#Order is in rows from L --> R

[weaselle]

do you realize what a skill it is to take a written order as a table server?

Like, go ahead have a friend say four sentences and you write it at the same time they're saying it and see if you don't stand there SO UNCOMFORTABLY for a very long minute after they're done, scribbling and asking them to repeat parts.

Plus there has to be so much translation and organization, and just.

so basically every server comes up with their own shorthand, their own little code, altho some restaurants do have the servers all use the same shorthand code

And you have to rework your code every restaurant you work at.

So like, if you order a large caesar salad, with light dressing, and chicken on the side with no croutons? i'ma write:

SA L c no crt Lt/D chx s

but the last "s" is gonna have a circle around it like it's inside an "o" because that's how i write "on the side" and it makes it stand out so i don't forget or confuse it and i like the way it kind of looks like a birdseye view of a side of something in a ramekin, like a little pictogram :)

Starting every salad order with the notation for Salad and writing the SA large and making "on side" a symbol lets me scan the ticket for specific info easily, which is also why the slash is between the "light" and the "dressing" -- i usually put a slash for dressing, (like, ranch dressing would be r/D and no dressing would be no/D) because the slash and big D makes them easy to pick out of a block of text and i want to be able to see all the dressings at once clearly with a casual visual sweep when i am, for example, picking up my salads and checking to make sure the right dressings are with the right salads (which you always have to do because salads is more complicated than you'd think and you're likely to catch a wrong dressing several times a night if you check for them before letting your table find out they did it wrong).

Now any of how i write that order might change depending on things. For example one place i worked had a couple chicken salads and the kitchen did the chicken for them, so when you put the ticket in the computer it was helpful for them if you put the chicken instructions before anything else about the salad. I got used to putting it that way on my written ticket as i took the order to help me have an easy time at the computer while i worked there, and stopped doing it in that order when i left that restaurant. But the order is often about helping you tell the computer what to print in the kitchen.

Which you have to be fast at. Most restaurants only have like two or three terminals that servers can use to put in orders, and there's often like 8 servers all trying to use them. So you can't sit there and delete the salad order and re-enter it to put the chicken first and then try to remember how to do the other things you need to do on every order you have, because your coworkers will all be pissed at you, as their collective 15 tables wait extra time for you to get your shit together on the terminal and their tips dwindle down by the minute. You gotta be able to put an order into a terminal like it's about to explode if you don't do it fast enough and let the next server hop on it while you hurry to pour the drinks you're already late bringing out.

There is no time to like stand in line for it, either. If it's in use you go do one of the fifty other things you're already late for, and sometimes that means you go take anther order from a different table. That's dicey, because if you're not careful you'll have tables next to each other getting their food in the opposite order they sat, and that's never great. Or gods forbid the terminal is in use a few times in a row that you try to use it, you'll wind up at a terminal putting in 5 tables at once, which makes things hell on the kitchen staff and takes forever to punch in, all while other servers anxiously wait for you to be done hoping the same thing doesn't happen to them

And it's always some weird confusing choose-your-own-adventure system of menus and screens on there. Like, all the dressings and sauces and toppings might be on one screen and it's a different screen than the one that you punch in the salad on, so you have to flip between them to order salads or whatever. Shit like that ... plus you have to learn a new one every restaurant; this one may work with a series of drop down options, that one may use, like, clickable folder tags around the edges of the screen to go from options list to options list.

I worked this one pizza place where the server terminals were some OLD bullshit and the pizza toppings were just numbers. That you had to memorize. So you could punch them in without doing a where's waldo marathon with the toppings cheat sheet. There were 37 toppings. 41 when i stopped working there, altho to put in Feta wasn't a topping number you had to go to the salad menu and select "add fetta" from there.

I still remember a lot of the topping numbers. Like, if you ordered a large, extra cheese, salami, mushroom, pepperoni, olive and sausage pizza, it would be a

Lg xtr 1, 9, 8, 4, 7, 11

(that's the exact order the pizza guys will put them on the pizza btw, which helps them not miss a topping accidentally -- there's a logic to the order things go on a pizza, and if you write it all out of order it makes it real hard on the pizza makers to keep track of it while they're making it. I think some computer systems now auto-reorder toppings with they print them to the pizza section which is nice, but we used to try to do that for them as servers) I've used some of those numbers ever since. Cheese in particular permanently became "1" on my tickets, because i was already used to it and it's so much quicker than "chz" to write.

Of course the ticket layout is important -- I write the orders for the table as top to bottom = left to right. This means even if the person in the middle insists on ordering first, i write their order halfway down the space. Uh, i mean the top Line is for table number and number of people, and the the top Space is for drinks, and then the next forth of the ticket is for apps, and then the next space is for entrees, and then the last space is for any desserts, add ons, notes, or extras.

So if i say "shall we start with you" to my left but the person straight ahead of me orders their salad first anyway, i'm still writing their salad halfway down the "apps space" near the top of my ticket. Sometimes you have to bring your own note pad, in which case, depending on the vibe of the place, i often try to steal printer paper from the tiny little manager office crammed into some kitchen closet like every restaurant has, and cut their office paper into strips to use, because fuck making me buy my own paper to do this job.

Anyway, if you write your little code in the wrong order on the ticket, it makes it harder to punch it in the terminal quickly, so if I do get it in the wrong order, i do like a little swoopy line from it to the correct position. Say someone waits until everyone is done ordering and then says "oh can i have my chicken on the side of my salad" I have to write "chx os" at the end of the salad notation, but i would do a line like a big parenthesis on its back underneath the salad order, connecting "chx os" to the place i would have preferred to write it.

This way, after taking some dirty dishes from the dining room to the dish pit, checking with the kitchen about my other tables while i'm back there, pouring a drink order because other servers are using both terminals, and checking in with the salad section for a table that's getting impatient... when you're finally at a free terminal entering the order, these lines and you don't type the salad instructions in, get to the end, and have to delete it and type it back in with "chicken on the side" in the right place.

I actually don't know how many other servers use these sort of lines or item order, like i said, every server has to come up with their own code. Me, I draw lines to edit. This kind of thing makes my tickets often turn out with quite a few circles and lines and squiggles and stuff, which all indicate specific things But ideally not, ideally i get it written without all the extra drawing

So as a server, it's easiest to try make sure you can write everything down in the order you use at the computer so you wait til they say the whole thing. Or at least, because it is how your personal code works vs. all the ways people say the things they order, you often let the guest get the whole salad order out before you start to put it on your ticket.

And then you write it in your secret code while listening to their entree order. Which you might write in your little cypher while someone else is telling you their salad order. :)

However you do it, you have to do it all at the speed of speech, which is pretty damn fast.

Anyway, it's just a thing servers do, that i never really see talked about much. We all have our little codes we use to write your orders. And it takes a fair amount of skill.

[ace-and-the-rpg-horrors]

for those who don't know them pick based on design since i'm doodling them

[bestworstcase]

actually no i WILL elaborate re: #and the punchline is: salem’s playing the dragon variation (here)

ok. so. rwby’s chess motif is chiefly there to foreshadow and then articulate the paradigm shift that occurs between salem and cinder in V8; insofar as any other characters are involved in the chess symbolism it is largely in service of clarifying what’s being said about those two. but first we have to talk about

✨chess theory✨

for context. some basics. briefly.

if you’re not a Chess Person you probably have at least a vague idea of what the pieces are, how they move, and their relative value. but that’s as good a place as any to start, so:

a chessboard has numbered ranks (rows) 1-8 and lettered files (columns) a-h. you can notate a specific square this way: a1 is the dark square in the bottom left corner of the board. white’s pieces start on 1, black’s on 8. the queens start on the d file, the kings on e. pieces that start on a,b,c are called the queen’s or the queenside and likewise pieces that start on f,g,h are the king’s or kingside.

from the edge of the board in, the pieces go on in this order: rook -> knight -> bishop. then the eight pawns start in ranks 2 and 7.

pawns (P) can move 1 square forward and capture pieces that are 1 square diagonally in front of them (so a pawn on the light square e4 can move to the dark square e5 if it’s empty, or capture a piece occupying the light squares d5 or f5). from their starting position only they are allowed to advance 2 squares if both are empty. they also have a special and highly situational pawn capture (en passant) that Isn’t Important but i have to mention it because it’s really fucking funny to catch the unwary with. look it up. they cannot move backwards, but if a pawn travels all the way across the board to reach the 8th/1st rank they can be promoted to a piece of the player’s choosing (knight, bishop, rook, or queen)—usually queen but there are certain circumstances where a knight is preferable.

rooks (R) move in straight lines vertically or horizontally across any number of unoccupied squares. if they land on an occupied square the piece is captured. rooks also have a special move they can perform with the king if 1. neither the rook nor king have moved yet, 2. the king is not in check, 3. the king would not move through or into check, and 4. every square between the rook and the knight is empty. this move is called castling and it moves the king two squares in the direction of the rook whilst jumping the rook over the king into the light square adjacent to the king’s new position. so if white castles kingside, the king moves e1 to g1 and the rook moves h1 to f1; if white castles queenside the king moves to c1 and the rook moves a1 to d1.

knights (N) move in an L shape (1 square either horizontally or vertically, then 2 squares at a right angle to the first direction, or 2 then 1), jumping over any pieces in between. if they land on an occupied square the piece is captured; pieces they jump over are not captured.

bishops (B) move in straight lines diagonally across any number of unoccupied squares, capturing a piece if they land on it. both players have a dark square and a light square bishop; bishops can never move onto squares of a different color from their starting square.

queens (Q) can move and capture like a rook or a bishop; so, in a straight line horizontally, vertically, or diagonally across any number of unoccupied squares.

kings (K) can move 1 square in any direction (outside of castling). if an adjacent square is occupied they can capture the piece. the king has the unique restriction that it cannot move into a square where it would be under attack, so if there is a white rook on b3 and the black king is on c2, b2 and c3 are not legal moves.

a piece is attacked when it occupies a square that could be taken by an opposite-color piece; if the king is attacked it is in check and the player must use their turn to get the king out of check (by moving the king, blocking the path of attack with a different piece, or capturing the attacking piece). the goal of chess is to checkmate the opponent by forcing the king into an inescapable check; you do not win chess by capturing the king, you win by trapping the king in a position in which your opponent has no legal moves.

