during WTFuture/in the future,, there was no real way to put that in a good list with them lol

And they're all best friends - just cause they're a group of people doesn't mean they only get to have one bestie yk, they're all super close

Also Ellsworld is canon alongside Eddsworld, they co-exist with each other

Tom - Mixed Race (Black/Irish from his mom, White/American-Hawaiian from his father - Trans Masc-Nonbinary (AMAB) He/They/(sometimes)It (It/Its depends on who it is) - Bisexual (massive masculine lean) (worst taste in men EVER) - Styles his hair to look like his fathers (otherwise his hair is usually textured around the 3's,,, like 3A/3B) - Very pear shaped like his father, and hairy too lol, the alcohol certainly doesn't help with that - Wears reading glasses (later this turns into him genuinely needing a prescription,, another thing he gets from his father - he looks very similar to his mother in terms of facial features and skin tone, but has a lot of his father's aspects) - Fear of eye contact (has gotten a lot better about it now that he's an adult, but still struggles with it with people he does not like/does not know) - Autistic - 5'5" (the shortest of the ensemble) - Works at a diner while part-timing music independently - "Monster" form is man made and extremely painful to turn into (there is no way he could control it,,, in some iterations of my headcanons like in different stories there are ways that he can have like a pact with it,,, like in my Mattsworld AU (WHICH I NEED TO POST ABOUT AUGH) he's "controlled" it a bit by making a deal with it,,, of what I haven't quite figured out yet oof) - Has quite a few tattoos on him,,, (Polynesian shark teeth on his left upper arm, cyan colored harpoon tattoos on his left side, a pinup mermaid girl on his right side, and the Nordic rune for "Wolf" on his right outer thigh) - Also he inherited his anger issues from his father as well, forgot to add that earlier with the list of things he's inherited from his old man lol - Momma's boy (/affectionately, not like he can't do anything without his mom, moreso like he really loves her a lot and obviously they're very close since they both lost Tom's father that day so for a while they were all the other had to remember him by) - Tamara is his cousin from his mother's side of the family - His first friend was Edd - His mother died when he was in highschool - father when he was in elementary, it really hit him hard (it was just before his senior year and had he not done so well the years prior he would've failed HS because of it) - Diesss ???? It's like the whole "OMG they killed Kenny" bit more than anything - like if I had to describe it, he has the Loony Toons death curse, where he dies on screen but in the next panel he's fine cause no one can actually die on a kid's show, yk ? - Tons of piercings,, mostly on his face but also in other places on his body too, though it's more like two other places other than his face area - Loves Ska music obviously, but also punk and rock, thinks artists like Destroy Boys, GRLWood,

Edd - British,,, and probably has some Italian in him somewhere, y'know like family rumors/talk of like "well I'm 1/4 Italian" or "your some odd greats grandma was Italian" that kinda thing,,, not quite sure, not curious enough to care to get some DNA test kit - Homophobic (/j) Gay, man kisser, masculine hug enjoyer, he holds hands with other boysss - On the AroAce spectrum, not really a hard no on either, just more of something he doesn't think about on a day to day basis nor really care about unless the thought is put in his head - Moles scattered across his body (not many, just one or two here and there - and none that are particularly bad or harmful) - Wears reading glasses (more specifically blue light glasses cause he's looking at a screen all day every day) - The only one of the gang that doesn't have any genuine mental disorder,,, he's got his problems sure but he's neurotypical through and through - His problems being main character and plot armor - More seriously though he has a raging hero/savior complex that gets him into a lot of trouble at times - 6' even, second tallest of the group - Very apple shaped,,, when I draw him I think very round thoughts if that makes sense - Had a major emo phase in highschool,,, he kinda snapped out of it during Senior year, or rather the summer leading up to it, but man it was wretched LOL - A child of divorce (they still made it work for him - it wasn't like they fought or it was a domestic abuse thing, they just fell out of love with each other and couldn't stand being in the same house anymore, but they love Edd so they made it work for him the best they could) - Works as an animator - professionally and freelancing ! Hard fucking order but he LOVES they process of creating art, seeing the end result is so gratifying to him and being able to see all the love and attention he put into it - Has a Youtube channel where sometimes he reviews animated movies/shows/shorts - he doesn't update it a lot, it's like a "if I feel like it" cause he only does Youtube as a hobby and as a place to hold his animation portfolio - His first friend was Matt, they've been friends since like diapers - REALLY really good friends with Tord - doesn't really know why but they are like bound by the hip - He's only got ear gauges - he doesn't try and stretch them a ton like Tom does, he's fine with just normal sized gauges that don't stretch his lobes all that much - Has a VERY BROAD music taste, anything from Lemon Demon to Oingo Boingo, to PinkPantheress, to Joey Valence & Brae, to Weird Al,,, anything under the rainbow of music genres he's probably heard one song from each - PowerEdd is canon still !! Not the superhero, but the powers he and Eduardo now suffer with lol,, but they're not really potent, his body chemistry is just kinda fucky now cause of it,,, bro glows in blacklight and sometimes just in general

Matt - British/French,,, basically he's incredibly white - Pansexual (he used to also be GenderFluid in my headcanons,,, but in the past year or so I've decided against it - he's more of just a guy who likes makeup and to wear dresses more than anything else) - Ginger with freckles, they cover his body in splotches mostly, but he's got a few individual ones here and there on his body as well (they've clustered around his face, hands, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees and like two separate patches on his back) - His hairstyle has changed so much with me over the years and it's my own damn fault lol, I don't draw him enough but that most comes with the "I don't wanna draw him wrong" thing but if I don't ever draw him how will I draw him right ?? It's a cycle is what it is - The only one with prescription glasses since middle school - he just wears contacts instead, he HATES how he looks in glasses - his parents had him get LASIK surgery to correct his vision,,, since then - His personal account where no one (except like the gang) knows it's him is very unhinged, he says some devious shit on there (it's a public Twitter account) - Also Autistic, but in a DRASTICALLY different way than Tom is, they're like opposite sides of the spectrum (Tom doesn't mask often, Matt masks like all day every day, Tom can't make eye contact, Matt makes intense eye contact, that kinda thing yk,,, even despite the fact they both have texture issues they have very different issues with textures - also Tom was very early diagnosed and Matt only got diagnosed after Tom kept pestering him to do so) - He's some kind of narcissist, just haven't been able to really pin point it down yet,, I need to do some more research on it - this could change in the future because of that so this is like a maybe canon - His father left him when he was very young like maybe 5-8 range, and his mother married his step father WAY too soon after, him and Matilda is his step sister (He HATED her at first, she tried to be very kind to him cause they're the same age and everything, and this is the first time she's had a sibling, but every time Matt looked at her all he could see was his father leaving him,,, it took until after college for them to actually grow closer as siblings and friends) -6'1" just an inch above Edd - Edd was his first friend - they've been through thick and thin together, they comforted each other when both their parents divorced, so obviously they've got a bit of a trauma bond through that, and are really the only ones who understand that kind of issue - at least in their eyes - Twink. Through and through. Despite being partially French he's got very back luck with growing hair on his body, and when he does it's thin and very lightly colored - Works as a model and "social media influencer",,, basically he's a walking propaganda poster - Has earrings, mostly wears a lot of gold - Doesn't like listening to music often,,, this hurts me to write as someone who can't NOT listen to music, but he just doesn't have a music taste,, I've mentioned before how he listens to some female rappers and other song artists like Mitski and Girl in Red, but that's only because he's listened to them on like the radio or had someone else recommend them to him, he doesn't actively listen/search for music - Still a vampire,,, er, really just half vampire ?? I'd like to think they lads did a séance of some sort on him and for the most part it worked but like Edd his chemistry is still a little fucked cause of it, y'know ? Like he's still got pointed ears and teeth, can't really do much about that, and a BIG craving for red meat and the like, but he can survive without a constant need for blood, and his skin was already sensitive to the sun anyway so there's nothing really new there

Tord - Just a Norwegian fool - Trans Masculine (AFAB) He/Him - Bisexual (with a MASSIVE fem lean,,, he IS the bad taste in men) - His hair ? Yeah that's natural - he's got some WICKED cowlicks,,, when he was younger his mom would try to brush them back to make him look more normal, but even when his hair was longer it didn't really do much for him - ADHD haver, VERY late diagnosis and still doesn't really believe it, but that's a whole lot to do with misinformation of negative dumb jargon shoved down his throat - Narcissistic Personality TRAITS, not the disorder, but TRAITS of the disorder (as in he doesn't actively have the mind set and intentions of people with NPD, but he does have the mannerisms and habits of one,, but that's because of how he was raised by two Narcissists - it's a damn miracle he doesn't have the disorder, but either way he's gotta go to therapy about it,,, and he will,,,,,, eventually,,,,,,,,, after you drag him there by his hair but I mean he'll be there) - Tattoos on him as well (Left shoulder to a half sleeve of a snake, tramp stamp of Ouroboros, and between his shoulder blades beneath the back of his neck is Jason Voorhees' mask) - Can not regulate or understand his emotions,,, the only way he really knows how to deal with intense emotions of any kind is through very physical and aggressive means,, it's why him and Tom get into so many spats, but mostly cause Tom doesn't put up with his bullshit as someone who is very good at reading and understanding his own and others' emotions - Bro's got a very broad chest,, he's like incredibly male passing, even before having gone on Testosterone - Redditor. Sorry I don't make the rules except I do and he's a Redditor. - Also has an Instagram account and it's all thirst traps,,, and I'm torn between how much interaction he'd get on them,,, like I wanna say he gets none because he's a damn loser weebcell dorklord, but I've also seen how EW fandom craves him and that makes me think that this would be no different, ykwim ?,, sigh,, realistically speaking he would get a lot of interaction with his posts and I hate that for him I hope something bad happens to him - Technically Tom was his first friend (??) in the sense that Tom was the first person he met in highschool and was the one he talked to the most during then,, at least when Tom's life was stable, it gets kinda iffy after Tom's mom died and that's where the first part of their rift really started - But him and Edd and SUPER close, despite Tom being his first friend, Edd and him just click REALLY well - Has a similar death thing like Tom, except his is more of like the anime death curse - if he dies off screen, no the fuck he did not, he is coming back as the villain - LOVES Twenty One Pilots, favorite band of all time, usually he's not a die hard for a lot of things, but TOP is one of them, he also likes poprock/poppunk, things like that, think like Imagine Dragons and Mindless Self Indulgence (YES THEY'RE TERRIBLE I KNOW, LOOK AT WHO'S LISTENING TO THEM AND GET BACK TO ME ABOUT IT) but he also listens to hyperpop like S3RL and Machine Girl, but that's just cause of all the base it usually has - that's like background music for him to work to

That's pretty much all I can think of off the top of my head of just general thoughts for them,,, I'm sure I could think of more specific ones but then we'd be here all day

[scelesticgalimatias]

My last post on (American) Politics for the time being.

We tried. The adults, the kids, the teens. Every American who could vote or advocate for blue tried. Our efforts didn’t come out with the results we wanted, but we fucking tried and we should all be grateful for that. Everything now is out of our control. We can protest, we can sign petition, we can try all of that. I do not know if it would lead to anything, but it’s what we have at this point. The last thing we have left other than that is hope. Hope is what keeps humanity from not loosing its mind completely. It will take us a long long time to process that Donald J Trump is our (sadly) president. Just make sure to stay alive and be safe. This country will escalate heavily and for the worse, but we got to keep strong. Stay strong for the future generations, Stay strong for the minority’s, Stay strong for the other country’s who can not save themselves right now, Stay strong for yourself, Stay strong to live longer then Trump and Vance, and lastly, stay strong for humanity. I wish for everyone’s safety. Please go see and talk to your friends and family, or take a nap to calm your nerves. Good luck my fellow Americans, thank you for trying your hardest for voting blue.