(if the king is not in check but one player has no legal moves, the game is a stalemate and ends in a draw.)

so it’s not about overpowering the enemy… :)

anyway. chess pieces are conventionally given relative valuations (standard is P=1, N=3, B=3, R=5, Q=9) for the purpose of having a loose rule-of-thumb to quickly assess positions during a game. but—and this is the important part—piece valuations are only rough approximations of the actual strength any given piece might have on the board, because how strong or weak a piece might be is contingent on a lot of things. the queen isn’t always the strongest piece on the board; pawns are extremely important in the opening and can be really strong in the endgame. etc

so! chess strategy and tactics! basic ideas:

space—that’s how much of the board you control—is very important. space can be evaluated by counting up how many squares a player currently occupies or has attacked (including empty squares that an opposing piece cannot safely move into because they are in an attack line) on the opposing side of the board.

control of the center—d4,e4,d5,e5, the four squares in the center of the board—is achieved by developing pieces to attack those squares. controlling the center is the goal of the opening because the player with the strongest control over those four squares has the advantage in

initiative, which belongs to whichever player is able to attack in a way that their opponent has no choice but to respond, like putting a king in check or otherwise forcing the opponent to defend rather than develop their own position.

placing one piece on a square from which it can attack a square currently occupied by a friendly piece defends the friendly piece; if the opponent captures a defended piece and the defender captures the captor that’s called an exchange. a piece in a defensive position to more than one other piece, or a piece under more than one attack, is overworked and therefore weak.

the strongest piece on the board at any given time is a piece that: 1. can attack through the center, 2. is defended, 3. is not overworked, 4. is not closed in by friendly pieces, and 5. is able to capture, put the opponent king in check, or defend another piece doing those things.

ok! this:

is the setup for an opening called the sicilian defense, dragon variation. black has just moved the kingside knight’s pawn to g6 and will on the next turn move the kingside bishop to g7, then castle kingside. this is notoriously one of if not the sharpest openings—a risky, aggressive, highly tactical play. if you open with the dragon your intention is to spend the rest of the game attacking and counterattacking; ideally you keep the bishop on g7 and knight on f6 until you can capture with the knight and reveal the bishop’s attack up the long diagonal. in this game the fianchettoed bishop on g7 is THE strongest and most strategically and tactically important piece on the black side, to the point that every major line for white to counter the dragon aims to weaken the bishop.

ok done talking chess theory now

back to rwby:

in the essentials, the chess symbolism is constructed around the metaphorical game between salem (playing black) and ozma (playing white); the white king is the relics and the black king is remnant freed from the brothers, basically. and the black queen—

—isn’t cinder.

the black queen is a virus written by arthur watts which cinder deploys in tandem with the grimm and the white fang to shatter beacon’s defenses and keep ozpin’s guardians pinned down while she captures the fall maiden and then takes down ozpin.

and that’s the dragon. conceptually. cinder is the bishop fianchettoed on g7 biding her time until the black queen, knights, and pawns launch the attack on white’s queenside defenses and open the long diagonal for her to go in for the kill.

the same setup happens at haven except that this time cinder’s chief opponent is raven, who can see what cinder is doing and counters by baiting her into a more vulnerable position with a decoy and then whacking her.

and then it happens again in atlas, twice, first when cinder plants the black queen in ironwood’s office to force the winter maiden into the open and second when she remembers how this play actually works and gets watts and neo to tear open the line for her before she forces checkmate.

ironwood is the white queen, and he believes salem is the black queen—hence them being positioned as such in the V8 opener. he sees the black queen as salem’s calling card; ruby connects it to cinder. but the black queen is watts—his virus, his icon—and salem identifies herself in both 3.12 and 8.1 as the one playing black; beacon was the first move and it’s her game to win. cinder “holds the key to [salem’s] victory” and cinder is “more valuable to [salem] than a pawn,” so much so that salem values her more highly than the notionally higher-value queen.

because salem plays the sicilian defense, dragon variation. and. well,

…cinder’s the dragon.

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

Based on the following info, what is the plot of your generic action movie?

For your background, if your first name starts with…

A - you’re an ex-CIA spy

B - you’re an ex-SAS operative

C - you’re an ex-hitman/hitwoman

D - you’re an ex-Green Beret

E - you’re an ex-ROK Special Forces operative

F - you’re an ex-DEA agent

G - you’re an ex-MI6 spy

H - you’re an ex-FBI agent

I - you’re an ex-US Army Ranger

J - you’re an ex-GAFE commando

K - you’re an ex U.S. Coast Guard officer

L - you’re an ex-U.S. Air Force pilot

M - you’re an ex-Secret Service agent

N - you’re a mercenary who is unaffiliated with any nation

O - you’re an ex-NYPD officer / NYPD SWAT

P - you’re an ex-LAPD officer / LAPD SWAT

Q - you’re an ex-ATF agent

R - you’re an ex-U.S. Marine

S - you’re an ex-Delta Force operative

T - you’re an ex-Navy SEAL

U - you’re an ex-MARCOS operative/commando

V - you’re a biker gang member

W - you’re a death row inmate in for some type of heinous crime

X - you’re a survivalist living in the woods

Y - you’re an ex-Joint Task Force 2 operative

Z - you’re an ex-bomb disposal unit operative (EOD)

For your tragic backstory, if your last name starts with…

A - lost your wife/husband

B - lost your son

C - lost your daughter

D - lost your brother

E - lost your sister

F - lost your mother

G - lost your father

H - lost your best friend

I - lost your fiancé/fiancee

J - lost your favorite uncle

K - lost your favorite auntie

L - lost your entire team

M - lost your mentor

N - failed to save a civilian in your last mission

O - lost your protégée

P - lost your partner (non-romantic, work relationship only)

Q - just got out of prison after being falsely accused of a crime

R - dishonorably discharged for disobeying orders

S - betrayed and left for dead by your inner circle

T - lost your ENTIRE family

U - shot and went into a coma that lasted several years

V - quit your profession because of the rampant corruption you were witnessing

W - divorced from your lover

X - shot an innocent, although you had reliable information that they were a bad person

Y - spiritual reawakening that made you leave your life of violence and death

Z - developed PTSD after single-handedly saving your team from a dangerous situation

For your movie’s antagonists, if your birth month is…

January - the cartel

February - foreign terrorists

March - domestic terrorists

April - corrupt government forces trying to eliminate loose ends

May - a hostile country that hates your country

June - an elite team of thieves/bank robbers

July - a doomsday cult

August - a powerful corporation

September - the mafia

October - far-right militia / white supremacist gang

November - a private military company

December - a gang led by your nemesis from the past

[the-nosy-neighbor]

Tic-Tac_toe (Part 2)

3 parts to keep you from dying reading this

Edit: 4 parts

Spoilers abound

Use in Welcome Home

Several tic tac toe boards are found on the website. I am going to detail them, who won, who the x's and o's would represent and potential tac tac toe cypher. I moved the order of the paragraphs, so you won't knoe what i am talking about in relationship to using neighborhood locations as spaces on a board

Game:   Frank vs Julie, Julie wins.  There is another line that makes it look like frank could have won, but it is going through Julie’s marker, so probably not.  Julie is X, Frank is O.  I believe that means Julie went first. 

Neighborhood reference:  x’s—Frank, Wally, Eddie; o’s—Barnaby, Howdy, Julie

Tic-Tac-Toe Cipher:  J, N, R, U, X, Z  (incomplete since we don’t see the full board.)

Game:   Wally/Home vs Julie, Julie wins.  The board is pink, Like Julie’s color.  Julie is X, Wally/Home is O.  That means Julie went first. 

Neighborhood reference:  x’s—howdy, wally, sally,  o’s—Frank, tower, Poppy

Tick-Tac-Toe Cipher:  S. Z, X, P, N, L, D, B, I

Secretive tic tac toe board on an apple.  The color is off on this one, so it appears that it is Frank and Poppy, which makes sense, because this is the Frank/Poppy scene with Wally.  Game field is red? There is no winner in this game, it appears to be in progress.  However, Frank cannot win here, only Poppy.  If Poppy sticks with strategy, she is first, since she got the center tile.  This means it is her turn, and she likely would win the game.  Not for sure, since she could make an error, but still.

Game:  Frank vs. Poppy, Poppy wins. 

Neighborhood reference:  x’s—Frank, Wally, Sally; o’s—Julie, Barnaby, Eddie

Tic-Tac-Toe Cipher:  (going on the assumption that X chose center to start)  J, N, L, V, T, NOTHING? The cipher is short a space, F, G, H

In the comments: 

Exchange:  Commenter (Ant) “I know what you are.” Wally:  “You do.  I am so happy!”

Wally/Home playing by themself/es .  There is no winner since there is no opponent, but technically there are three in a row.  The game board is blue, which could indicate that Barnaby is taking part, but he hasn’t moved that we can see.

Neighborhood reference: o’s—Frank, Wally, Sally, Howdy

Tic-Tac-Toe Cipher:  S, B. U, D, W, F, Y, H, I

Kind of hidden tic tac toe in Eddie’s video.  He has been making his shopping list.  I think the idea here is that Eddie is playing himself in order to deal with the boredom, but there are two pages full of tic tac toe boards, as well as a score.  The scoreboard is labeled “E” on both sides, so unless there are two of him, he is playing himself.  What’s weird is the sheer number of wins for each Eddie.  Surely Eddie would be switching off X between the two Eddies.  But I think some people play if you win, you get first pick, in which case one Eddie would statistically win more. 

Tic-Tac-Toe Cipher:   too many

That may be all of the tic-tac-toe.  It doesn’t appear that the TTT code is really working with this material.  I have seen a few people make an attempt at deciphering it based on that code, but there are a lot of consonants and more z’s than anybody needs.

In the end, it may just be Julie’s symbol and a fun thing.

[the-epic-hiram-lows]

i would LOVE director's commentary on your favorite moodboard(s)

OMG, you just gave me license to be so pretentious, anon. Thank you. I will try to make this DVD commentary as entertaining and insightful as possible.

These will be very long, so I will do one per post. Let's go in chronological order.

Penelope Blossom

For clarity, I will go L-R from each row, starting at the top.

I had about 5-6 glove options, but they all came off too garish. I mostly settled on this one because of the unsettling normalcy of the backdrop. While Penelope is a gothic heroine, her type of evil lurks in the most mundane of places.

I swear I have a clear image of Penelope playing a piano. If not canon, it feels right. That was the cherry on top of this sundae. I searched far and wide for the right traumacore image with this theme. Lots of options were too specific. I am so happy I found this one, which is nearly the exact quote I searched for, and had a red theme.

I hate that I chose this, and keep kicking myself for doing two wardrobe-based pictures in the same row, though a good 45% of me thinks that their existing on the same row evokes a story, and makes it look intentional. Also, this is Dolce.

This one came up while searching for an entirely different Penelope-related picture. I think it is the first one I found. It felt like such a happy coincidence I didn't bother searching for anything similar. The shoe was already red, which really makes it seem fated that it showed up in a completely unrelated search. I love that it feels distinctly 80s. Not only is that the era of Penelope's origin story, but it shows Penelope's range. Who else can effortlessly flow from 80s pulp to gothic Victorian?

I spent at least a full hour trying to find the perfect photo of old Hollywood hair to crop. It didn't even have to be red. Nothing worked. I must have searched 10 terms. I even resorted to Google. Finally, I just searched 'hair extension' in hopes of an extreme close up. I ended up falling in love with the simplicity of this image. It really enhanced the 'fox in the snow' color palette I wanted- more on that later. I'm not thrilled with the color job (it was a warm blonde originally. I just enhanced the reds to the nth degree) but it'll do. I had to put red hair in the center because it defined her entire path. Had her genes been slightly different, the Blossoms would not have adopted her with nefarious intent.

This is as literal as it is metaphorical. On a metaphorical level, the keys reflect that she is a captor (and, within that, another metaphor- most of the captivity she causes is psychological.) The keys also serve as a literal encapsulation of the aesthetic she curated. Of course, that aesthetic also largely informs the genres of her story lines. The aesthetic also shows a deep attachment to the past. She chooses nostalgia over convenience (keys over doors that lock themselves,) but not because she enjoys reminiscing. Speaking of the past, though she is a captor now, she was a captive in the past she clings to.

Probably too on-the-nose. I debated this, then told myself any other representation of her poison plants would either be too ambiguous or not aesthetically cohesive.

I love this next to the previous picture. A two frame story. What really made me go 'JACKPOT' was the layers upon layers of Penelope's story it applies to. Firstly, it's a goblet. This is an obvious nod to G&G- the blue juice, the aesthetics of her campaign and the game as a whole, and the scene with Alice in the bathroom. It also echoes of the poison challenge she made Veronica and Betty complete. That brings me to the next element- the fact the photo is a representation of being poisoned. Due to cropping, I'm not 100% sure it comes through, but the photo is someone collapsed on the floor with a spilling goblet. It's a trope we've seen a million times. We know that poison is one of Penelope's signature weapons of choice. Through which medium? Gardening. And what is spilling out of that goblet? Rose petals. Specifically, red roses. It is as if Penelope left a kiss of death for someone as a calling card (fitting, given her former profession.) The flowers are as delicate as they are unassuming, like any good femme fatale. It also serves as a stealthy nod to The Flowers in the Attic.

This is what she wants most, is it not? In some ways, she reminds me of one scene in The Killing of a Sacred Deer (if you haven't seen it, please do,) where the antagonist tells his ambiguously deserving victim "I don't know if what is happening is fair, but it's the only thing I can think of that's close to justice." Penelope, pathologically stuck on the past, can only focus on vengeance. It is not fair that she suffered, so she must make others suffer. There is no changing the past, so the people who caused her suffering must pay for it. However, Penelope is lawful evil. She does not act out of apathy or a pure love for depravity. She has a code. See: the challenges she forced the core four to do. If Penelope wanted to, she had ample opportunity to simply murder them. She didn't need to provide an antidote for the poison at the end of the game, either, but Penelope has a love for the game. While you could (and maybe should) argue this is also plot armor in action, I think it shows that Penelope has some sort of internal moral code that informs her villainous logic. Sure, Hal died, but that's because someone had to pay... and Hal committed the worse sin of all: failing to deliver what Penelope needed of him. So, yes, there is some 'honor' in her evil... but, more importantly, honor is what she hopes to achieve through the vengeance. Who will give a little orphan girl the honor she deserved? Nobody did, so she must retroactively honor that girl's suffering with revenge.

Miscellaneous/broad notes now! The second I was tasked with doing a Penelope mood board, I had an immediate color scheme in mind. I wanted a pale, fiery, striking palette that still had a dark gothic feel. Looking back, I wish I toyed with it more, but I stayed true to the image of greys, whites and reds cloaked in darkness.

I also immediately knew at least 4 of the 9 image concepts I wanted. All of the mood boards were difficult for their own reasons- for Penelope, it was narrowing down options, which is a good problem, all things considered.

I decided very early on that I wanted my mood boards to be a psychological study. They must treat every delusion as reality, because they are firmly grounded in the subjects' mind set and self image. For instance, I would not put something like 'shut up you smarmy bastard' on a Bret board. That is exterior perception. I would love to do more broad mood boards later on, where I tackle the character design, including fan reception and/or in-universe reception to the character, but I nixed that for my first round of mood boards. Instead, I told myself I need to tap into every ounce of empathy in my body and tell the story Penelope tells herself. Some things, like the set of keys, do double as an Easter egg of sorts. They apply to Penelope as both a victim and a perpetrator, but I don't think that is something Penelope is exceptionally ignorant to (see: Alice Cooper.)

I originally wanted an extreme close-up of baroque applique detailing as homage to her fashion sense (baroque, Victorian, the occasional military and circus reference.) I have no real reason for nixing this, but it was one of the first images I knew I wanted.

The reason I went with Penelope for my first mood board was: I got an ask requesting a mood board, but didn't want to decide who its subject would be. I went into the Riverdale chat and said "name a character." The first response was @serialkillerbettycooper saying Penelope. One of the intriguing early replies was Caramel the Cat, which I am high key considering.

The end! I will come back with Jughead commentary next time. If you've made it this far, I am seriously impressed and love you very much. Also, I didn't proofread this, so if you see errors/repetition... no you don't, actually!

[the-writer-of-spells]

What is Numerology?

Numerology is a pretty old technique that uses numbers to assess the character and destiny of any given person. It can also be used to check the nature of a new pet, business, and anything else with a name and/or a start/birth date. This can also be paired with a simple form of astrology for more accurate predictions, or used on its own. A simple search on the Britannica website for ‘numerology’ will give you an extremely short article. But, I pulled the following quote from there: “The theory behind numerology is based on the Pythagorean idea that all things can be expressed in numerical terms because they are ultimately reducible to numbers.” 

However, numerology was practiced in Ancient India (in the Vedas) and China (in the I Ching) which were, coincidentally, before Pythagoras/the Pythagorean Brotherhood’s time. But, since the way Pythagoras taught his method of using numerology seemed to have truly stuck with most other cultures around the world, this way of numerology is the most accessible. The ancient Greeks, Romans, and Hebrews also used number systems based on the letters of their alphabet; but the numbers we have today came from the Arabs.

Let’s get to the fun part!

How do I use Numerology?

So, Numerology in my opinion, is the absolute easiest form of divination. Just remember to take notes as you go, and you’ll be fine! 

Or, you can reach out for help from someone you trust that knows numerology; or you can reach out to literally anyone on the internet willing to teach this, but be careful with that one… I believe knowledge should be free, but that’s not the case with a few other people, I’ve heard. So if they ask for a payment, make sure you’ve truly looked at their blog/page. If their vibe doesn’t sit right with you, don’t do it. Money can make good people funny. And not in a good way.

Okay! Let’s get back to this topic. How do I/you use numerology? Super easy. There are two SUPER common types of numbers, and they are usually the first thought in people’s head when they think about Numerology as a whole. They are the Destiny and Life Path numbers!

The difference between these numbers is that the Destiny number shows your life’s purpose and the pattern by which you’ll achieve that, and the Life’s Path number is usually used to make forecasts about one's future. 

I’ll make a separate post on what the numbers 1—9 mean, because that’s what we’re going to be working with for right now; but in the meantime, let me explain what you’ll need to figure out your numbers!!

Materials:

Your Full Name

Your Date of Birth

Pen/pencil

Paper

Calculator (optional)

It’s not a super complex mathematical formula that we’ll be using, just some basic addition!

Also!! If you are transgender, or nonbinary; or you’ve changed your name for any reason—PLEASE use the name YOU HAVE CHOSEN for yourself! If you’re comfortable with it too, you can also use the old/dead name to compare the potential outcomes of your life! If you’re not too comfortable with that, don’t sweat it!

Okay, so you’ve got your materials; cool beans, now what? You’re now going to assign the letters of the alphabet numbers!

Instructions: 

Write the numbers 1—9 across the width of the paper. So you’re going to write out:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9, making sure they’re spaced out enough to write in columns beneath them and not have things overlapping. For ease of reading!

Put the letters beneath the numbers in the order I have listed:

A,J,S under 1.

B,K,T under 2

C,L,U under 3

D,M,V under 4

E,N,V under 5

F,O,X under 6

G,P,Y under 7

H,Q,Z under 8

I,R under 9.

Now, spell out your FULL NAME!! 1st, middle (if you have it), last and anything after that! You’re now going to add up the numbers! I like to keep my number in three separate rows, so my first name has one, middle the second, and last the third line.. Just for the sake of keeping things readable/not too overwhelming.

My numbers, just because I don’t want to give my full name out on the internet; are:

24, 29, 29. But! We need one number between 1 and 9. If you do 24+29(2)=82, you can then simplify my numbers to: 8+2=10, 1+0=1.

What we did here was we found our Destiny number. Pretty neat right?

Let’s do our life path number as well.

Get your birthday written out, it doesn't matter if you use the UK, US, or any other style of writing out dates, because they will always add up to the same number!

Mine is: 12/20/2003. I’ve got it pretty easy, because there’s a bunch of 0’s in mine and I’m working with small numbers.

1+2+2+0+2+0+0+3=10, 1+0=1. And BOOM! We have our life path number as well. 

So, before this post gets crazy long; I hope you have a wonderful day, and I’ll be posting the meanings of the numbers 1—9 with three posts; because I have a lot to say! Bye!!

Further Reading/my Sources:

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "numerology". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 May. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/numerology. Accessed 1 October 2023.

[taffydragonblog]

Gonna try and put together a coherent Master King trial guide here

Spoilers ahead just so ya know

Will update later if I find better info.

3 titans, 400 rings. - Sonic's stats are fixed - Can only parry with Perfect Parry (when the string appears) - Rings will be unavailable

Useful skills: - Parry: Press L + R to knock back an attack. For Perfect Parry, you have to Parry at just the right moment, mainly when you see the silvery string which signals an impending attack. - Grand Slam: After a parried attack stuns an enemy, press X + A (when signalled) to execute. This does a big chunk of damage, but also takes a couple of seconds to play out. - Homing attack: Press A when you see the triangle symbol appear, and Sonic will zip right in and deliver an attack. - Combo attack: Just press A repeatedly. This fills the Attack gauge (along with executing any other attacks), which allows Sonic to perform Phantom Rush when it's filled. - Quick Cyloop: Binds the enemy so that they can't move for a little while. Land enough attacks on the enemy to fill your Cyloop gauge and turn it blue, then press Y during a combo to execute. - Stomp: Does the most damage out of all of Sonic's faster attacks. Press B during a combo. - Spin Slash: Does fair amounts of continuous damage for a short time. Press A during a combo. - Cross Slash: Does fair amounts of continuous damage for a short time while moving you around the target. While in the air, press RT, then A. - Loop Kick: Does very high damage in a single strike. While in the air, press RT, then B.