For everyone out of America who advocated for Blue/Kamala.

Thank you, thank you for trying to help us fellow Americans, we are truely thankful and lucky that you guys gave a shit about our fuck ass of a country to try and help us make Kamala win. You guys did great and I hope for your guys safety to, and hope your country doesn’t get any ideas from Trump.

For Trump supporters, Third party supporters, and non-voters

You brought this on yourself. I hope you enjoy your consequences for your actions, because like everything it has to end. I will hope you suffer slowly and painfully. You choose an awful decision that will restart our country or even world years YEARS back. Fuck you. I hope you live your consequences to your fullest.

Goodnight everyone. Be safe, be careful, be cautious, and stay alive.

[denimbex1986]

'When the companies behind Ira Sachs’ new drama about the shifting currents of intimacy in a troubled love triangle submitted Passages to the Motion Picture Association ratings board, they probably anticipated an R.

But the MPA came back with an NC-17 rating, forcing the distributor to release the film (which premiered at Sundance earlier this year) unrated rather than risk commercial marginalization or impose cuts that would diminish its intensity...

Let’s be clear: Passages — which Mubi opened Aug. 4 in Los Angeles and New York before expanding to other cities in the weeks to come — is a movie with a generous amount of sex, both gay and straight. But it’s neither particularly explicit nor remotely gratuitous, even if it’s frequently quite hot.

The sex is, above all, integral to the movie’s emotional texture, to the way the characters navigate their volatile relationships, the way they express their feelings and explore their connections through their bodies as they come together and pull apart. In other words, the film’s candor in depicting sex and nudity nudges it closer to European cinema than American.

The ratings controversy around Sachs’ movie comes just as Oppenheimer has been generating talk on social media and in the press about being the first Christopher Nolan movie to feature sex scenes. The trysts between Cillian Murphy as scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and Florence Pugh as his lover both before and during the former’s marriage earned the release an R rating, which is standard given the glimpses of sweaty flesh on view.

But the fact that people are talking about it at all — and no one has been talking about it louder than Nolan himself — just underlines how squeamish American movies are about sex and sensuality.

The sex scenes in both those movies serve a clear narrative purpose. In Nolan’s film, they convey the magnetism of Oppenheimer and its ultimately devastating effect on a woman who, while not really on screen long enough to acquire much complexity, is defined by her intellectual curiosity, political radicalism and carnal desire.

The actual intercourse — once during the affair and once years later, as a haunting specter conjured in a security hearing — is brief and somewhat mechanical, while a long post-coital discussion has Murphy and Pugh sitting naked in armchairs on opposite sides of a room, carefully positioned and framed to keep crotches out of sight. The scene looks like an interview for an admin job at a nudist colony. It’s anything but erotic.

The scene in the Paris-set Passages that evidently had the MPA clutching their pearls, by contrast, is erotically and emotionally charged, raunchy and tender. It takes place after narcissistic German filmmaker Tomas (Franz Rogowski) has strayed outside his marriage to English print-maker Martin (Ben Whishaw) with Agathe (Adèle Exarchapoulos), a French schoolteacher he met at the wrap party for his latest feature.

Back in bed with Martin again, Tomas more or less offers himself up, resulting in sex that could be a bid for forgiveness, a reconciliation, a sad acknowledgment of enduring feelings or a manipulative attempt by Tomas to keep a hold on his husband while continuing to explore a new relationship. Or it could be all of those things.

Like the movie’s other sex scenes, it’s dramatically loaded, and although it’s shot in a single take with no artful draping of the sheets, it’s hardly graphic...

The prim attitude toward sex in American movies goes beyond MPA rulings to Hollywood itself. Sex and unapologetic sensuality have been all but banished from the mainstream since the heyday of erotic thrillers in the 1980s and early ‘90s — films like Dressed to Kill, American Gigolo, Body Heat, Basic Instinct, 9½ Weeks, The Last Seduction, Color of Night and Sliver. People onscreen were getting laid and loving it back then.

What happened to make American movies so desexualized? As the holdover artistic spirit of the emancipated ‘70s faded further into the distance, studios became increasingly corporate and less creative in their thinking. In order to be profitable, movies had to play not only across the U.S. — including conservative Red states and Bible Belt regions — but internationally, where many countries have rigidly imposed codes concerning sex and nudity.

The ascendance of the superhero movie has been another nail in the coffin of sensuality. In the Superman films of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, there was most definitely something cooking between Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. But in the more recent wave of comic book-inspired action fare, the protagonists are so sexless they might as well be genital-free Kens and Barbies...

Where, in film, is the supposed sex-positive movement that has become part of the cultural conversation? Cable and streaming platforms have stepped into the breach with shows that don’t hold back on steamy content — think Girls, Insecure, P-Valley, Bridgerton, Game of Thrones, Euphoria and The White Lotus.

So is the dearth of grownup attitudes toward sex and sensuality on big screens a stagnant situation or a step backwards? Many would argue convincingly that it’s been that way since the late ‘90s. But it’s also conceivable that we’re in a unique perfect-storm moment, where far-right conservatism has converged with post-MeToo liberal timidity. On social media, some Gen-Z filmgoers have even questioned whether sex scenes have a place in movies. Seriously, kids, you need to get out more.

The presence of intimacy coordinators on set has no doubt helped to ensure an environment of increased safety and trust for actors, establishing essential boundaries of body autonomy. But unlike so many uninhibited European screen stars, the majority of major-name American performers remain shy about stripping down and going at it.

Witness Penn Badgley declaring his dislike of filming intimate scenes and his insistence on less sex and skin for his character in season 4 of Netflix’s You out of respect for his marriage. “That aspect of Hollywood has always been very disturbing to me,” said the actor in a Variety interview. But many of us who bemoan the shortage of full-blooded sensuality at the multiplex might wonder which Hollywood he’s talking about.'

[tiredaf23]

Headcanon time >:3 (gotta cut the post bc its too long 😔)

Curly:

he/him, probably they too.

Most definitely our panromantic asexual (repulsed) icon

Probably around 34-ish, I'd say 38 at most

I know he was originally supposed to be British, but he's Icelandic to me

White (Icelandic) but moved to America when he was around 22-ish, so his accent is a little softer than before.

100% has a Dinosaur plush he named "Curlasaurus"

Audhd (idk man, i just see it), BPD (unhealthy attachments to people lead to unintentional biases), and GAD (having to keep the peace also leads into anxiety disorders).

Only 100% able-bodied, no pain on the ship fr 😔

________

Swansea

You will never find an Appalachian dad who isn't like Swansea. Source, my grandpa.

He/him, doesn't understand but will definitely try.

57 to 62 years old. Look at him. He's old (/silly)

That one text meme:

Boy shut up. Boy shut up. Boy shut up. Boy shut up.

Okay, sorry...

Boy you want hotdogs?

Straight

White (either Virginian or from North Carolina)

Unironically wears bass pro shop merch

Depression (due to divorce and loss of kids)

Arthritis and carpal tunnel (old hag/j)

Had jaundice at one point. It scared the shit out of him and he slowed his roll on alcohol because he was scared to leave his kids. This was before his divorce.

______

Anya (party hat Anya :D)

She/her, but also okay with bell/snow neo pronouns

25 to 30 years old. Somewhere around there!

Lesbian at first, but completely repulsed with everything after the Jimmy incident

She owns a little stiffed teddy bear that has a nurse's outfit on!

Since she was around 8, snow always wanted to be a nurse!

Sounds like Fluttershy from MLP and I know using ponies is kinda iffy with headcanons, but I love Fluttershy and I love Anya and I need them both to be my mothers. 👁👁

Swansea won't admit it, but he's a major sweet tooth. ^w^

Bell ses emoticons instead of emojis because she finds them "nicer and not as condescending"

Egyptian and Greek! I don't think a lot of people realize how close the two were hand-in-hand in history. Hell, Cleopatra was Greek!

Depression, MAD (major anxiety disorder) OCD, chronic intrusive thoughts, slight hallucinations (static in her vision and random soft voices)

Blind in her left eye. I like the idea of bell needing glasses because of the OST cover.

_______

Daisuke

Any pronouns work for him as long as you still refer to them as a guy. She's cis but is apathetic to pronouns.

Probably 18 to 23 years old. Somewhere in the "I'm an adult, but my brain isn't fully developed" stage.

Queer as in "idk yet but I'm not questioning."

Adores xenogenders and will ask you rant about yours.

Guys are you skibidi alpha?

Okay, idk what time frame it's set, but he'd totally say this.

Japanese (canon) and Native American (I'm not sure what tribe, as I'm not sure how exactly to headcanon Native characters in detail)

ADHD (i mean come on), depression (homelife), PTSD (homelife)

Scoliosis and chronic pains. Probably needs a cane but he says YOLO unironically, he ain't using it (that's dangerous, please use your mobility aids if you need them)

Definitely punk at heart, but doesn't like dressing it because he feels punk shouldn't have a dress code (kinda self incorporated in there)

Definitely owns blue laces though, it you catch what I mean 👀

_______

Jimmy

He/him, probably not 100% homophobic (as in he won't threaten you for it) but will use the whole "a gay guy hit on me once" schpiel to avoid gay people

Around 35-ish. I want him to be close to the age of Curly, but not quite his age, ya know?

Straight. Dead blank. Makes Swansea ashamed for being straight.

Mixed (white and Mexican)

Didn't come from a good home. Due to the (very unfortunate) stereotype of "Mexican mom's are brutal", Jimmy didn't get help to get away from his abuse. He grew up in Texas where everyone thought it was okay and didn't say anything.

Probably snaps often. While sometimes he doesn't mean it, he never apologizes for it. He grew up thinking apologizes are for pussies.

Now I'm not using this as an excuse for his actions. It's just proven that people who come from bad homes are more likely to be bad people. This does not mean you are a bad person. Not everyone who comes from bad homes become bad people.

I think it's Canon bro's a brony and I'm gonna make it worse: He watched the Rainbow Dash incident on repeat and flat out refused to watch the show after it became Canon she's a lesbian.

This is going to be the controversial part. Mental disorders. Because no matter what I put here, it can be seen as "demonizing" a disorder. I'm not. I'm going straight off of the DSM-5. I got bored and read it during school (technically yesterday, it's 1am, Nov 2nd, and I cant sleep) so I spent 3 - 4 hours total reading and putting these characters in the categories I think they're in.

I do NOT believe in cluster-b abuse!! I do NOT believe that my headcanons for Jimmy's disorders are an excuse for his actions. I do NOT defend Jimmy.

I just wanted to say that before I put them down.

NPD, Bipolar, C-PTSD, autism, BPD, anorexia.

Hypermobility, tic disorder (because it's visible, I put it with the physical disorders, though I acknowledge it's a neurological one), and chronic pains in his knee and lower back.