GIGANTO 1. Climb up onto its head without getting taken out by the red laser rings. Get the emerald and get past the cutscene. 2. Immediately boost straight in and start wailing on it with Combo + Stomp. Attack any available spot on it where you see the homing target. Remember to parry at just the right moment when it starts swiping at you. 3. Cylooping it will allow you more time for attacking before it starts swiping again. 4. Halfway through, it enters the second phase where the lasers come out of its back. 5. Boost in and start wailing on its face again. It will start trying to hit you with a laser from its mouth. Tap the parry buttons to get out of the way so you don't waste time blocking it. 6. It will also attempt a double-handed grab and try to monch you. Parry the grab before the arms swing forward so you don't waste time forcing its jaws back open. 7. Grand Slam or not, you're still aiming to do the most damage you can in the least amount of time. 8. Aim for more than 300 rings left (350 is ideal).

WYVERN 1. Climb the tower and get to the ledge. Be sure to do a figure eight cyloop so you don't run out of juice during the long run afterward. Jump onto the titan and initiate the cutscene. 2. Run along the long ribbon and dodge the blasts coming down the path, and so on. Get to the end, jump on its head, grab the Emerald, and start the next cutscene. 3. Boost up to its face so that it can start shooting missiles at you. You want to try and parry a missile as soon as possible in order to start doing damage. 4. Once it's stunned from the parried missile, zip right in and punch it, then perform a Quick Cyloop to bind it for a while. Punch + Stomp as much as you can while it's bound. 5. Once it's able to move again, it's going to try and swipe you. Parry when you see it spin around. Grand Slam, or just bind it again with Quick Cyloop and wail on it some more. You want to try and do enough damage to head straight into the next damage phase as quickly as you can. 6. After the cutscene, boost to catch up. Try to parry one of the first few missiles you see. This will not stun it; instead, once you catch up to its face, it will try to swipe you twice in a row. Parry when you see it coil around once, then after it swings around to face you again. NOW it's stunned, and you can bind it and smack it around some more. 7. After it breaks free, it's going to swipe again. It'll coil around counterclockwise twice first; parry as the tail passes in front of you the second time (it'll be facing you, but you might not see it). This will stun it again. Wail on it some more; once you get it down to about 20% health, it'll switch to the next damage phase. 8. It coils around you and fires a bunch of missiles in a QTE. Hit the button to block and throw 'em back. This stuns it again. You may not be able to bind it, so just wail on it the best you can. If it breaks free, it'll do the double counterclockwise swipe again, so parry. Hopefully you'll do enough damage quickly enough to move to the final QTE phase. 9. Block its dive, block its missile barrage, then open its jaws. Missiles fly in, boom, done. 10. Aim for more than 200 rings left so you'll have plenty of time for the last titan. 150 rings is pushing it.

KNIGHT 1. The titan will swerve around, kicking up spikes. You can jump + boost through those without getting hurt. You're waiting for it to slam its hand down (and kick up more spikes to dodge). Run up the hand, grind up the arm, then run up its body to get to its neck. Grab the Emerald and initiate the battle. 2. It will start spinning around the field. Move counter to its direction (or just move to the edge of the arena to get close to it as it swerves by) and strike once you see the homing symbol. After a while, it'll put up its shield, which stops your attack when you slam into it. Give it a couple of seconds to drop its shield, then wail on it some more. (Spin Slash seems to be most effective here.) 3. Once you get it a bit past halfway on its health, it'll do the shoulder laser thing, then throw its shield. The shield will fly around rebounding off the walls; fly toward it and parry it toward the titan (aiming slightly ahead of the direction it's moving). This stuns it, then fly in and wail on it some more. You can perform a quick cycloop now to bind it. If you can manage that, you should be able to do enough damage to go straight through to the final QTE phase. 4. Block the sword, then push it back when he tries to smash you into the wall. From here on out it's all cutscene. You're done. Now go have some coffee with cream in it.

[trentonsimblr]

What do you think would happen to Ryland in the Eleanor/Tristen Au?

Okay! So my delay in answering this is that I wasn't sure what the Tristenor AU would look like as there were so many different ways it could go. Would Asshat still become king and have all his kiddos or would he die young? Is Tristen still the heir to the throne? Would he have to abdicate to marry Eleanor? Would Donovan be the new heir, would the monarchy be abolished, or would Druzar merge with Trenton? Would Ryland even be born?

--

So in order for us to have this lil lovely Tristenor family, the main change is Asshat dies young. In the canon timeline asshat becomes king at a 30ish after his parents and brother/sil were in a care accident. In this universe, Asshat dies from an aneurism shortly after marrying Rhea. Rhea was pregnant with Tristen at the time so sadly he will be an only child (no Donovan, Ryland, or Blaze).

--

Going one step further, Asshat's brother, Theodore (the OG CP) ends up succeeding their father. He has three children: Alice (CP), Richard, and Lorna. Asshat and Theodore's sister, Alessandra, stays a working royal. I'd like to think that she'd still marry the same dude and have the same kids.

Below is a picture of King Theodore and his family

Top row (L to R): Lord Derek Bearden (husband of Lorna) Prince Richard, King Theodore, and Crown Prince Zachary (husband of Alice)

Middle wow (L to R): Princess Lorna, Princess Maricela (daughter of Lorna), Princess Patricia (wife of Richard), Princess Olivia (daughter of Richard), Queen Nathalie, Crown Princess Alice, Prince Sebastian (son of Alice), and Princess Marjorie (daughter of Alice).

Bottom row (L to R): Prince Carlton (son of Lorna) and Prince Robert (son of Richard)

[amphtaminedreams]

Mid-year Fashion Update for 2024 in (Mostly) A-Z Format: RTW, Pre-fall, & a Little Haute Couture Plus my Top 25 (Part 3)

-clockwise l-r: Petar Petrov RTW F/W24, Pressiat “, Private Policy “, Puppets and Puppets “-

-top to bottom: Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini RTW F/W24, Prada “, Preen by “, Thornton Bregazzi “-

-clockwise l-r: Plan C RTW F/W24, R13 “, Rahul Mishra haute couture S/S24, RTW F/W24, Rave Review “-

-top to bottom: Prabal Gurung RTW F/W24, Atelier Prabal Gurung RTW F/W24-

-top to bottom: Proenza Schouler RTW F/W24, Rabanne “, Retrofête “-

-clockwise l-r: Ralph Lauren RTW F/W24, Renaissance Renaissance “, Self-Portrait pre-fall 2024, RTW F/W24, STAND STUDIO “, Simon Miller “, Regina Pyo “-

-clockwise l-r: Reem Acra RTW F/W24, Reverie by Caroline Hú “, Rick Owens “, Rochas “-

-clockwise l-r: Richard Quinn RTW F/W24, Roberto Cavalli “, Rokh “-

-clockwise l-r: Róisín Pierce RTW F/W24, Roksanda “, Roland Mouret “, Rui Built “-

-top to bottom: Sacai pre-fall 2024, RTW F/W24, Sandy Liang “-

-clockwise l-r: Saks Potts RTW F/W24, Sea “, Shuting Qiu “, Schiaparelli haute couture S/S24, RTW F/W24, Sinéad O'Dwyer “-

-top to bottom: Shiatzy Chen RTW F/W24, Simone Rocha “, Sportmax “-

-clockwise l-r: Steve O Smith RTW F/W24, Stine Goya “, Sunnei “, The Row resort 2025, Theory RTW F/W24, TIME “, The Garment “, Supriya Lele “-

-top to bottom: Thom Browne RTW F/W24, Tom Ford “, Tommy Hilfiger “-

-clockwise l-r: TOGA RTW F/W24, Tokyo James “, Tolu Coker “, Uma Wang “-

-clockwise l-r: Susan Fang RTW F/W24, Talia Byre “, Tamara Ralph haute couture S/S24, Samuel Guì Yang RTW F/W24, ShuShu/Tong “, Tanya Taylor “-

-top to bottom: Tory Burch RTW F/W24, Ulla Johnson “, Versace “-

-Valentino RTW F/W24-

-clockwise l-r: Valentino haute coutre S/S24, Undercover RTW F/W24, Vaquera “-

-top to bottom: Vetements RTW F/W24, Victoria Beckham “, Florentina Leitner “ (saved image under Victoria not Florentina…oops) -

-top to bottom: Vivetta RTW F/W24, Vivienne Tam “, Y/Project “-

-clockwise l-r: Vivienne Westwood RTW F/W24, Viviano “, Weinsanto “, Yirantian “, Wiederhoeft “, Viktor & Rolf “-

-clockwise l-r: XULY.Bët RTW F/W24, Windowsen “, Yohei Ohno “, Zimmerman “, Zuhair Murad “, Yohji Yamamoto “-

-clockwise l-r: Saint Laurent RTW F/W24, Yuhan Wang “, Ujoh “, William Fan “-

The Best of the Year (So Far)

So…this is the second time I’ve included a brief quick summary of my top 25 collections in one of these posts. I used to write my thoughts on everrryyy single collection and the whole process took me a fucking millennia every time, to the point that once I finally got round to posting, 2 seasons worth of collections had come out in the meantime. Sticking entirely to photo posts feels kind of pointless to me because these end up feeling completely impersonal. Like yeah, I only pick my favourite looks from a collection for the final post but there seems to be sooOooO many bloody brands out there these days that including brief notes to emphasise my faves throughout would be like dropping needles in a haystack and expecting them to catch somebody’s eye.

To round off the posts with my top 25 feels like a good middle ground to plant my roots in, so I guess this is going to be tradition from now on? On which note, in no particular order, let’s get into my 25 standout collections of 2024 thus far:-)

I promise I will ACTUALLY make it snappy. Mostly, anyway.

-clockwise l-r: Gucci RTW F/W24, MarkGong “, Armani Privè Haute Couture S/S24, Rokh RTW F/W24-

1. Gucci RTW F/W24, creative dir. Sabato De Sarno: Every and I mean every Gucci collection that has, and will be, debuted over the next couple of years counts rn. We get it, you hero worship Alessandro Michele, I hear anybody who has had the patience to sit through any of my previous fashion posts crying. But regardless of whether I was an Alessandro devotee or not, the first couple of years following the departure of a well-established and imo! Visionary! creative director is crucial for their successor, as it establishes the direction they’ll be taking the brand going forwards.

The first Gucci collection we saw under de Sarno had me worried, I can’t lie. It was such a stark departure from what I’d come to expect from Gucci that I thought, well, that’s it folks. Gucci’s done. It was safe, minimalistic, yeah expensive looking, but ultimately just really bloody boring. All that being said, with the benefit of hindsight, I suppose I see that debut show as de Sarno’s way of signalling Gucci’s renewed commercial viability. Bland looks are nothing if not versatile, and versatility of course increases the widespread appeal of a brand. Some of Alessandro’s looks were out there, which I can imagine made it exciting for the detached onlooker (myself), but probably not great for the brand’s shareholders. After all, the goal is to make money. Yep, it’s the worst isn’t it? How profit so often is prioritised at the cost of art! 