[thelittlepalmtree]

Hey y'all, expecting Jewish folks to speak out against Israeli occupation has the same energy as expecting Arab folks to condemn 9/11. Let me give you some examples of when it is and isn't appropriate:

Antony Blinken: US Secretary of state. Has Jewish ancestors. He is one of the main people in our government in charge of policy. Not only should he be asked about the conflict he is a person who can make change and has power. He is also expected to have a competent knowledge of the situation, history, and current data. He should be questioned and criticized. However, there should not be the underlying assumption of Zionism due to his heritage. He has actually been more supportive of Human rights in Gaza than Biden has.

Gal Gadot: Gal Gadot served in the IDF and currently lives in Israel. She has posted multiple times in support of Israeli occupation. Her Instagram is currently chock full of pro-Israel posts. It is completely fair to question her stance on the Palestinian lives lost because she is actively discussing this conflict. Again, though, her status as Jewish should not mean that she is evil or inhuman. She should be evaluated on her statements not her heritage.

Natalie Portman: Made the movie Freezone about the issues between Israel and Palestine in a way that was very humanizing to both groups. She has an Israeli father and has spoken to the UN about the need for a peaceful solution. She supported Israel after the October 7 attacks but has been noticably silent since them. It is appropriate to question this silence and even criticize it, but it's not fair to paint her as a zionist who has never cared for Palestinians when she has been critical of Israel in the past.

Sarah J Maas: Jewish. Visited Israel once. Literally has not spoken about her experience in years. Has never made any comments about the occupation or Israeli policy. To be honest, probably doesn't know anything about it. There's absolutely no reason why anyone should go to her for any political opinion she is deeply unqualified to make any kind of statement. You shouldn't be asking her for one.

Taylor Swift: Not Jewish. Knows nothing about this. Is just rich and famous. We have no reason to believe she has any understanding of this conflict. Not only should she not be asked for a statement, it would be deeply irresponsible for her to give one as she is neither a stakeholder in the area nor an expert in its history.

Now if you're full of rage because you read this and you think you're somehow saving Palestinian lives by commenting on all of Taylor Swift's Instagram posts, let me give you another ego hit. I'm Egyptian. I am not a direct stakeholder, but obviously, Egypt has a long history with this conflict and currently borders Gaza. Not only that, the US government essentially provides money to Egyptian dictators that they use to imprison public critics in exchange for Israeli security. My family members in Egypt run the risk of imprisonment if they speak ill of the government and the US government facilitates this in order to protect Israel's apartheid state. So I do not make this post because I believe Israel to be good. I think that when we resort to antisemitism, we delegitimize our cause.

I understand that you are angry. I understand that it feels like Israel gets away with so much. That doesn't mean antisemitism is okay. Racism is still bad when it's in service of what you think is a just cause. Dehumanization is still bad when it's being done against people who dehumanize others. It is easy to blame random people you know who actually have zero power here. It is hard to accept the people who have the most power (Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu) are unreachable because of their own horrible convictions. It is hard to accept we (Americans) have all accepted and contributed to a system in which the majority of us are powerless. It is hard to accept your own powerlessness. But that is what you must do.

You cannot do anything but bear witness.

[sugar-omi]

as a black girlie i wanna ramble ab how cove would be w a black s/o

he don't know nothing bout no 2 step ‼️‼️ tried ONCE and literally fell over (don't worry baby i can't do it either)

we ardy know he loves to eat, but i think he really hankers down on some soul food. put bro in front of some collard greens, baked mac n cheese and chicken and he's SET. you seen that one tiktok of the guy on thanksgiving w his black gf and his face was all in the plate? that's cove

OMG OMG HELPS YOU DO YOUR HAIR AND DECIDE YOUR NEXT STYLE IF YOU'RE INDECISIVE LIKE ME

i could ramble more but idk if you'll relate or like... enjoy it so imma stop here ;-;

OMG YES PLEASE IVE BEEN THINKING ABT THIS TOO

I do relate on the hair front (we eat like basic trash americans over here I'm ngl 💀💀💀) but like put down anything in front of cove?? he's devouring it, he won't even ask what it is he just knows it smells good n tastes even better

IVE SEEN RHAT VIDEO YOURE TALKING ABT AGES AGO N I MEANT TO SHARE IT if I find it ill add the link

I SAW ANOTHER ONE TOO the guy had sauce all over his face n he was just eating w his hands (he had like a thing of ribs or smth w a bone so that made sense lmao)

but lkke he abandoned all civilty, man's was gonna eat n he was gonna do it EFFICIENTLY it was so sweet, he even thanked her mom like 😭😭😭

I couldn't help laughing it was too funny n so cute man's was actually in heaven

but ykw every video I've seen of someone eating soul food, they devour it omfg

i saw one woman cooking for her Korean in laws n the parents had a little bit of everything n were in awe watching her cook n they. threw. DOWN

I just know they went back home a couple pounds heavier bc that food did look good af

BUT I CONSTANTLY THINK ABT COVE DOING YOUR HAIR

now I don't have very course hair, my hair is 3B but reallyyyy thick. like my classmate even said I have more edges than people have hair, which is rlly funny

but before I cut my hair it was like down to my butt, and now that I've been able to take care of it its gotten thicker

so imagine making cove detangle and wash your hair n put in product n braid it for you.

like especially when my hair was long, I wished someone would just come do my hair bc it's such a strain on my arms

so imagine cove sitting in the bathroom or in the tub w you to help with your routine, and he's so gentle that depending on your hair type you gotta tell him to be a bit rougher bc he's not getting the job done

he's just so afraid of ruining your hair or smth pls hes very paranoid rn💀😭

better to start with him putting in your products and letting him comb out your hair once you're done w detangling n stuff like that

omg he does help take your braids out

I braided my hair into micro braids n please.... I was ready to cut at the root bc that was irritating to take out. I was combing my hair n almost snatching my head off my shoulders bc I missed a braid 🪦🪦🪦

his braids are so bad omfg.... there's definitely pieces of hair sticking out

eventually though I think he becomes so good at it and before you know it he's a braid master !!

also yeah there isn't a dancing bone in his body but ykw he's gonna learn at least one move!!!!

imma have to find it but there's this old dude that rlly buckled down on one move n that's so cove I think

yout family definitely keeps pulling him in to dance and he just cant keep up.... that's the white in him /j

[soap-lady]

Here you go

@fantasiame, @g-arya, @lavenderjunes, @charlietheepic7, @ahenix, @delectablycoolscientist, @kaseykay17, @vio-march-0327, @mewwitch, @vixen-uchiha, @coolspidermanmusicflower, @lady-bee-fechin, @raeuberprinzessin, @symwinter, @frieddonutsweets, @seraphkitty, @friendsofthefairies, @nickristus-dreamer, @khneltea, @jumpingjoy82, @fan-written,  @woe-is-me0,@corporeal-terrestrial, @queenmjean, @theymakeupfairies, @dorkus-minimus, @idk-j-go-with-it, @aespades, @swiftie-miraculer13

Worthy Opponent Chapter 24

Felicity looked over at Barry’s plate, doing nothing to hide her disgust. “I can’t believe you’re going to eat such disgusting garbage. How can you even move after that? British cuisine was clearly based on a dare.”

“Nonsense, my dear Flick,” he responded as he sliced up his black pudding while looking her straight in the eye, “a brain such as mine needs fuel for the long haul, not some carbohydrate nightmare that wouldn’t leave a bird alive. And you have no right to criticize my country’s food when you’ve been known to eat snails. ” He smirked at her “continental breakfast” and she scowled at him.

“Jokes on you, Barrington. The average bird can eat twice its own weight.” She looked at Elinor for support but she was too busy feeding bits of baguette covered in Nutella to Seabert. She muttered under her breath, “If Jayden were here he’d back me up.”

“Nah, Jayden is still carrying on a torrid love affair with his laptop,” Jack plunked down his plate beside Felicity’s and across from Barry. “They’ll make beautiful apps together.”

Felicity paused her argument with Holmes to look at Watson’s plate. What she saw shocked her. “Jack, darling…what the hell is that?”

“This?” Jack pointed proudly at the jumble of eggs, bacon, potatoes and cheese on his plate. “In America, we call this a ‘breakfast skillet’. It has all the protein and carbs I need. Plus cheese.”

“So…Americans disguise their horrible food with cheese?” Felicity asked. She could almost imagine poor Jack’s arteries hardening. She made a mental note to offer a cup of fruit and perhaps some Scottish oats the next day.

Barry just shook his head. His poor Watson, forced to eat something so revolting for eight years. He’d teach his partner about good hearty English food once he had the chance.

What they were thinking must have shown on their face because Jack glared at both of them. “Hey. Eat my ass.”

“Buy me dinner first!” Felicity retorted before Barry could open his mouth.

Anything Watson might have said in reply was interrupted by the intercom system.

The Headmaster’s voice was heard. Holmes noted he sounded tired and stressed. His words were clipped and his delivery was wooden. “Attention, faculty and students. At this time I would like for all of you to make your way to the assembly hall. No dawdling. Anyone caught skiving off will be disciplined, no exceptions. That is all.”

The speaker cut off and the trio stared at each other then around the room. All of the other students were dutifully putting down their utensils and making their way to the assembly hall. Felicity all but dragged Jack to his feet and hauled him away towards the exit. All Barry could do was follow silently as he contemplated the changes in their group dynamic.

He decided he didn’t like it.

                                               *****

The Headmaster stood on stage and waited until all the Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds and Spades grouped themselves according to their class (Spades near the front, naturally) and took their seats. They whispered among themselves until he approached the podium and gently tapped the microphone.

Everyone quieted down and once there was silence he spoke.

“It seems as if both a year and a mere moment has passed since I last stood here and told you all of the sad death of our beloved Professor Akunin.”

He allowed everyone to murmur “Rest In Peace” or something similar before continuing.

“And as you may remember, in a few weeks we were slated to have our annual Founders’ Ball, where we celebrate the coming together of the greatest detectives the world has ever known.”

There was more murmuring a bit of applause. He waited again.

“Thus, it is my sorrowful duty to announce that I am recommending to the Board that the Ball be canceled this year.”

The Headmaster was no doubt expecting applause and polite agreement. He would be disappointed.

There were some relieved sighs and some surprised gasps but most of the crowd seemed displeased.

“That’s not fair!”

“I already bought my dress!”

“The professor would want us to carry on.”

“Oui!”

The students were very quickly turning against the Headmaster and a few professors approached the podium, intent on speaking with him.

Judging by their body language the Headmaster had neglected to discuss his decision with the rest of the staff. Dissent among the professors would spread to the students and then they’d have a riot to quell. Or worse, mass detentions. This wouldn’t do.

Well, Barry was a Spade. More than that, he was a direct descendant of Sherlock Holmes and if their student body had a leader, surely it was him. He opened his mouth to speak up.

Felicity beat him to it. She left her seat and made her way to the stage.

The Headmaster seemed too surprised to chastise her. “Have you something to say on the matter, Miss Dupin?”

She nodded. “Forgive the interruption, but I do. Is it alright if I approach the podium?”

Jack’s eyebrows rose and he looked at Barry. He knew “Filly” had a high class education and probably an etiquette tutor but he’d never heard her sound so formal and posh.  It made him feel a little unpolished and grubby in comparison.

Holmes stared right back then up at Dupin. Felicity looked…he believed the Americans used the term “badass”. Her posture was ladylike and respectful, yet not to be ignored. It was…rather attractive if he were being honest.