I think what this collection showed me is that just because de Sarno seems on a mission to promote the brand’s accessibility, essentially one of toning things down in favour of broadening the target market, that doesn’t mean all I’ve loved about Gucci over the last decade is lost.

Far from de Sarno’s S/S24 collection, there were a number of similarities between this one and the Gucci I came to know and love under Alessandro. Though it still lacks Alessandro’s eclecticism, it is reassuring that even in these early days, more of the character the former creative director infused is beginning to shine through. 

I can’t fully say Gucci is BACK! But what I will say is that PARTS of what I love about Alessandro’s Gucci is back. All I wanted from the last collection was a bit of EDGE for Christ’s sake, OPULENCE, dark romanticism, gothic touches. Ultimately, S/S24 lacked a sense of power, like the quiet ferocity and intimidating, yet mystical presence that defined the best looks we saw on Alessandro’s runway; in my mind, this signalled the character he brought to the brand was being forced back into the box. On the contrary, de Sarno’s F/W24 collection played homage to the legend in many ways. The inclusion of deathly platform heels, black lace and faux leather, for example, indicates de Sarno is more inspired by Alessandro’s abandonment of the “quiet luxury” ideal, a bigger admirer of his carefully curated undercurrent of danger and disruption, than I previously thought. To say de Sarno fully leaned into the witchy glamour Alessandro brought to the table is a stretch but this collection did have hints of that aura, with the opulent jewell toned fabrics, snake print and sequins littered throughout a promising acknowledgement of that other-worldly, underground cabaret vibe Alessandro channelled when he was at his best.

If everything I’ve said about this collection so far sounds critical, it’s only because I’m holding de Sarno’s early work, upon which I’m sure the burden of ensuring commercial viability weighs heavy, to Alessandro. We’re talking someone who had been creative director for long enough to likely be entrusted with far greater creative license. So comparison aside, in a vacuum, I can say I do adore this collection. Gucci RTW F/W24 has been a major relief because it seems the new team spearheading the brand don’t intend to abandon Alessandro’s vision completely.

2. MarkGong RTW F/W24, creative dir. Mark Gong: obviously, I had a lot to say about Gucci, I’m highly invested, but I can sum up why I was so fond of most of the other collections on this list much more succinctly, don’t worry, lmao. When it comes to MarkGong for example, it kind of felt like a manifestation of how y2k would interpret the 90s (as was the case in actuality with the 2000’s ‘70s resurgence), with the best elements taken from both and combined in one collection. Though the ‘90s grunge influences, reminiscent in many ways of Marc Jacobs’ famous Perry Ellis collection, were more obvious, I like how a bit of the old y2k sleaze was brought into the picture too. It kinda felt like a tour through the wardrobe of a Cali from the Valley party girl who’s going through her rebellious phase, iygm. Either way, I get me, and that’s why MarkGong is on this list because yeah, it’s a cute collection.

3. Armani Privè Haute Couture S/S24, creative dir. Giorgio Armani: I never thought I’d see the day an Armani collection in any form would make it onto this list, because my general feeling is that more often than not, I find it a little saccharine, aggressively prim and proper, you know. The stying usually has those models looking like a cross between a 2000’s era Barbie doll and the kind of outfit your rich grandma would try to force you into. I mean, with context of Giorgio being an 89 year old man, it makes sense. So I’ve got to say it, I was truly taken aback by how much this collection actually worked for me. It’s not like it was jarringly different to what I’d expect, the head to toe looks are still, for the most part, youthful and girlish, it’s more that they fully committed to the dress-up fantasy, consequently, this feels a lot less uptight than the image I’ve come to associate with the brand. Instead of pedestrianising the princess look, Armani leaned in, to a dreamy, candy coated effect.

4. Rokh RTW F/W24, creative dir. Rok Hwang: Rokh is a firm fixture in my seasonal favourites list by now, and whilst this collection stayed true to Hwang’s formulaic balance between elegance and edge, I really appreciate the subtle bohemian touches, and the nomadic feel this collection has. It broaches into new territory for the designer, and one I find quite mesmerising at that. Whilst Hwang’s collections typically feel sleek, distinctly modern, this one is more free-spirited and earthy. Though I get a bit of a Pride and Prejudice vibe, the modern day tailoring and signature deconstructed feel of the looks, along with current street style rooted silhouettes, ensure this collection, whilst a departure from the expected, remains true to the brand’s identity.

-clockwise l-r: Dilara Fındıkoğlu RTW F/W24, Courrèges “, Khaite “, Vivetta “-

5. Dilara Fındıkoğlu RTW F/W24, creative dir.“: Dilara stayed true to form with her F/W24 collection. As ever, her designs give the wearer an imposing, battle-worn aura, without ever compromising the ethereal, other-worldly beauty of the garments. The end result is that this particular collection felt like a darkly mesmerising visual tale of a kind of fallen angel on earth, who excels so highly at navigating the depravity of a Victorian era criminal underworld she ends up in that even once she descends to hell to reign as the Bella Hadid adjacent it-girl of the underworld, her fleeting, vampiric presence on earth spawns many an urban legend in her wake. If that isn’t an excellent proposition for a new Netflix original series (since I know they seem to love throwing money around left, right and centre at new shows these days), I don’t know what is. I would like to state for the record here that if Netflix want to take me up on that offer I’ll forgive them for prematurely cancelling Mindhunter whilst continually renewing Riverdale and subjecting us to Cole Sprouse as a result:-) 

6. Courrèges RTW F/W24, creative dir. Nicolas Di Felice: I’m not usually a minimalism girl but Courrèges does it in a way which feels uniquely futuristic. Like if the Tesla man had half the brain cells he thinks he does and managed to actually do something significant in space, head-to-toe Courrèges would be an incredible outfit choice for the rope cutting of an intergalactic nightclub. Unfortunately, even if Teslatubby wasn’t so full of shit, and actually possessed the level of genius he wants to convince us of, he is clearly too busy fine tuning the Twitter algorithm into subconsciously red pilling everyone to be building bars in space. As a sad result, Courrèges can wait, I say, as if I can afford their stuff anyway…as if the 75% increase in the price of a large bag of Cadbury’s chocolate buttons in less than 2 years doesn’t have me in a tailspin.

7. Khaite RTW F/W24, creative dir. Catherine Holstein: I don’t have all that much to say about Khaite except that I think it’s very cool, lol. A very lame descriptor, ik. I know I trash minimalism all the time and it could be argued that Khaite’s collections are pretty stripped back but I think in this instance, I like that, because it feels like it hasn’t come straight from a drawing board of neutrals, rather an exercise in restraint of the darker, grungier aesthetic. Rather than going down the deconstructed, oft-unfinished look you’d typically associate with that style, Khaite seems a re-imagining of trends under the alternative umbrella in line with the tailoring, simplicity and functionality associated with prestige fashion houses. Whilst working for a hedge fund management company in London sounds like a fucking nightmare, in this parallel universe where I do end up in one of those nonsense jobs, Khaite would be right up my alley. Not only in terms of what I’d look to for inspiration if I had to don the uniform of a rush hour briefcase wanker, lol, but also because I’d definitely reach for their designs, being the staple pieces they are, on a low-key day too. In true British fashion, I did of course mentally envision the corresponding briefcase wanker Inbetweeners scene as I typed those words. Forgive me, the appreciation for that show is just one of a very limited number of things which unites Britain as a country.

8. Vivetta RTW F/W24, creative dir. Vivetta Ponti: Vivetta’s F/W24 is giving “I’m not a regular crazy cat lady, I’m that bitch kind of a crazy cat lady”. So, you know, in other words, it’s kinda twee, but also kinda provocative, and the balance feels correct. Not to celebrate adultery in any way but this for me, is all girl-next-door, Jess from new girl vibes on the surface, with a undercurrent of this bitch could steal your menzes running strong underneath. The whole collection feels like something Marina would have worn during her Electra Heart era.

-top to bottom: David Koma pre-fall 2024, RTW F/W24-

9. David Koma pre-fall 2024, creative dir.”: so, although I’ve included David’s RTW collection, my adoration goes to his divine pre-fall collection this year. I just included 4 looks from his RTW collection as my new tradition dictates is the protocol when I’m listing my top 25, which is to include 4 of my favourites looks from every collection listed. If I do a whole 8, I’m just repeating what I’ve already done when I originally included said brand in the post, ygm? Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that I was unexpectedly disappointed in Koma’s RTW collection, a rare occurrence mind you, so I just chose 4 of the best looks from it for continuity to go along with pre-fall. On that note, let’s talk about this pre-fall collection: it was perfection! There’s a lot of references to the hyper-girlish coquette and ballet-core aesthetics we’ve seen become widespread fashion crazes, but whereas the trend (ordinarily, I suppose it depends on how you style the pierces) is ordinarily quite demure, casual, and semi-virginal at times, Koma adds high glamour and sex appeal. There are plenty of bows, whites and pastels, but the loose linen, cheesecloth, and babydoll silhouettes are gone and replaced with svelte body-con dresses, plunging necklines and daring cut outs, as well as plenty of black and bold reds throughout. I can’t work out if it all leans more into a dominatrix vibe or it’s giving me Dita Von Teese, but what I do know is this collection has SPICE. It’s seems fit for the same fallen angel type I just wrote about Dilara’s collection reminding me of, with the difference being that in this scenario, god (…or his angels…or whoever it is that takes care of the banishing from heaven stuff if you’re so inclined to that way of thinking) drops her into a crowd of Y2K party girls rather than 19th century Britain. I am hyper aware of how niche my analogy is here, so I apologise that I need to be this pretentious and self-referential, but…I’m just fully aware I’m not capable of holding anybody’s attention for long enough for them to otherwise know what I’m going on about, lol! A vivid, easily stimulated imagination is a blessing and a curse, play your tiny violins for me:-)

-clockwise l-r: Chloé RTW F/W24, Tom Ford “, Burberry “, Oude Waag “-

10. Chloé RTW F/W24, creative dir. Chemena Kamali: This collection was SOOOO GORGEOUS, I HAVE NO WORDS. This is the wardrobe of modernised 70s goddess come to life-soft, decadent, ethereal, just ARGH! Perfection in every way. I am so excited for everything Chemena Kamali is going to do with Chloé if this is anything to go by.

11. Tom Ford RTW F/W24, creative dir. Peter Hawkings: I’ve never really expected anything from Tom Ford. Like when I think of Tom Ford, I usually think of perfume? Expensive perfume but perfume, nonetheless. But you know what, this kind of ate? IDK what was in the water with these designers when RTW F/W24 collections were being put to paper, but once again, this collection was very reminiscent of the Studio 54 era. It seems a minimalist yet luxuriant kind of modern spin on the colours, shapes and fabrics of late 70s bohemian rock, only in a way where the end results are tailored towards the competitors at every decadent invitation-only party’s unspoken best dressed contest. If the brief is expensive, eye-catching, bold, something which moulds the wearer into being the “you either want to be her or be with her” cliche then any number of the pieces from this Tom Ford collection would hit all the criteria.