The Headmaster  nodded and she walked up to him. She had her hands clasped together, the only sign Barry could find that she was nervous at all. Felicity began to speak into the mic.

“With all due respect to you, sir, and with the greatest respect to Professor Akunin, I, as a Legacy student, refuse to be scared off by some nameless faceless…criminal,” Barry could tell she had wanted to use a stronger word, “I want the ball to be held as scheduled. I’m not about to allow my ancestor to be dishonored either.”

There was a buzz of approval among the students and maybe even a professor or two. Barry couldn’t help a small grin of endorsement. The ball had to go on for their plan to lure out the murderer or murderers to work. He was sure they wouldn’t be able to resist sneaking on campus; the school always hired additional help to prepare for the ball and he and his friends were laying a trap. Jayden would no doubt have his extra surveillance prepared to catch them or just gather evidence. He wasn’t sure how he felt about being bait but neither could he ask one of his friends to do it.

There was some applause and cheers of support before the Headmaster broke in. “I can’t allow my students to expose themselves to danger!” he protested. He looked at Felicity, who was doing her best to look brave and stoic. “Miss Dupin, it would grieve me if anything were to happen to one of our Legacy students such as yourself of course, but I feel the same way about all the students who attend here.” He indicated the entire student body with a sweep of his arm. “All of them are important and precious to me and it is my duty to protect you. How could I look any of your parents in the face and tell them that one of you was harmed?”

The man looked genuinely worried and sad, no doubt thinking about his failure to protect one of his staff. Barry felt a stab of pity for the man, even though his caution, even for the best of reasons, was screwing up their plan. He opened his mouth to speak again, only to be interrupted for the second time in ten minutes.

A young girl with waist-length chestnut hair glided her way up the stage and near the podium. She pointed at the microphone and Felicity looked at her, shrugged, then stepped back. Holmes blinked once or twice, then focused on the new speaker.

Irene Adler.

“I think Felicity has a good point, Headmaster,” the girl smiled at Dupin, who tried not to look shocked at her surprise ally. Adler also smiled at the headmaster. “But you also make a good point about protecting the students and how parents would react. So, what about a vote?”

The room buzzed again as everyone began whispering, asking each other what Irene could possibly mean by a “vote”. Barry felt his esteem for the girl rise slightly.

Irene went on to explain. “Everyone here has a school email address, right? Even if they prefer to use their own personal one.” She turned to the Headmaster, gesturing with her hands as she spoke. “There are all sorts of websites that make polls. You could set up a poll where everyone could vote whether or not they wanted a ball or not. Then you could send a link to everyone’s school email address and everyone could vote anonymously. No hard feelings.”

There were some mutterings of agreement and excitement but Barry could tell not everyone was convinced. He was sure he could do something to rally the undecided and racked his brains for an idea.

“That’s…rather brilliant, Miss Adler,” The Headmaster praised Irene. “Better yet, it’s completely fair. Attendance will not be mandatory for anyone!” He addressed the crowd and there were a few cheers.

“Say, Watson,” Holmes began but the other boy was up on his feet and dashing up to the stage.

Jack grabbed the microphone before anyone could stop him. “Hey, I’m Jack Watson if you haven’t met me yet. How’s it going? Anyway, maybe the school could arrange a field trip to a concert or a theme park for any and all students who don’t want to go to the big ball.” The stage lights were bright but Jack could see a few heads nodding along with his idea. “That way, everyone gets to do some fun sh…stuff,” he amended and there was a louder round of applause for Watson.

The Headmaster looked a bit ruffled that the problem was getting solved without his approval or input but most of the student body seemed to agree with the ideas the teenagers had put forward and he really didn’t want to offend three Legacy students, two of which were children of the founding families. He sighed and gave up.

“Very well. We shall do as you three have suggested.” He addressed the crowd with all the authority of a man trying to pretend they were all his ideas. “We shall continue with the ball if a majority of the students vote for it and anyone who does not can sign up anonymously for a field trip to be determined later.” He accepted the mic back from Watson and placed it back in its stand. “Due to all this excitement and the disruption to the usual schedule, morning classes are canceled. You may all go back to the cafeteria where the staff will be pleased to serve fresh meals to anyone who hasn't had a chance to eat. After that, you may consider the rest of your morning as a free study period. Afternoon classes will continue as scheduled after lunch. Dismissed.”

He and the professors left the stage, no doubt to tell the cafeteria staff they were now pulling double duty. The students milled about as they talked excitedly among themselves and slowly made their way to the cafeteria or their dorms.

Barry sat in his seat and watched Jack and Felicity walking together, hopefully towards him.  He caught Irene staring at them and then back at him. He swore the look on her face was pity. “Well, I suppose no one needs me around, do they?” he muttered to himself. He sighed and pulled himself to his feet. No more sulking for him. He had a plan to put together.

                                               *****

“Cut!” Amelie called out. The crew clapped around her. “All in one take! My darlings, you’re brilliant. Victor, you’re a star!”

“Well I do my best,” Victor bowed and made his way to his dressing room.

“Well done, Lila,” Amelie smiled at her and the girl found herself blushing involuntarily. She loved praise, almost more than she loved attention. Especially sincere praise. Plus, there was something about the way Amelie smiled at her that made her want to do a good job, not just climb the social ladder.

“Thank you so much, Amelie,” Lila smiled and for once since she’d known the girl, it wasn’t artificial and self-serving, but surprised and pleased. “I’m starting to really get inside Irene’s head. She’s so much more complex than I realized.”

Amelie smiled again, feeling ever so slightly guilty for the first time. Lila had done something to Allen the other children refused to discuss fully and thus they’d insisted she keep making Lila’s part smaller. Now she wondered if she should give the young woman another chance. Perhaps if she continued to do well they could find a larger part for her on the next Graham Films production.

Ah, there was nothing more thrilling to Amelie than developing new talent.

Gio came up behind Lila and ran a hand over her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Didn’t I tell you?” he whispered, “all you have to do is show everyone what you’re truly capable of. Now everyone can see how talented you are.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I should always listen to you. You give the best advice.”

For a moment she allowed herself to dream of fame and fortune again. Accolades she’d earned honestly. Recognition that didn’t depend on claiming to know celebrities and snagging a trophy boyfriend. Her fame as a model depended on staying in Gabriel Agreste’s good graces and he could take everything back any time he wished. If she’d earned her way with hard work and talent, no one could take that from her. Not unless she well and truly screwed up.  Once she was rich and famous enough she’d hire a financial advisor to help her invest in funds and then she could live off the interest if she were careful.

Amelie clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention and Lila pulled herself out of her daydreams. “Exciting news, everyone! Mrs. Jennings and our own little Marinette have completed the costumes for the ball and are ready for fittings. I’m going to ask the ladies of the principal cast to follow either Mrs. Jennings or Marinette to the Wardrobe Department. Adults with Mrs. Jennings and younger ladies with Marinette. Chloe will be there to take pictures so keep your makeup camera ready.”

“No nudes,” Chloe assured everyone. Yeah, she could be a bitch but not when someone was at their most vulnerable physically. Well, not anymore.

“Boo!” yelled one of the male extras.

“Boo!” chorused one of the female extras.

Amelie gave them both a look of disappointment, somehow picking them both out of the crowd. “Really, this isn’t that kind of production. Dignity and consent at all times.”

She waited until the room was calm again and continued. “Step lively, ladies. Gentlemen, we’ll be dividing into two groups. Group A will shoot a scene with most of the Spades and the Headmaster about their findings on the case so far. Group B will be secondary characters like Marlowe and Charles IV discussing what the ball could mean for the investigation and whether it will draw out the killer or just get everyone in one place to be slaughtered. Off you pop.”

The men and boys grumbled good naturedly but none the less went off to prepare the next scene. Lila was about to follow them when she was stopped by Amelie.

“Aren’t you going to attend your fitting, dear?” the woman asked.

“But I thought I was just…” Lila stopped and Amelie watched as comprehension settled over the girl’s face. “Oh!” She reacted with genuine surprise. She was being included with the main cast? Not some rented gown or something from stores but a dress designed specifically for her?

She danced a little in place before remembering Marinette had designed her gown. Someone who saw through her and hated her. Someone who could do anything she wanted and not have to face the consequences. She had power over her and Lila hated it. It was quite the role reversal than their old college dynamic.

She forced herself to relax and smile at Amelie. “On my way! Thank you!” She turned away and practically raced after the other girls on her way to the Wardrobe Department. Marinette wouldn’t do anything to her. She was a coward and would never risk looking bad to Amelie. She had nothing to worry about.

Amelie chuckled to herself once everyone was out of earshot. Yes, Miss Rossi was worth watching.

                                                  *****

“Marinette! I love it!” Mylene twirled around the room in her ball dress. “I was afraid it would be too formal and hard to dance  in but it’s so flowy and easy to move in. It’s just my style!” She rubbed the material between her fingers. “It feels like silk.”

Marinette smiled and nodded at her friend. “I didn’t think Victorian fashion would suit you but bohemian chic would.” She laughed. “Well, boho chic with hints of haute couture. I was inspired by your braids and went with a rainbow dip-dyed material. Sustainable cotton sateen, which is vegan of course. It’s a great alternative to synthetics. ”

Mylene nearly cried and hugged her friend for her thoughtfulness. “It’s perfect,” she let her go and stepped away. “I should probably take it off before I ruin it.”

“Not quite yet. I want to adjust the hemline. It’s a little too long and I don’t want you to have to wear heels if you don’t want to.”

Mylene looked thoughtfully at her reflection. “I was thinking this dress would look cute in matching low-heeled sandals.”

Marinette blinked and adjusted her thinking. “That could work. Do you mind standing on the platform, please?”

Her friend did as asked and Marinette marked the hemline accordingly and began to pin it up. “Is this too high, do you think?”

Mylene looked at her reflection. “A little. Would a centimeter lower be alright?”

The designer made the adjustment. “Right here?”

“I think so.”

She readjusted her pins and together they looked at Mylene’s reflection. “You know what, Mademoiselle Actress? I think it’s perfect.”

“I think so too.”

Mylene let Marinette help her off the dressmaker’s platform and looked over to where Chloe was quietly taking pictures.

The blonde lowered her camera and looked at them. “I got all the shots I needed. Mylene can change now.”

“Thank you, Chloe,” Marinette had decided she’d be professional as long as Chloe was and so far it was proving to be the right decision. “I can’t wait to see the finished book.”

Mylene straightened her back and surprised everyone by giving her former bully a small but confident smile. “Marinette’s designs are so good. You should probably commission her to make you a dress for the premiere while she’s still available.”

Chloe didn’t say anything at first but managed half a toothless smile. “Maybe.” She pretended not to see the other girls staring at her wide-eyed. “I need a new memory card. I’m going to go grab one real quick before you let Rossi in here.”

                                                        *****

Lila approached the Wardrobe Department with more than a little nervousness. She tried to tell herself it was just Marinette but that thought didn’t reassure her like it used to.  Despite her best efforts at manipulating the situation (or straight-up attempted second degree murder), Lila was still a nobody. It galled her that everyone thought Marinette was so wonderful and sweet. But unlike school, Lila’s usual tricks didn’t work on actual rich and famous teens with connections of their own. They didn’t even work on Adrien now that he was dating The Ice Queen.