12. Burberry RTW F/W24, creative dir. Daniel Lee: Burberry is so hit or miss for me, but this was a dramatic yet practical, luxurious, at-times punk influenced hit. Am I saying that because there’s a bit of tartan? Perhaps. But what I am sure of is that I would commit crimes for some of these coats honestly. Speaking of, I might be way off but the fur pieces are a bit mob-wife if my understanding of that vibe is anywhere near accurate. I feel increasingly out of touch with the internet so I don’t actually know, but if I’m right, this is the kind of thing I’d be alright with mafia money paying for. Reassuringly, when envisioning what I’d wear with a knock-off outerwear piece inspired by this Burberry collection, I did not once start to feel like I was veering into the RHONJ cast cosplay zone so I feel like despite the excess, these hopefully faux (though probably not) furs pass the sophistication test. Regardless, it’s okay, I’m not getting anywhere near purchasing the real thing anyway, lol.

13. Oude Waag RTW F/W24, creative dir. Jingwei Yin: Courrèges with a sprinkle of ‘90s grunge and a hint of Morticia Adams. That is to say that I loved the Courrèges F/W24 collection but I love this even more.

-clockwise l-r: Cecilie Bahnsen RTW F/W24, Marni “ Ottolinger “, Moncler Grenoble “-

14. Cecilie Bahnsen RTW F/W24, creative dir.”: a somewhat utilitarian repurposing of her signature dainty, whimsical approach to womenswear, Cecilie’s F/W collection found itself in alignment with the widespread appreciation of softness, delicacy, and innocence that’s been a prominent theme of this year’s F/W24 collections. But this is no case of Cecilie jumping on the bandwagon. Cecilie has excelled at this kind of thing for years, and I’ve pretty much always a fan of her vision. She’s never aggressively chaste or child like in her designs, and does it in a way that’s subtle enough to set her apart from the many, many designers who tried their hand at going all cottagecore this year. Mostly, Cecilie relies on gentle silhouettes and playful yet elegant fabrics to evoke a sense of both fragility and mischief fuelled allure, which in turn creates a sprite-like feel to her looks. All that being said, her work is multidimensional, equally grounded in and hardened by reality, suitable for a jaded 21st century woman. In this sense, as much as I see Cecilie’s collection is not dissimilar from a lot of the others that debuted this season, it is also quietly confident that the pivot towards this wistful, semi-angelic vibe is best when it’s done in a low-key way, and balanced out by a sullen sartorial armour of grungy utilitarianism: I like to follow the guidance of my Google image archive of Courtney Love 90’s style when I envision an outfit, so when it comes to Cecilie’s instinct to finish off a tulle dress with a clunky shoe as RTW F/W proved she knows how and when to do with tact, my appreciation for her work each time feels driven by a force of habit.

15. Marni RTW F/W24, creative dir. Francesco Risso: The FUR COATS!!! Yeah that’s ART.

16. Ottolinger RTW F/W24, creative dir(s). Christa Bösch and Cosima Gadient:  Impromptu after-hours metal concert at the corporate office? Wild end of financial quarter orgy? Apocalypse hits the Conde Nast HQ? The stealth wealth Pinterest girlies find themselves contestants in a Battle Royale type situation? We’ll never know exactly what the starting point was for this Ottolinger collection but it feels like the visual devolution of the high-powered professional, a deconstruction of that idea of what’s tasteful, sophisticated, intelligent, into something that’s liberated, futuristic, a lot more punk, and generally much more suited to joining a biker gang than sitting in a boardroom negotiating the value of a 2 page Dior (bleurgh) spread. It’s a very hot and very cool collection, I know that much anyway!

17. Moncler Grenoble RTW F/W24, creative dir. Reno Ruffini: Cosy but cunty? Yeah, I’m on board. And I say this despite the probability of me ever going on the kind of holiday which necessitates I own anything like this being slim to none. Not only because such trips are the kind of things that I can only see the appeal of to rich people, who get to go on so many “vacations” a year they don’t see a skiing trip as sacrifice of what could’ve been a week spent spent sun soaking by the pool in an all-inclusive Spanish resort (because I’m not hitting the necessary vitamin D threshold any time soon without this kind of get away, let’s be real) but also because I find skateboarding difficult enough without adding snow into the mix and the risk of death for some as inherently incapable of keeping my balance for more than about 20 seconds at a time as I am is very high.

-clockwise l-r: Alaïa RTW F/W24, Alberta Ferretti “, Alexis Mabille Haute Couture S/S24, Yuhan Wang RTW F/W24, Etro “, Roberto Cavalli “, Zimmerman “, Altuzarra “-

18. Alaïa RTW F/W24, creative dir. Pieter Mulier: Now having my expectations set high by Cher Horowitz spending her potential last moments at the hands of a dangerous criminal pleading her Alaïa dress be spared like a mother would her firstborn child, when the brand returned to being a fashion week fixture, I was disappointed. It was nice but nothing breathtaking. This collection, though? Stunnnnning. I too would take affront at a mugger’s rough-handedness with my clothing more so than the mugging in itself if these pieces were collateral damage. Would kinda feel like at work when people fill up our baskets with wine and run out. Like you want to steal, I’m laissez-faire on the matter, but how dare you take our baskets in the process? Bring a tote bag, losers!

19. Alberta Feretti RTW F/W24, creative dir.“: not sure exactly why but Alberta Feretti is often interchangeable with Ermanno Scervino for me. Maybe it’s because they both have names I would sound like a FOOL pronouncing, but they also have a similar aesthetic. Neither are out here shaking the status quo but I always love their collections. This year Alberta edged it for me. Not unlike Scervino, the choice of an earthy, subdued colour palette for the season felt like an intentional choice to contextualise the F/W24 collection’s existence as a companion to the S/S24 line, with rich, moody hues positioning the garments as the sensual night time follow up to the daywear collection.  It is clear where Ferretti going with the S/S garments; they captured the essence of what I imagine an idyllic summer spent lovestruck in Lake Como would be perfectly, and there were some divine pieces. The F/W collection, however, had a lot more drama to it, going beyond the free-flowing, ornate style Ferretti is known for and adding a little androgyny, and at times gothic mystery. If the S/S24 collection was giving me a bit of a goddess off-duty in the human realm vibe, the F/W24 outfits bounced between signalling an effortless yet imposing sophistication in the face of a unexpectedly harsh winter in the city, and a plethora of dresses which would be just the right choice for a moonlight red carpet against the backdrop of the Italian lakes. In both instances, the clothes lend themselves to a wearer who catches every eye on the room but remains aloof, unattainable, like they have much more important places to be. I almost wrote that the dresses would be a good fit for the Cannes film festival before I remembered that Cannes is in the South of France, which doesn’t speak to the distinctly Mediterranean feel I get from a lot of this collection. I can see a lot of the casual looks in Paris, for sure, and I am perhaps making my judgement based on the prominence of the olive tones throughout the collection, lol, but I just don’t feel like the deep Jewell tones and the silks are fit for a city which I’ve always known to be pretty much climatically similar to London. The dresses which closed this collection need SHIMMER and SUNLIGHT, overcast would kill the magic. It’s not just the olives!

20. Alexis Mabille Haute Couture S/S24, creative dir.”: there’s always going to be at least one pretty dress collection in my top 25, and this Alexis Mabille Haute Couture offering is this year’s offering of choice. It’s very modern Disney Princess I think!

21. Yuhan Wang RTW F/W24, creative dir.”: since the day I first stumbled on a Yuhan Wang collection, each one that’s followed has been consistently flawless. It’s almost like seeing the fully-realised version of my personal style, in this reality where I could afford it ofc, come to life. It’s that magical balance of cutesy, feminine and flirtatious with a dark, slightly gothic force which toughens the former up and adds just the right amount of messiness to hint at a streak of rebellion and dare I say it (because it’s a phrase a LOT of people are probably sick to death of, understandably so since Taylor Swift used it to characterise Reputation for FUCK’S sake) but…female rage? I’M SORRY. It’s a little bit punk, but just…punk for the girly girls, you know!

22. Etro RTW F/W24 creative dir. Marco De Vincenzo: As is likely the case for many of the brands I’ve listed in my top 25, it’s highly unexciting of me to include Etro, one of my fail safes in this again. For that same reason, I feel like a fraudulent fan for not even realising Marco De Vincenzo took over the creative director position in 2022. That makes a LOT of sense to me now, because the vibe HAS changed a little bit over the past few years. I think I mentioned before how I’d noticed Etro becoming increasingly explicit with their branding in the last couple of collections, and though it’s easy to say I’m drawing the comparison because both use a crocodile in their logo, I really did think it was looking a bit…Lacoste? A lot safer, more laid-back, bright, breezy, if you get me. But this collection felt like a promising return to form!

23. Roberto Cavalli RTW F/W24, creative dir. Fausto Puglisi: Was this collection a bit tacky at times? Totally. But at its best it felt like a meeting of the early 2000’s socialite look (I’m talking about the stumbling out of the club dresses, obviously), Coachella fashion at the height of its significance in the mid 2010s, and a Studio 54 vibe. When you’ve got such great ingredients, you can never fuck up THAT badly and when you succeed, you get this deliciousness. 

24. Zimmerman RTW F/W24, creative dir. Nicky Zimmerman: Super predictable of me to include Zimmerman in my top 25 but this collection was as elegant, romantic, and catered to the free-spirits amongst us as I’ve come to expect Nicky Zimmerman’s work to be to be.

25. Altuzarra RTW F/W24, creative dir. Joseph Altuzarra: Altuzarra’s F/W24 collection was stamped in my memory for all the right reasons. It was a playfully, modern take on classic silhouettes and tailoring, with a vibrancy about it emerging from a quality beyond the relatively subdued colour palette. Whether it stems from the checkerboard prints, the whimsical head wear, or dramatic ruffles, there’s wit and a lightness of spirit about the collection, which is neutralised by by oversized, androgynous silhouettes and harsh graphic prints. I think for me, Altuzarra’s RTW F/W collection was a great example of how to pull off ditsy, childlike details in a way that transcends the innocence and naivety underlying a kid’s choice of clothing, instead evoking confidence and maturity without losing touch with the charm and nostalgia associated with childhood.

So that’s it’s for now girlies:-)

But on a serious note…I know I previously stated I wanted to start every post by driving home what the Israeli government are continuing to do in Gaza, which in plain terms is nothing short of ethnic cleansing, but for the format of this post, it didn’t fit to do that until now, so I want to reiterate it here: THIS IS STILL. FUCKING. HAPPENING. WHAT. THE. FUCK.

A couple of days ago, the IDF again struck the supposed “safe zone” of Rafah, which they had claimed was a haven for refugees. Their actions continue to be as morally abhorrent as ever. Let us PLEASE not buy Israel’s clear-as-day BULLSHIT explanation of this being a “tragic” accident. You do NOT FUCKING “ACCIDENTALLY” bomb a refugee camp, AN ENTIRE REGION. THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN. I cannot BELIEVE this is still occurring, and that President Joe Biden, in amongst a chorus of Israel’s other defenders, is only now beginning to make vague mentions of a ceasefire. A CEASEFIRE IS NOT FUCKING GOOD ENOUGH. A “TWO STATE SOLUTION” IS NOT FUCKING GOOD ENOUGH. Let’s be clear Hamas have been proposing ceasefires since this entire IDF campaign started. All they have asked for is that Israel stop the attacks, and that they will give up Israeli hostages in return. Netanyahu has TURNED THIS DOWN, because he has no intention of stopping in forcing Palestinians out of the region all together, be it through their slaughter or permanent displacement. The Israeli hostages mean NOTHING to him.

Palestinians deserve to return to their homes, they deserve Israel and every other complicit nation’s investment in rebuilding their communities, reparations, self-determination, and reclamation of the ancestral homelands they have been  continually forced out of for the last 50 years. Maybe we have turned a corner and a ceasefire might finally come but it has NOTHING to do with the Israeli government’s cooperation, and it’s not a just resolution to the damage, destruction and slaughter Israelis and their allies have encouraged and facilitated in any way.

The death toll today, by conservative estimations, nears the 40,000 mark. A report conducted by Euro-Med Monitor, published on reliefweb.int proposes this number exceeds that. According to this source: “The Israeli army has killed 42,510 Palestinians over the course of its 200-day attack, 38,621 of whom were civilians, including 10,091 women and 15,780 children. The bodies of several thousand are still stuck under the rubble, while thousands remain missing and are presumed dead. These statistics include the killing of 137 journalists, 356 medical personnel, and 42 civil defence personnel.” Numbers only do so much, and fail to convey the horror of what every one of those individuals and their families have suffered through. Palestinians are being murdered at a rate of roughly 250 citizens per day, according to a report published by Oxfam in January of this year. If, and when, a ceasefire comes, this isn’t enough, and should be just the start of a push to hold Israel responsible for the destruction of Palestinian people and their culture. That’s what we ought to be reiterating now that these “ceasefire” talks are beginning, as well as the fact that these talks have absolutely NOTHING to do with Israeli leaders developing a conscience. All I can speculate is that as the US presidential election looms, Biden is realising how detrimental his revolting apathy to Palestinian suffering could be to voters. He cannot get away with this half-arsed U-turn nor can any of the ministers who have backed and facilitated Israel’s genocide over the last 8 months. WE HAVE A GENERAL ELECTION APPROACHING IN THE UK! And though it seems likely the Conservatives will be out, Labour do NOT deserve a sweep. The best outcome we can hope for is they end up as the minority governing party, so that even if they win, they know many of us are equally disgusted with their actions.

THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO TONE DOWN OUR DISSENT. Politicians careers are on the line right now, and the incentive for them to listen to what we will not stand for going forward I’m sure weighs more heavy on their consciences (if they have them) than EVER.

AROUND 40,000 PALESTINIANS ARE DEAD. THEIR HOMELAND HAS BEEN DESTROYED. WE NEED TO KEEP THE FUCKING MOMENTUM GOING. KEEP BOYCOTTING, PROTESTING, POSTING, THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT YOUR VOTE. WE DO NOT HAVE A 2 PARTY SYSTEM HOWEVER MUCH STARMER, SUNAK, AND THE TABLOIDS WANT US TO THINK. LOCAL POLITICS REALLY FUCKING MATTER RIGHT NOW!

The fashion is fun and all, but I couldn’t finish this post without reiterating where we’re at right now when it comes to the most pressing concerns we ought to be focussing on. 

With all that being said, thanks for reading if you did! On the mid-year fashion update front, it’s over and out from me! Hope this was somewhat enjoyable, and if nothing else, you enjoyed the pretty pictures-and fingers crossed, I’m echoing the common sentiment with what I included about Palestine.

ONCE MORE FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK: FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE.

Lauren x

[lifblogs]

Home is Behind

AI-less Whumptober 2023 Day 3: Alternate Prompt - Abandoned @ailesswhumptober, @samatedeansbroccoli

Fandom: Original Work Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Word Count: 1302 Summary: After Tiernay supposedly murders her father, she is given to their enemy for marriage as her punishment, and as a trade to get her brother back. Tiernay is leaving home. A/N: This is part of an original story that's been stuck in my head since 2014.

Pronunciations (in order of appearance)

Tiernay - Tear-nee

Dúgáel - Dew-gell

Nordrith - Nore (pronounced liked "more")-drith

Lothian - L-ah-th-ee-an

Imlir - Im-l-ear

Podge - Pod-je (pronounced like the "ge" in "adage")

Mor Yriann - More Ear-ri-an

Achranah - A-krah (pronounced like the "a" in "bat")-nah

Caradoc - C-a (pronounced like the "a" in "bat")r-a-dock

Saoirse - Sur-sha (though it is pronounced a bit differently than this, but as I am not Irish I can't seem to figure out an equivalent with sound that would make this easier to pronounce)

Podge is Tiernay's domesticated bear. The domesticated bears are smaller than wild bears, their fur is fluffier/softer, they have smaller teeth, and their teeth are more blunt. Smaller and more blunt claws as well. Tiernay is 16, and Caradoc is 32. Kayne is 15, and was held captive for a year. WARNINGS: Forced Marriage, Age Gap, Murder, Gore READ ON AO3

Tiernay couldn’t help it—she looked back through the curtain as the carriage began to move. Behind here were row after row of lightly-armored soldiers on horses, a man in front flying a blue banner featuring a wolf’s head. This wasn’t her banner, Dúgáel’s banner. This was their enemies’, the Nordrith. This blue signaled danger, and in the past had called her forces to fight. 

She eyed the stocky horses, and even they were strange to her—they possessed thicker fur than the ones she was used to, a trait indicative of the colder weather that lay ahead of her.

She looked past them, to her silver city of Lothian, towers rising against the green mountains of Imlir. Angling her head, almost till her neck hurt, she thought she could see the castle, her home. And was that a sparkle of the blue waters it lay upon?

Face crumpling, she wondered if Podge was being held somewhere, waiting for her return. Had he been fed while she had spent weeks in a dungeon? Had anyone decided to care for him? Did he think she had abandoned him?

Oh gods. No. Was he even alive?

That thought alone had her muscles tensing, and she told them to still, to not try to run. She wouldn’t even make it out of the carriage.

Still a whimpering grew in her head. Podge.

The waters disappeared, and she felt what was somehow left of her chip away.

Her new home would still have a view of those waters, of the Mor Yriann Sea, but what would they be like? They were on the edge of the Achranah—vast waters that went beyond lands she knew. Her home would be near dark cliff sides, unescapable, the sea surely angry and foamy below, whereas she knew it as gentle, most times.

Her stomach churned thinking of what awaited her, of the marriage she was forced into. The family who betrayed her.

An ache grew in her throat, and her eyes pricked and nearly flooded over with tears. Her home now blurry behind her, she let the curtain fall back, and she resumed her seat. Besides, was it really her home anymore? Home was where you were wanted, where you were safe, where you were fought for.

Instead, her own mother had called her a murderer.

Oh, her father!

Dead. Dead. Just like her sister. At least she hadn’t raised a hand against her sister.

No, that wasn’t me who killed my father! It couldn’t be.

Yet images flashed in her head of blood splattering on her, of her father looking at her, confused, hurt, as he brought his hands up to his now-bloody throat. He fell, and he couldn’t stop his blood from leaving his body.

He struggled to speak, maybe to say her name, maybe to ask why, why, how could you do this to me?

And Tiernay wasn’t in control of her body. She tried to move, to cry, even, and she just stood there, someone else’s dagger in hand, covered in her father’s blood, watching as it coated the stone floor, the puddle growing larger and larger. How could that much blood truly be in someone’s body?

She couldn’t breathe.

A slight pain made itself known to her, and through the ringing she just noticed was in her ears she thought someone was calling her name.

There was only one other person in that damned carriage with her.

A man’s hand was on her knee.

Tiernay pulled back, realizing where she was: in a carriage with her soon-to-be husband.

She had gotten one hand under her sleeve, nails digging into the skin of her forearm. She pulled it away, clenching her fist instead.

A tear fell, and she tried to dry her eyes before any more did so.

Her knee burned where that large hand was still on her. She wasn’t sure if she could ask him to remove it.

“Are you all right?”

Caradoc, King of Nordrith, gave her a gentle smile. Yet his lips weren’t lifted all the way, most of his face not adding itself to that smile. His blue eyes seemed dark, somehow—dark with intentions she could only guess at. This was her enemy, her family’s enemy. They’d been fighting for over a hundred years, and here she was in a carriage with him because her family had abandoned her. He was tall, and slim—slimmer than the men of Dúgáel tended to be—and with long hair of gold, a shaven face (yet another oddity to her), she supposed he could be attractive. He probably was to his own people, but she knew she would never feel that. At all. Not just because he had held her brother captive, even taken one of his fingers with his signet ring and sent it to them in an oaken box, not just because of how many of their soldiers he’d killed in battle, or how many of her own men he’d ordered to die, how many families he left without fathers, brothers, and sons, but because of one simple thing: he was a man.

Tiernay stared down at the hand on her knee, unable to swallow. Saliva built up in her mouth.

This was to be her husband. This cruel man.

And she was alone. So alone.

With a pang in her chest, Tiernay thought of Saoirse—with her brown curls, and blue eyes, eyes that were much sweeter than Caradoc’s. Tiernay had once wished she could count every freckle on her face, perhaps every freckle hidden beneath her dresses too, strewn like stars across her creamy skin. Would she have laughed at the touch of her lips as they tickled her?

How long would it take Saoirse to laugh again now that Tiernay was gone? Would it have the same wild abandon that so often got her in trouble during her lessons? Would she still look for Tiernay through the bakery window as she helped her father’s customers up front?

No, she thought with a bitterness in her heart. Kayne would be there for her now.

They hadn’t even let Tiernay see her brother before she left. He’d been returned to them, and now what would he think of her? Tiernay, the murderer. Would he try to assassinate her now that he could take his rightful place on the throne? Would he curse her name with every breath? Tiernay wished she could tell Caradoc to stop touching her, but perhaps she deserved it. She was bitter and broken inside. Her older sister was dead of a strange, prolonged illness. Her father was dead by her hands… somehow, and Kayne would be king, and she’d never see him again; maybe at court functions, but she could imagine his accusatory glare.