They’d never worked on Felix. Even if she hadn’t alienated his friends, he was smarter and more perceptive than his cousin. Damn him. Now she had to be very careful because she was sure he suspected her involvement in Marinette’s near deaths. Oh, and his but he was just collateral damage. Her main target had been Marinette.

She carefully assumed a tranquil demeanor, took a deep breath, and opened the door to the Wardrobe Department with a wide smile.

Inside she found organized chaos as interns rushed from dressing room to dressing room with heaps of garment bags, tape measures, and various sewing tools she didn’t recognize. She felt horribly lost and out of place, a feeling she hated, until a young woman who introduced herself as Sophie led her to a room.

Sophie opened the door for her and ushered her inside. Lila smiled in thanks and Sophie gave her a weird half-smile before leaving and closing the door behind her. Great. Now the crew didn’t like or trust  her either. She didn’t actually care about them but she made a mental note to be even more careful what she said or did on set. She wasn’t famous yet and couldn’t risk rumors of bad behavior. Only stars got to act like divas without reproach.

To her surprise the person waiting for her wasn’t some intern or even one of Sra. Jennings’ assistants but Marinette herself. She forced herself not to smirk but having the girl who had somehow stolen everything she wanted waiting on her was hilarious.

“Marinette!” she chirped. “It’s so good to see you! I’m so happy you designed a dress for me! I can’t wait to see it!”

The other smiled and Lila was surprised to see she didn’t look upset to see her like she expected. It could be because of Marinette’s newly acquired acting skills or she was just more comfortable when designing. Lila couldn’t wait to see the gown so she could make Marinette look mean and petty by complaining about how unflattering the dress was. She wouldn't put it past the little wannabe to design something hideous and expect Lila to wear it.

Marinette just continued to smile, looking calm and professional. “I hope you like it, Lila. I designed it not just for your character , but with you in mind as well.”

Lila blinked, temporarily at a loss for words. She had expected Marinette would have designed something for her character. It was, quite literally, her job. But to hear that she’d also taken Lila herself into account when designing? It made her feel…almost warm.

Someone cleared their throat and Lila turned her head away from Marinette and towards the sound.

Sitting with her legs crossed and a camera on her lap was Chloe Bourgeois. Joy. Another person with too much influence and far too much money. Someone who also hated her guts and would cheerfully have her shot into the sun. Or just…deported.

“Oh, Chloe!” She pretended to be surprised. “Still taking pictures for the making -of book? How wonderful for you!”

The blonde looked at her from under her lashes with a “duh” look on her face. Lila continued to smile, because she was sure it would piss the other girl off.

“Um…anyway…” Marinette walked over to a rack containing a single garment bag. (She had insisted that every dress for the Founders’ Ball scene be stored separately and under lock and key. She told Mme. Jennings it was to prevent leaks to the press but it was really to prevent sabotage.) “It’s time to have your dress fitted.”

She unzipped the bag and gently pulled out the dress. Lila clenched her jaw to keep it from dropping. She was all ready to act offended and Marinette had unknowingly thwarted her.

The dress was a beautiful dark green that shimmered under the fluorescent lights. It was long with a full skirt and cinched waist. It had a high winged collar, long sleeves,  and a v-neck that would show off her collar bone without being too revealing. She studied her reflection in the full length 360 degree mirror.  It was absolutely gorgeous, but…

Lila pouted and tried to make herself look pitiful. “It’s…not orange.”

Chloe huffed and muttered something about someone being ungrateful under her breath.

Marinette just smiled. “The dress is made from Georgette silk from a cruelty-free company. I know your favorite color is orange but I thought the color would enhance your hair and skin tone. Not to mention making your eyes pop.” Her smile seemed genuinely encouraging and not mocking at all.

She held out the dress to Lila. “Just try it on first before you decide. Some clothes look different on the hanger than they will on a person.”

Lila dearly wanted to say no but something made her nod. It did look like a pretty dress and she’d never worn Georgette silk before. The material alone must have cost a fortune and that by itself made her want to try it on.

She gingerly took the dress from Marinette, who hadn’t lost her smile as she pointed towards another door. “There’s a private changing room right there. Don’t worry, no one will watch you change.”

“Not even Chloe?” Lila asked and tried to sound timid.

“Don’t insult me,” Chloe’s reply was lazy, like she didn’t care. Marinette gave Lila a thumbs up and Lila turned on her heel to get changed.

It was time to see if Marinette was even one-quarter of the designer she made herself out to be.

                                                      *****

She had once prided herself on her ability to read people. It was important to know how to manipulate them once she knew what they wanted, feared, or loved. Marinette had been mostly easy to figure out. She had a strong sense of justice bordering on self-righteousness, was in love with Adrien Agreste and wanted to be a designer like Gabriel Agreste.

Well, she was still self-righteous, had given up on Adrien and Gabriel was a fool for not offering this girl an internship.

Marinette had been right, the dress was perfect for her.

The color made her skin glow and brought out the auburn highlights in her hair. Her olive eyes did indeed pop. The sleeves were too long and the waist didn’t suit her but damn if she wouldn’t ask to take this dress home with her once production was over.

Damn, she couldn’t believe that Marinette Dupain-Cheng of all people was going to humble her into saying the other girl was right.

“Lila? Are you alright? Come on out. I want to check the fit.”

She looked into the mirror one more time and did a twirl for herself. The skirt swirled around her legs nicely. “Coming!”

Lila knew she must look good by the way Chloe’s eyes widened and Marinette clasped her hands together with glee. “You look great!”

Chloe remembered why she was there and began to take pictures. “The dark color really suits a mysterious character like Adler is supposed to be.”

“And the design is sophisticated, like Adler, but still age appropriate. I also chose a material shot with gold thread. It’ll catch the light as you dance.” Marinette noted, even if she seemed surprised Chloe had said anything positive.

Marinette turned her back to Chloe and began asking Lila questions. “How does the fabric feel? Too heavy? Is the hem too long? I adjusted it because your character would probably wear at least low heels to the ball. Is there anything else you’d like to alter?”

Lila was taken aback, not just by the rapid fire questions but the fact she was receiving any positive attention from people she knew hated her. “Um…” she thought for a moment and surprised herself by being honest. “The sleeves are too long. Could I have them cut back to my elbows?”

“Three-quarters instead of full sleeves. Got it.” Marinette made a note on her phone and looked back at Lila expectantly.

Lila pulled at the waist. “Could you take-in the waist? It seems a little loose. I’d really like the dress to enhance my figure a little more. If you don’t mind!” She added hastily. She looked down and tried to appear pitiful to needle the girl. Old habits die hard.

Marinette didn’t take the bait and Chloe didn’t comment. The designer grabbed a few pins from something on her wrist and made adjustments. “How is it now?”

“Yes. It’s a better fit without being too tight.” Lila was impressed; Marinette hadn’t even tried to poke her. “But…it needs something.”

Chloe frowned as she continued to snap photos but Marinette’s brow furrowed in thought. Suddenly she brightened. “A belt! A belt made from cork and then covered with the same material the dress is made from!” The designer’s eyes almost glowed as she thought up ideas. She shook her head and focused on Lila. “Maybe the belt buckle could be covered in crystals…and a matching necklace, maybe some earrings.” She looked at Lila. “Is all that okay with you? I was thinking you could wear your hair up and we could put in some crystal hair accessories. I’m thinking of stars or flowers.”

“Um…flowers,” Lila decided. Requesting stars might make her look egotistical and she didn’t think that was a good idea.

Marinette just made another note in her phone. “That’s it for now. Just take the dress off carefully and hang it up. I’ll get started on the changes in the next few days.”

Lila didn’t go anywhere at first. Instead, she continued to stare at Marinette. Even Chloe stopped taking pictures for a few minutes.

Marinette blinked at the other girl. “Is something wrong? Was there something else you wanted to change?”

“Um,” Lila stammered, and not for effect, “I…I thought you didn’t like me.”

The designer blinked, looking surprised. “Why should that matter right now?” Lila reared back in surprise and waited for the girl to continue.

Chloe put the camera in her lap and flexed her fingers. This could be interesting.

Marinette sighed then took a deep breath to steady herself. “Look, Lila. We’ll probably never be friends.” Because I think you’ve tried to kill me twice. Oh, and there was all that crap you did to me last year. “But I’m a professional. I would never do less than my best for anyone, no matter what our personal relationship might be.”

“Aunt Amelie says a true professional never mixes personal vendettas with work,” Chloe put in.

The other two girls ignored her and Marinette continued.

“Besides, I think acting is a good career path for you,” she almost smiled at Lila, shocking her. “You have some natural charisma, something every actor needs, and to be honest, your acting has improved as production’s gone on.”

Lila blushed despite herself at the praise. Victor and Gio had been giving her acting lessons with some occasional input by Anna. Even Felix would nod in approval after one of her scenes. Now to have the girl she hated praising her? It was amazing and warmed her more than she ever thought it could. It must have killed Marinette to admit Lila was actually good at something, so her good opinion meant more to Lila than anyone else’s.

Lila fiddled with one of her hair ties, an old habit from when she was nervous as a little girl. “Well…I mean, a model’s career can be measured in months, whereas a good actress can work for decades. Like Meryl Streep.”

Chloe snorted. “Uh, please. Don’t compare yourself to her. Slow your roll, Rossi.”

Marinette didn’t comment on what the blonde said but smiled at Lila. “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with having a goal or someone you want to emulate.” She chuckled. “And you could definitely do worse than an actress who’s won multiple awards.”

Lila herself would rather compare herself to Catherine Deneuve or Ornella Muti. But the American Actress would do. She refused to admit to herself that she panicked when trying to think of an actress with a long and respected career.

She allowed herself to dream of a better life, one she’d earned and deserved. Something she’d built on her own and couldn’t be taken away from her on Gabriel Agreste’s whim. She didn’t want any of these people’s friendship (except maybe Gio) but she would gladly accept their respect.

It was kind of funny,  she thought later as she was changing, all I had to do was use my natural skills for good and even Marinette Dupain-Cheng would praise me.

Yes…with time and a little work, not to mention a future designer to make her look good, she could finally have it all.

                                                              *****

“Claude? Aren’t you going to come out and show us?”

“Give me a minute, Mari-dear. I’ve never tied a cravat before. This is why men used to have valets to help them dress.”

Claude slid the curtain open and walked out. Only Marinette and Chloe were there as promised. Ostensibly this was to keep the costumes from being leaked online but also Claude was surprisingly shy when it came to trying new things.

“Okay, Claude, so how does it…fit?”

Marinette broke off and stared at Claude. Chloe nearly fumbled her camera but was able to regain her composure before her friend or…Marinette saw that she’d lost it. She started snapping photos as Claude stared at his reflection in the full-length 360 degree mirror.

Claude looked amazing, much better than she could have ever imagined when she dreamed up his design. The dark gray tailcoat had a swallowtail cut and was decorated with three diagonally placed gold buttons that went from the bottom of the lapels to the bottom of the waist. The waistcoat underneath was eggplant purple in a subtle diamond Harlequin pattern with a matching cravat tied in a bow. She had kept the buff colored  trousers simple and plain so they wouldn’t detract from the rest of the outfit. The shirt was simple and white for the same reason.

Marinette couldn’t handle the suspense. “Well?!”

“This…this isn’t anything I’d choose for myself. Not in a million years.” The designer’s shoulders began to droop before Claude hastily added, “But it looks great on me!” He twisted from one side to the other. “I look so…” He lifted his chin. “Elegant and classy. Kind of formal but with style and flare. Purple is Allegra’s color. Did you know that?” He looked at Marinette over his shoulder and smiled before going back to admiring his image in the mirror.

“Yeah. I knew that.” Marinette was relieved to know he liked what he saw. “She told me and I wanted to coordinate your outfits but I also thought the darker purple would bring out your eyes.”

“And you were right!” He approached Marinette as if about to hug her then stopped. “It’s probably not a good idea to hug you while wearing this fancy outfit.”

“I’ll mark you down for a hug later.” She told him and then asked, “how is the fit? Too tight”? Is there anything you don’t like or want adjusted?”

He looked down. “The pants are a little long. I don’t want to trip while wearing them. Could you raise the hem? Maybe a centimeter or so?”

She made a note on her phone. “No problem.”

Chloe gave him a nod of approval. “Looking good, Claude.”

He bowed to her and then straightened. “Wow, this is really easy to move in! I thought it would be all…” He made a vague hand gesture. “Stiff and itchy, and completely black and white.”

Marinette laughed. “We have better fabric than they did back then. Plus, we’re just going for the aesthetic of the time period, not total accuracy.  And the black and white evening wear was more Victorian while your outfit was inspired by Regency fashion. Besides,” she smiled up at him. “You have way too much personality for black and white.”

“That’s more Felix’s style than mine anyway.” Chloe raised a brow at the insult to their friend but didn’t comment.

“Oh! One more thing,” Claude looked nervous  “Could I have a hat? A top hat? That would be cool.”

Marinette pretended to make a note but she was already working on one. “As long as you don’t wear it while dancing.”

He pouted at her but she wouldn’t fall for his big blue eyes. “All right, you’re done. Go change.”

Claude hopped down from the platform but added, “Okay, but don’t forget my hat.”

“Don’t be an ass, Claude,” Chloe told him and then recoiled as she glanced over and realized he hadn’t shut the curtain.

“Gah! I didn’t mean I wanted to see your ass, you exhibitionist!”

                                                  *****

“Wait, you did what?” Allegra paused while dressing. “Why the hell would you do that?”

Marinette glared over at a smug, unrepentant Chloe. The photographer had texted Allegra a sneak peek of Lila’s dress.

Allegra couldn’t believe it. The Italian girl had tried to kill Marinette twice. Both times Felix had nearly been collateral damage. Rossi should be forced to wear the scratchiest dress Marinette could make. Instead the little psycho was being rewarded for her shitty behavior by wearing a damn fine dress for the ball scene.

“Oh wow, Allegra, it’s like I’m a professional designer or something.” Marinette rolled her eyes.

“You’re an intern,” Chloe reminded her.

“An intern creating original costumes for a major motion picture,” Marinette shot back, “so I must be doing something right.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow. Damn, Dupain-Cheng had really found her spine between moving on from Adrien and getting out from under Bustier’s thumb.

“Yeah, but-” Allegra began.

“The point is,” Marinette cut her off and pointed to the door. Chloe nodded. Anyone could be eavesdropping and they couldn’t afford to tip off their prey or cause an akuma if an angry crewmember went after Lila. Again. “I never do less than my best for anyone. I don’t want anyone I design for to look bad, no matter what our personal relationship is.”

Chloe texted Allegra and the other girl dropped the subject. Time to finish dressing anyway.

Allegra wished the dressing room had a mirror but oh well. She slid back the curtain and stepped out. She caught a glimpse of herself in the 360 degree mirror and her jaw dropped.

“Holy shit.”

She wasn’t sure if it were she, Marinette or Chloe who said that. She looked from her reflection to the designer and back again. “You know what? Forget anything I said about you making a nice dress for Lila. Mine is at least four times better.”

“Hell yeah it is,” Chloe picked up her camera and began taking pictures of Allegra from as many angles as she could.

The dress was a strapless lilac organza dress with a tulle overlay. The tulle was artfully draped over the skirt in gentle folds that gave the dress an almost Grecian look. There were also silver dove appliques on the skirt and bodice and gathered at the waist to look like a belt.

Goddammit she was gonna slay. She found herself wishing Alii could see her right now but the kwami was in her locker for safekeeping. She would not risk her being stolen by someone like Lila…or freaking Marinette out with a mini unicorn.

Allegra patted the material of the skirt. “No offense, but…is this supposed to be so stiff and heavy?” She hoped she wasn’t offending Marinette. They were just starting to become some sort of friends and she didn’t want to be the one to screw that up.

Instead of being offended Marinette just grinned. “Look under the flowers around your waist.”

Allegra did and to her surprise, she found a bunch of snaps. She undid each one and the skirt of the dress fell away,  making Allegra glad Marinette had insisted she wear workout shorts under the dress. The underside was full of pockets, some large, some small. One was long and skinny, just the perfect size to hide a sword.

“Elinor is the group’s weapons expert and since you’re expected to fight near the end of the ball scene I thought it would be a good idea for your character to have some built-in weapons pockets. That’s why the dress is as long as it is. She can wear a pair of trousers and some athletic shoes or maybe what the Americans call ‘cargo pants’ so she can carry all her weapons while running or something.”

It was on the tip of Chloe’s tongue to tell Marinette she was brilliant but she wasn’t in the habit of giving compliments to people. Especially someone she used to bully. Fortunately Allegra beat her to it.

“That is completely freaking brilliant!” Allegra praised and Marinette just smiled and shrugged.

“Thanks. The hardest part was making sure the material was sturdy enough to support the weight of anything we put in the pockets and to hide the trousers.” Marinette laughed, pleased to see Allegra appreciated her skills. “At the same time, it had to be light enough so you could move and dance in it.”

Allegra did a twirl and then a few moves she’d seen in a Bik Bok video. “It looks like you succeeded.” She reattached the skirt with Marinette’s and then looked at the other girl as a thought occurred to her. “You know, I think you might consider a degree in architecture or engineering instead of fashion.”

Marinette smiled but also looked thoughtful. “You know, I’ve considered both of those fields. But fashion is what I love right now. I can always change my mind in the future.”

“No, don’t, Dupain-Cheng,” Chloe spoke up with a touch of her old snottiness, “become a designer. Save us from the mediocre crap Gabriel has become.”

Marinette burst out laughing. It made Allegra smile to see the other girls bonding, even if she didn’t understand the reference. She knew Felix’s uncle was Gabriel Agreste and he was an asshole but she never really liked his designs. Well, it wasn’t like the Quantic Kids didn’t have their little secrets and in-jokes as well.

Chloe also laughed, a small little chuckle but Allegra still counted it as a laugh. She was glad to see her new friend was trying to overcome her past and be nicer to Marinette. There was also a possibility Marinette could learn to forgive her bully and they could all be friends.

Marinette shook her head. “I used to look up to that man until I got to know him a little better. Besides, why does a world-famous designer…”

“Dress like a giant peppermint stick?” Chloe finished for her and the two girls looked at each other before laughing their asses off.

Allegra grinned and headed back to the dressing room. It was a shame the Heraldry Box was missing so many kwami. She was sure Marinette would have made a great Knight.

                                                      *****

Ivan looked in the 360-degree mirror one more time and did a double bicep pose, admiring his reflection. The leather frock coat with silver thread embroidery made his muscular frame look even more intimidating. Marinette thought the dark silver vest and black shirt looked good on him. She thought adding scrollwork to the hems of the sleeves really made them pop. Ivan would make a beautiful contrast when he danced with Mylene.

Ivan seemed to agree. “I look like a Goth pirate!” He looked down at the vest. “I really like how the buttons are little metal skulls. How did you get Madame Jennings to agree to let you do that?”

She laughed. “Are you kidding? They were her idea.” She grinned at the amazed look on her friend’s face. “She’s a closet death metal fan. I lent her your Vyson CD and she loved it.”

“Wow!” Ivan looked impressed.

She held out a hand. “You look a little stiff.”

He carefully lifted his arms. “It’s a little tight on the shoulders.”

She nodded. “I thought so. It looks like you had another growth spurt. Let me adjust the jacket.”

Marinette re-measured her friend then let him go back into the dressing room. After changing into his street clothes he gave her a smile and the silent Chloe a semi-civil nod before leaving.

She looked over at Chloe. “Do you need a bathroom break? Maybe some water or a snack?”

Chloe just blinked. She knew they were allies against Lila and Felix had started to like Marinette but having her former target be nice to her made her feel awkward, not to mention guilty.

“You don’t have to be nice to me,” she told Marinette. It makes me feel bad.

“I know,” Marinette stuck pins and marked up Ivan’s jacket with dressmaker’s chalk. “But being angry with you all the time wears me out. Besides,” she almost smiled, “I’m on the clock.”

Chloe wasn’t sure how to take what Marinette was saying to her. Was she trying to start a fight or keep the peace? A strong Dupain-Cheng who stood up for herself was still hard to understand. “I’ll take you up on that bathroom break. Don’t get started without me.”

“I won’t,” Marinette promised but the blonde was already out the door.

                                                        *****

Don’t be nervous. It’s a professional fitting, just like Marinette taking your measurements was. Don’t get turned on when she’s just doing her job.

Luka would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit how much he liked having Marinette’s hands on his body, even if it were completely innocent. He thought she might have enjoyed it too, judging by her melody. Still, it wouldn’t be right to make a move without her say-so.

Then again, there was Felix. He could tell the other boy was starting to become close to Marinette and he admitted he liked Felix too. He could see them becoming friends, all of them. But the problem was Felix was starting to harmonize with Marinette and if she chose Felix, Luka would have no choice but to step aside.

Dammit.

He was tired of being the bigger person and just not pursuing what or who he wanted. He’d been understanding when Marinette had a crush on Adrien. He knew she couldn’t help how she felt any more than Luka could. Adrien might have been happy with Kagami but his obliviousness was not only a pain in the ass but wasted a year of Marinette’s life.

He loved her and he wanted her to be happy but he was also tired of waiting around to pursue his own happiness. He didn’t want Marinette to fall for Felix just because he looked like his cousin. Luka wanted to be just a little bit selfish for once in his life.

His feet had taken him to Marinette’s workroom without him realizing he was already there. He didn’t want to knock yet! Not when his own melody was all jumbled and discordant!

Then he had an idea. He’d recorded a new song on his phone earlier that day before even coming to work. He’d play it for Marinette to get her opinion before his fitting. That way he could calm himself. Music always had that power for him.

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression Vol 18 - Making teru teru bōzu (2023/05/29)

(*Long post including:

•Kaoru's mixed feelings regarding Hanshin's winning streak.

•Making fun of Tasai

•Kaoru pulling a prank on Joe

•Kaoru's limited sewing and Home Economics ability*)

K: Hi, we are here with The Freedom of Expression, I'm Kaoru from Dir en grey.

J: And I'm Joe Yokomizo.

T: I'm Tasai from Tokyo Sports.

J: Ok, we're off!

K: Haha, you're suddenly full of energy. (*To Tasai*) Before coming on air he was almost sleeping, right?

J: No, I was just conserving my energy for the main show.

K: Weren't you just sleepy after eating too much?

J: Haha, no, but wasn't that bento curry incredible?!

K: Yeah, it was good.

T: It was.

J: According to you Tasai, it was some kind of luxury curry, right?

T: Yeah, I've heard about it.

J: I'd like it if we have that every time.

T, K: Haha

J: That would up the excitement.

T: You'd just get sleepy, Joe.

K: He's suddenly full of energy, until just now he was nodding off.

J: Haha, its my age, I cant help it! What about Tasai, changing his clothes before coming on air?!

T: I'm Link from The Legend of Zelda.

K: Hahaha

J: No, you look like some kind of assembly member trying to get elected or something. We just recorded the members only video, and he took it off after that. He just had a regular black t shirt on instead, so I thought he would wear that for the live broadcast. But then before we came on air, he was like, 'Right, time to get changed!'

T: Haha, what's wrong with it??

J: I really don't get why you would wear that. Anyway, here we are, live again after 2 months. Leader, do you remember where we were last time?

K: Fussa!

J: That's right, we were in Fussa having a walk down Base Side Street. Tell us again what you thought of it.

K: It was fun. Its been a while since we were last on location.

J: Was that actually our first time on location for Niconama?

K: Uh, didn't we go to Kagurazaka?

J: Oh, did we?

T: Yeh, we went for a walk there...

Oh, that was for Youtube?

J: Right.

K: I don't think we went anywhere since then.

J: I was right! haha

T: But the blue sky in Fussa was great, right?

J: Oh yeh. Leader, did you end up buying anything?

K: Yeah, I bought some cargo pants.

J: Right, yeh. Have you been wearing them?

K: Yes, I have been.

J: Ohh. After we finished filming, me and Tasai ended up going for gyoza and beer near Fussa station.

K: Yeah, I had other business so I had to leave.

T: Yeah, I thought you would envy us, haha.

J: You sent him a photo!

K: Yeah, but I thought 'Chinese??' haha

J: Not American at all, right? We put so much emphasis on being next to the American base, but ended up eating Chinese food, haha.

K: It looked good though.

J: Yeah, it was. So, while we were in Fussa, we bought 5 cups to give away as presents to viewers. To enter the lottery to win one of them, please check out the show's blog, the deadline is 5/31 (Wed). There's the link. Oh, someone said they already entered!

T: Ah, thank you!

J: You still have time, so don't miss out. Ah, someone wrote, 'I hope I win!'. Oh, and 'Kaoru suits khaki with his brown hair'.

T: Yes, I thought he looks very cool like this.

K: No, I think this is cooler. (*Tasai's shirt*)

T: Haha, stop messing with me.

J: Leader, do you wanna wear that shirt?!

K: Hahaha

T: Come on, stop teasing me!

J: Would you dare wear that shirt?!

T: I'm gonna get mad in a minute!

K: Hahaha

J: I don't think I'd have the courage to wear that! Actually, lets ask the viewers, should we give this shirt away as a present?

T: Haha, I'll give it to them! If anyone wants it, they can have it!

J: 'Its refreshing on Tasai, its good'

T: Hey, see! The viewers are kind, its only you making fun of me, Joe.

J: Nahh...'Kaoru's hair colour looks brighter than at the lives'...'Kaoru suits khaki', look khaki is popular on Leader...'I w..w..want it!' Can we not do a last min survey on how many want it?

K: (*seeing a comment*) Ah yeh, its the colour of zunda! (*mashed soy beans*).

J: Of course it is! Should we put a survey out to see who wants it? If more people want it than dont want it, we could give it away as a present. Haha, 'Its like grass', 'Tasai san, melon juice', and someone said its like a frog. Ok, we will do a survey. Do you want Tasai's zunda shirt? It'll be unwashed. We'll send it complete with Tasai's smell.

T: This is embarrassing.

J: By the way, how much did you pay for that, Tasai?

T: I don't know I just bought it with one click.

J: Oh, on Amazon? You should at least shop on Zozotown.

T: Why?

J: I don't know, haha. Its more stylish. Ok, here's the survey. If we use Tasai's tshirt as a present would you like it, or dont you need it? 'Tasai's fragrance', 'Will Tasai sign it?'

T: No, I wil not, haha.

J: I wonder what the answer will be....

Ohhh! 56.2% don't need it. They are all still normal people!

T: Yeah, but 43.8% wanted it!

J: No, this result means the viewers are still normal, thank goodness. Imagine if more had wanted it. Thats a relief. Anyway, the cups are still up for grabs, so check out the blog before 5/31. So, today we are not here to talk about Tasai's shirt, or melons. Lets move onto baseball.

T: Hanshin are strong, right?

J: Aren't they winning too much?

K: Ahhh, its tough.

J: Why??

K: Its tough..

T: Yeh, why??

K: I've never experienced them winning this much!

J, T: Hahaha

K: I don't know how to respond to this. They've never had this many wins!

J: It feels wrong, right?

K: Yeah, but I don't know why.

T: Ohh, thats how it feels to win now?

K: Cause I end up thinking this is gonna be their peak.

J: For fans of a team who are in the habit of losing, its not a good sign.

K: Yeah, I get sad thinking about how it wont last.

T: You should be happy!

J: You can't enjoy it?

K: Yeh, well, everyday Im like 'Yess!' when they win, but then I think about it, and Im like, 'Oh no, they already peaked'.

T: But Hanshin have good pitchers this year, they are a good, strong team.

J: I usually know nothing about it, but I was staying in a hotel the other day for an event, and I got to the hotel, put the tv on, and this first thing that came on was the sports news. I saw that Hanshin were in the top spot with a 6 game difference, and I thought, wow!

T: What is it? 8 consecutive wins currently?

K: Yes, 8. Before this 8 consecutive wins they lost one game, but they had another 7 consecutive wins before that.

J: Omg

T: Isn't is an exciting month?!

K: Oh yeh, its been great. You know Die is a Giants fan, he was like, 'Tch, shit!!', and I'm like 'Good good', haha.

J: In the dressing room, right? Die' going 'Tch!' and you're going 'Yesss'!

K: Yeah, if he's like 'Aghh, no!', I'm like 'Niceee', hahaha.

T: Hanshin have won three games against the Giants, they showed just enough strength to win, especially with those pitchers.

J: Which Hanshin players are you rooting for?

K: Hmm, probably numbers 1 and 2, Tsukamoto and Nakano.

T: Then there is Murakami, and then the guy from Softbank...

K: Ōtake.

T: Yeh, Ōtake. His ERA is 0, with 6 wins and no losses.

K: Yeh, and recently, in the 7th innings of the game, a chance came while the score was even...

T: Yeh, it was 0-0.

K: Yeh, so a chance came and Ōtake was sent to the bench, because he wasn't breaking the tie. The next pitcher broke the tie, and Ōtake was spotted crying on the bench!

T: He was overjoyed.

J: It was that dramatic?!

T: Yeh, it made headlines. Overjoyed!

J: Well, Leader, since you are on tour, you won't have been going to the stadiums, right?

K: No, I havnt.

J: Ah, just on TV. Ah, comments saying 'It was cute', 'Crying!'...Please keep sending us your comments, and we may even have more random surveys too. For now the viewers don't seem to want Tasai's shirt.

T: No, but 43% did!

J: Haha, they were probably just being kind.

T: Haha, yeh.

J: Please send us your thoughts and questions in the comments, and if you are using twitter, you can use the tag TFOE. So, you already know, but the first part of this show is free, and the second part is for members only. If you join, you can watch this in the archives for a year, and you can also enjoy extra members only videos, so please use the link at the top of the screen, Leader, point to it! Thank you - to join, and enjoy the show to the end. Now, some people may be worried that we are going to spend the whole hour talking about baseball, but don't worry. That is not the case. We may touch on it occasionally, but its June soon and the rainy season is starting. Not quite yet in Kanto, but I think it might be there already in Okinawa and Kyushu. But since Hanshin are in great shape at the moment, you don't want it to rain, right, Leader?

K: Yeah, well there are a lot of interleage games...the dome stadiums are...huh? How many are domes?

T: Uhh, Softbank, Ham, Orixs...about 4.

K: Yeh, so I think it'll be ok even if it rains.

J: Do we need to change the plan for today's show then?? Can't you just pretend that the rain is gonna cause trouble? haha

K: Haha, Koshien isn't a dome though.

J: Right?! You don't want the team's flow to be broken by games postponed due to rain, right? Don't dampen our idea, Kaoru! Anyway, the plan for this week is us making Teru teru bōzus in the style of TFOE!! So that means, not the regular white type that everyone knows, but ones with a little more character, fitting with this show. We have some materials here in front of us, and Tasai, you have string, right? So the first half will be making characteristic teru teru bōzus, and in the second part we will do some psychopath quizzes. Its not only baseball today, we have loads. So as we have the goods here, we can continue talking while we are crafting.

T: Oh, someone just commented, 'There were Dir Teru teru bōzus before too, right?'

K: I think there were, yeh.

J: Well, this will be something to look forward to, as well as the psychopath quizzes. About that, of course we are each going to take a quiz to see which one of us is the biggest psychopath, but viewers can join in too, and test yourselves. I mean, I know a lot of you sad you didn't want Tasai's shirt, so you may not score too badly..

K: Haha, he's not gonna let this go.

T: Joe, Im gonna make you wear this.

J: No no, after the show, please. Hey, Leader should try it on!

T: No no no, you! haha

J: Ah, seriously? haha. Hey, but Leader, who do you think is the biggest psychopath?

K: Definitely Tasai.

J: Yeah.

T: Eh?! Why?!

J: You're a Tasaicopath.

T: I would say its you, Joe.

K: He is the type of guy who...*???*

K: Thats right!

T: Isnt that interesting, though?

K: Its something!

J: But based on these live broadcasts that we do, even the staff think there is something about you, Tasai.

T: Why?? haha

J: Maybe thats where the psychopath idea came from.

T: Haha, when I looked at the script, it says 'Talk about how wierd Tasai is'. Its all due to me!

K: Hahahaha

T: They didn't even write 'Tasai san', just 'Tasai'? They were commenting on how strange you are after filming last time.

K: This task is for Tasai then, really.

T: Ah, great.

J: Yes, it will reveal more of Tasai's uniqueness.

K: He needs time to think about his answers though.

J: Yes, so we will get these teru teru bōzus out of the way first. We can talk while we make, Hanshin talk or such.

K: Yes.

J: Leader, which materials will you choose?

K: I choose one of these?

J: Yeah, this is another good way of expressing personality. Ah, but yeh, no alcohol today.

T: I wanna have a drink while watching the baseball again on the show.

K: Yeah, I wanna do that again.

T: It'll be fun this year, at Koshien and such.

J: You know, if they win ...(*something about calling players over*) Will that happen this year?

T: Hmm

J: And with Tokyo Sports' connections...

you are a sports newspaper after all! Can't you do that?

T: Well, we do sometimes...but..

J: Ah, the fee?

T: Well, im not sure.

J: Send some of your chu-hi as a favour.

K: Tokyo Sports has its own chu-hi??

J: Yeh, they just released it.

T: Yeah, and its 13%

K: Oh, great!

J: Chu-hi from hell!

K: Bring some for me to try next time!

T: Well, there's none left in the office!

K: Its selling too well??

J: Or everyone at work is just stealing it?

T: Haha, yeh. Hiranabe had the lot!

J: No no, im sure it must be selling well. Hey, but 13% is impressive, right?

T: Only for serious drinkers, haha.

J: For sure. Are you trying to sell it as a set with the gyōza?

T: Yeah.

J: Ahh. Hey Leader, you chose some cute fabric.

K: Well, I don't know about that.

T: Joe, what will you go for?

J: Well, its me so I'll probably go for black. But it doesn't have to be just one colour. We can combine colours.

K: Yeah.

J: I'll have the yellow too. But as for Hanshin, they are not just winning by fluke are they?

K: No, they are a really strong team.

T: They are keeping it really cool. They are not just putting pedal to the metal and going all out. They are going quite steadily.

K: Yeah.

T: They do still have days where they lose, but their wins are steadily taking them higher.

J: You are not worried then, Leader?

K: Agh, well they are too strong! It wouldn't be so bad if they were just a little bit strong, but at this rate, they are gonna plummet eventually.

J: They are doing too well?

T: This year their pitchers are too good.

J: Plus if they have few injuries, that helps.

K: Yeah, but it is a bit scary.

J: Its scary seeing the team so strong?

T: Yeah, cause they are used to losing.

J: Its not impossible for them to continue this winning streak though?

K: No, its not.

J: And the players are young, right?

K: Yeah. They are the youngest team out of the 12 main teams.

J: Oh so they wont tire out as easily? Or is that not the case? The older players dont tire out more quickly?

K: Well, I expect they do, but they know how to play to their strengths.

J: Ah, yeah, they have the experience.

K: We cant really know how they do it.

J: Yeah. You know, I can't even remember how to make teru teru bōzus.

K: Me neither.

J: The staff made some earlier, oh those look good. These really show your personality. Ah, I think I'll use some of that foil too. We also have these sticky-on eyes here too....So the team are young...but hey, a team in good condition will be noticed, right?

K: Yeah

J: So the other teams will....Oh Leader, you are approaching this task really freely again. *looking at Kaoru making a triangle shape*

T: I think Yokohama and the Giants are the teams to be wary of.

J: Ah, rival teams, yeh?

T: Yeah. Yakult has a lot of injured players.

J: Oh! Yakult are no competition.

K: They lost 10 games in a row.

J: Really? Wow. What about the Pacific League?

T: Lotte are winning there.

J: Really??

T: Yeah, Yoshii san is their new manager.

J: Yoshii of the Kintetsu Buffalos?

K: Yeh yeh yeh.

T: He was with Kintetsu, Yakult, Mets...

J: Oh yeh, he used to be with Mets too!...Leader, you do know we are supposed to be making teru teru bōzu, right? That's an interesting shape, haha.

T: *holding up bright green string* I'm not letting anyone have this. This is mine.

K: Hahaha.

J: Yeh, don't worry, we don't need it.

T: Haha

J: We really don't, haha.

T: Oh, that hurts, haha.

J: I wonder if the viewers know how to make these.

T: Shall we do a survey?

J: Yeah, have you ever made a teru teru bōzu? A simple question like that?

T: Yeah, we don't want to make it too hard for the staff.

J: What if we annoy them too much? haha. Ahh, this is difficult.

T: Yeah.

J: I've only ever thought about making these with paper. Ok, please answer the survey, 'Have you ever made a teru teru bōzu?' Yes, or no. Surely most people have, right?

T: I don't think I ever have.

J: Really?? Leader, have you?

K: I have at school.

J: What did you hope for when you made it?

K: Well, it was just part of a lesson at school.

J: Oh, like as an art project? Ok, lets look at the result of this survey. Oh, 96.4% have made one before.

T: Oh, that's quite a lot.

J: 3.6% haven't so there are still some who haven't. I see.... Are teru teru bōzus only in Japan, do other countries have them? I've never seen them overseas.

T: I think we need some more questions or comments. This is getting too serious. Ask some simple things to Kaoru.

J: Yep, we'll pick them up. Ah, we are already over 20mins....'What is teru teru bōzu in English?' Hm, what is it?

T: Isn't it Sunny Sunny Boy?

J: Ah, that sounds about right! Haha, Sunny Sunny Boy.

T: It sounds like a song lyric, haha. 'Are you good at sewing?'

K: Uh, no, i don't sew.

J: Oh, apparently teru teru bōzus came from China originally.... 'Kaoru, what were your grades like for Home Economics at school?'

K: I don't remember Home Economics.

J: We did do that at school though, right?....'Have you ever made your own clothes?'

K: Made on my own? No, I don't think I have.

T: 'Can you sew on a button yourself?'

K: Have I ever sewed on a button?

T: Yeah, like these on your sleeve.

K: Ohhh, I actually have done that before, at school!

J: In Home Economics?

K: Yes.

T: But not since becoming an adult?

K: No.

J: 'Didn't you used to go to Yuzawaya a lot?'

K: What's Yuzawaya? Oh, that store that sells fabric rolls and stuff? Yeh, I used to go with the costume designer to choose fabric.

T: 'You used to make costumes too, right?'

K: No, I don't think I did.

J: Did you say that in an interview once? Ok, so we are still taking questions... Agh!!! What was that?! An elastic band?? That gave me a shock!! (*Kaoru deliberately twisted up some elastic bands and rubbed them on Joe's arm, pulling the hairs, I guess*)

T: This one (Kaoru) is the psychopath!

J: Right?!

K: Hahaha (*does it again*)

J: Agh, that stings! I thought it was *??????*

K: Hahaha

J: That gave me a shock! What a total prankster!

T: Yeah, haha.

J: 'Prankster Kaoru', right?! Ah, that was a shock, I gotta watch out from now on....'Cute', haha.

T: *reading a comment* Have you eaten Tenmusu on tour, Kaoru?

K: Yeah, I'm gradually able to tolerate shrimp.

T: Even though you hated it so much?

K: Yeh, but actually, after that tenmusu I tried ebichiri (shrimp in chilli sauce) in a bento or something, and I couldn't tolerate that.

J: Ahh, I see. It depends what you have it with.

K: I don't know what it is really.

J: But you are slowly getting used to it? Hey, we should do an episode trying different shrimp foods sometime.

K: Noo, if we are gonna do that we might as well do it with food that actually tastes good.

T: Someone asked, 'Did you both go to the Zepp Haneda shows?' We did!

J: Yep. Tasai, you went on the first of the two days, didn't you? I went on Tuesday.

T: Well, we can't really say anything about it since the tour isn't finished yet.

K: Haha, he said you went on the first day, and he went on Tuesday. What does that mean?? haha.

J: Two days being the first day and Tuesday, haha. I mean I went on the second day.

T: It was good though.

J:....Tasai, what are you doing?

T: Making a teru teru bōzu.

J: Ehh?

T: Someone wrote 'scribbling noise', haha. You already made the body, Kaoru? That's quick!

J: These are like works of art we're making. Someone asked, 'Are you using the green string?'

T: Yeh, this string is mine.

J: Haha, don't worry. You can take it home if you want....'A curse ritual', haha, right...'zubōteruteru', 'Tasaicopath is showing'. Leader, yours is looking great.

T: Yeah.

J: Its really artistic. You guys are doing well, I'm struggling.

T: Is it ok if we finish these in the first part?

J: Yeh, its fine. Cause we have the psychopath tests in the second part.

T: We made that Christmas Tree together before too, didn't we?

J: Yeah, that was great. I think that was a pretty unique creation.

K: Yeah.

J: As usual I can't remember anything specific about it though.

K: Hahaha

J: Yeh, I bet you don't remember either!

K: I do remember! We used it for the karuta too.

J: Ah, I'm forgetting everything these days. Well, we are still making these, but its just about at the 30min mark, so we will have to end the first part of the show. We will move on to the members only content next, where you can enjoy seeing us taking psychopath tests. Here's how you can watch the second part. The first part of this show is free for anyone to watch, but the second part is for members only. So you have to be a member if you want to watch to the end. If you become a member, you can watch the live broadcasts in the archive as much as you like for one year, and we will also release another members only video in a few days. We always try out interesting things in these videos, the one we recorded today is really funny, right? One staff member said their stomach hurt from laughing.

T: Really?

J: Yeah, so please check that out. Ok, here's how to join. There should be a blue link at the top of your screen now. Leader, point to it! Thank you, even while holding the glue, haha. If you click this link, you will get this page asking you to choose your payment method. Choose, your method, click proceed, enter your details, and then you are good to go. If you haven't yet joined, please do so to enjoy the show fully. Ok, Leader, do you have any announcements?

K: Uh, we have lives in Osaka and Nagoya next week, no this week. Nagoya is fan club only, but I think there might still be some tickets left for Osaka, so please come along if you can.

J: Ok, time to end this part. The screen will change for a minute, but the members part will start soon, so just wait there. Ok, see you soon for more TFOE! Bye!

[bitchapalooza]

Idk mp100 headcanons I guess

Reigen is quarter American from his mother's side. More specifically, his grandfather was American. This fact changes nothing, if anything it inflated his ego in English class and he ended failing multiple tests before finally asking his grandfather for tutoring lessons.

Reigen still failed to learn to speak English. He can write it pretty decently.

Although he is naturally blond, Reigen does dye his hair because he's going prematurely grey and he has trouble accepting it lmao

Serizawa has voice volume control difficulties.

Shigeo uses an array of highlighters and colored pens for his school notes and uses cow themed tabs to bookmark the important pages. I think his dad got him the cow tabs at the start of the school year :) he likes milk a lot, be figured the cows would make his son happy.

Yes the cows made Shigeo happy.

Speaking of Mr. Kageyama; although they aren't close, I do think his dad TRIES to be close with Shigeo. Tries to understand his interests and his powers, too. He's tried taking him on regular fishing trips and help with homework when he was younger, but Shigeo would always use his powers to fish and he preferred doing homework alone.

Mr. and Mrs. Kageyama met Reigen about 2 weeks after Shigeo did and they were fine with Shigeo working for him. It seemed to make their son happy and more socialble even. They could never get him to play with other kids his age or connect with him on a more emotional level— but that all pretty much changed with Reigen as a sort of mentor for Shigeo. His parents noticed he started talking to other kids in his class more often when school was getting out and every so often, Shigeo would come to them to talk about whatever was bothering him. They aren't so close and involved because they respect Shigeo's boundaries. His mom tries to get answers from Ritsu from time to time to keep tabs on him, but otherwise, both his parents stay back and allow him all the space he needs. They're grateful for Reigen's involvement in his social development, because if not for him, Shigeo wouldnt be the way he is now. Its nice to see him smile more.

I think the Kageyamas and Reigen do talk tho. Maybe mainly over the phone. But I wouldn't exactly call the three friends. Just three people who happen to care about and take care of Shigeo.

However they have zero fucking clue of how much of a fraud Reigen is lmao

I think Ritsu would like coconut flavored candies. I dunno why.

Shigeo went undiagnosed with autism until pretty recently actually. It was actually Dimple mustering as much energy as possible to send the messages along to the Kageyamas because SHIT this child needed a little more help in school! He wasn't a bad student of course, he just struggled with certain aspects in school that Dimple actually knew there were accommodations available for as long as the kid had that doctors note.

So like just imagine Dimple leaving messages on the fogged bathroom mirror or written in ketchup on the kitchen counter. He wasn't subtle about it. He knew this kid for all of 3 months at this point, he wasn't about to watch him struggle for much longer.

When Shigeo did get the diagnosis, nothing changed besides the accommodations. He hardly ever remembers hes autistic.

Reigen has adhd. He's transmasc and gay.

Serizawa is autistic. He's cis and gay.

Dimple is an enemy of the state, specifically the localized area of the entire United Kingdom plus half of Belgium and Cancún, Mexico. /j