She was alone, abandoned to this awful man, a man twice her age.

Tiernay held in her tears, willing all of her to dry up, to hide.

It didn’t quite work, but perhaps someday soon it would. She hoped so. The pain, the loneliness, was just too much.

As she sat there she wanted to die. How could someone hurt so much and yet their heart kept pumping? How could that hurt not seep into all of her and kill her? How was she screaming and beating against herself inside and her outside barely moved? How was this her world, her life?

With everything a confusing blur in her head, she forced a smile with trembling cheeks, and lied to her future husband, “I’m fine.”

The road stayed smooth for now, but by nightfall it’d become more of a wide, dirt track. By nightfall her city would be behind her, and so would her family who didn’t want her.

Home was behind, and she didn’t want to know what lay ahead.

[workingforitallthetime]

The "top prospects" group in that pic/from today is so strange to me. The michkov erasure at the combine already felt noticeable (and I get he has been busy since getting to america) but now they're also missing leo (who maybe was supposed to be there but his flight was cancelled) and reinbacher?!

Is it really top prospects when this group of 8 is missing potentially 3 of the actual top 8?

i assume michkov is excused from general PR activities because a lot of teams want to meet with him in a very short time frame and that takes priority over general gladhanding, so i wouldn't necessarily read anything into his absence. leo carlsson did indeed miss this event because of flight issues. idk about reinbacher, maybe the nhl really does think this is a strong year for forwards. seems like reinbacher's only predicted to go top 8 bc he's the best defenseman, not necessarily because he's one of the eight best players.

however! where i CAN get a little 👀 is the absence of gabe perreault! there has been so much talk about how the four top ntdp boys could go in pretty much any order, so it seems a little unusual to be missing one of them, especially one that's 1/3 of the vaunted top line triumvirate.

for anyone not as obsessed as me, the prospects in that photo are:

front row, L to R: nate danielson (perfectly serviceable centre from the brandon wheat kings) bedsy (duh) zach benson (short king from the winnipeg ice who'll probably be drafted way later than he deserves) oliver moore (the extra ntdp boy who's not part of the triumvirate)

back row, L to R: matthew wood (tall guy from uconn with skating issues) ryan leonard (len cheddar! the feisty one of the ntdp triumvirate) will smith (the boring centre of the ntdp triumvirate) adam (my beloved feral wolf child of course)

please see this video where they all throw their roommates under the bus.

[lcvesickboy]

Welcome to lcvesickboy!! a blog for nepofm and penned by Liz ( 26, cst ) . This is a pinned post introducing

J A E H A P A R K

jeon   jungkook.   he/his.   cis   man.   ›   spotted   at   the   met   steps   ,   jaeha   park   ,   most   likely   listening   to   falling   by   harry   styles   with   their   airpods   pro   .   the   twenty   six   year   old   gained   quite   a   reputation   ,   known   to   be   -aloof   yet   +passionate   to   anyone   who   knows   them   .   you'll   easily   spot   them   when   you   hear   about   sleepless   night   on   the   studio,   a   tattoo   sleeve   on   his   right   arm,   secret   smiles   and   soft   eyes   in   bed   ,   followed   by   invictus   by   paco   rabanne   .   latest   nepoupdates   article   talks   about   well   known   producer’s   parents   used   to   scam   people   for   money   that   they   would   gamble.   rumor   says   he   payed   back   everything   they   owed   ,   but   i   guess   any   reputation   is   good   reputation   .

A B O U T

full   name   :    Park Jaeha    english name:  James Park nickname   :    Jae, Namu (producer alias)        age   :    26.      gender   :       cis man.        pronouns   :    he   /   his   fc: jeon jungkook orientation   :    heterosexual /heteroromantic.     date   of   birth   :    july 05th, 1997  occupation   :   producer / barista .

P E R S O N A L I T Y.

+passionate +adaptable +genuine +loyal

-aloof- opinionated -stubborn -resentful

S U B P L O T # 1 m u s e B

muse a moved to new york chasing a career a few years ago while JAEHA PARK has lived there their entire life. muse a dreams about fame and money, about the day they can afford a designer piece without saving up the money from their paychecks from the last six months while from JAEHA, no one ever expected to work a day in their life with a last name that you’d know the second you were born and with a status like that and pockets full of money, the last place you’d except to see someone like JAEHA is behind a starbucks counter as a barista. but JAEHA never wanted to be dependent on their last name and family status, while muse a would do everything to have that privilege. a few weeks in a row of muse a ordering the same thing on JAEHA’s working shift somehow turned into a moral compass friendship. and it’s just an every day thing when muse a wants to know everything about the luxuries and works their ass off to get there while JAHEA is their reality check, trying to prove them that the world of riches they see on the internet is not what their dreams should be about.

B A C K G R O U N D.

Park Jaeha is the only child of the Park marriage. Son of a former A-list actress in South Korea and a chaebol, now CEO of Park enterprises, the family company known as one of the best in the technology department. Born straight into a world of luxury, Jaeha was never expected to work a single day in his life and while growing up he found himself with loads of freedom to do as he pleased, to let his curiousity win the best of him and try out anything he wished to do, from taekwondo to box, from learning to play an instrument to going to any concert he wanted, Jaeha had everything and anything he wanted on the palm of his hand as long as he asked for it.

It was during highschool that Jaeha had his first crash with reality. Back in those days he had found what really interested him, music. The young boy found himself wanting to develop himself in the musical field and not just as playing the violin like his mother had suggested, no, he he wanted so much more than that. His father didn't approve and non of his money could be used to buy the instruments he wanted, he learnt that lesson quickly when his father found him with a keyboard he had just bought and was quick to throw away, so he began working on a small cafe to pay for his own things.

>> Fast forward

Jaeha worked from the bottom to the top on the music industry, slowly making a name for himself with talent and a bit of luck in his own words. Now he found succes as a producer under the alias of Namu and still a worker of that little cafe he had worked on since his teens, too fond of the place and the old owner to give it up now. Though time was good with him, it wasn't so much with his family...rumor says that they were on the verge of bankruptcy due to his own father's debts, the former CEO had a problem with gambling since his teen days and that problem finally caught up to him. Some even came to scam those around him in a desperate attempt to pay off his debts only to make them bigger instead.

C O N N E C T I O N S

Reality check.- Everyone wants to be part of a world of luxury but no one knows the price you pay . (subplot 1 muse a - TAKEN.)

Soulmate.- A friend, a best friend, a soulmate. No secrets, no judgement, knowing someone better than you know yourself, just understanding and care. A friend, a best friend, a soulmate, family. (OPEN)

Wish.- Parents meddling in their children's life. A wish to fullfill became a date that was awkward, is there still hope for something else? Never ending phonecalls, begging for a second date, parents wanting a deal. Should we listen? (OPEN)

Listen.- Late night conversations, sharing music, stuck on the studio until sun rises. Time flew by. Surprise visits, encouraging words, and sore voices after standing in the recording booth for too long. Only you understand me. (TAKEN)

Nevertheless.- A flame that's only hers, coming to live with every kiss, with every touch. Tangled up in their bed, having midnight conversations and secret smiles. More than his muse. (OPEN)

Dionysius.- Drink, after drink. Late at night only music in the ears and the taste of alcohol in the lips, after a tiring day, after a long week, after a good week. Let's drink away. (OPEN)

OTHER IDEAS

Exes ended in good terms or bad terms.

Childhood friends

Fellow producers / in the music industry

Frequent visitors at the cafe

Family friends / alternatively someone who knows about his dad problems.

A fan of his songs but doesn't know he is THE Namu

Producer intern

His go to tattoo artist

Anything you want!!

[thesquireinvictus]

I've developed what I call a "Living Futhark" (ᛚᛁᚥᛁᛝ ᚠᚢᚦᚪᚱᚳ) or a runic system adapted to Modern English phenomes, using 30 primary letters.

ᚠ F ᛫ ᚢ U ᛫ ᚦ Th ᛫ ᚪ An ᛫ ᚱ R ᛫ ᚳ Key ᛫

ᚷ G ᛫ ᚻ H ᛫ ᛁ I ᛫ ᚹ Wyn ᛫ ᛞ D ᛫ ᛡ J ᛫ ᛖ E ᛫

ᛄ Y ᛫ ᛉ Chi ᛫ ᛣ X ᛫ ᛇ Ach ᛫ ᛚ L ᛫ ᛗ M ᛫ ᚾ N ᛫ ᛟ O ᛫ ᛈ P ᛫

ᛝ NG ᛫ ᛥ St ᛫ ᛋ S ᛫ ᚴ Z ᛫ ᛏ T ᛫ ᛒ B ᛫ ᚥ V ᛫ ᚤ Ye

I picked the order based on a few codices, and because it makes an Anglo-Saxon-like caesura-based poem: F U Thorn | An R Key G H I Wyn | D J E Y Chi X Ach | LMNOP Ing St S Z | T B V Ye!

“An” "Key" "Wyn" “Ach” and "Ye" I spell out to illustrate differences in pronunciation. It’s “An” rather than A because the ᚪ is conventionally a short “A.” W should not be called "double-u" because it is not represented as a double-u in runes (see English "Ƿ"). "Chi" is simply the easiest quick way to say "Ch" as a letter. And "Key" is different to the original ᚳ or "K" rune because it can no longer indicate Ch, thus the need for differentiation; it’s one of the few proper changes. “Ach” is the letter used to indicate glottal stops in “Ick” “ach” “och” “loch” “lough” etcetera. "Ye" ᚤ is the vowel form of Y, whereas "Y" ᛄ is the consonant.

Gained on the Latin: Thorn/eth, Chi, Y/Ye differentiation, St, Ing, guttural glottal stop. Lost from the Latin: Q, now represented with K.

The only changes from standard attestations in the Old English are the application of ᚪ as a universal A (if you prefer); a standardized differentiation between K, Ch, and X sounds; the repurposing of ᚴ (originally just an alternate way to write an ᛋ) to mean Z instead; ᛟ as o rather than the limited ø; and the addition (from standard Mediaeval runes) of ᚥ for V.

In my system "SH" is written "SCh" ᛋᛉ, as was the practice in Old and Middle English and as is more suitable to the phenome. There are just a handful of standardized changes in spelling to bring things closer to a phonetic spelling and to accommodate letter-to-rune changes, but nothing major and all quite intuitive. The traditional avoidance of two of the same runes in a row is kept up, though not super strictly; double vowels are more avoided than double consonants, but generally where a double-letter can be dropped without losing meaning, it is dropped. There are bind rune characters for double vowels. ᛰ, a modified bind Y and O rune, indicates ø. ᛠ, a modified A and E rune, indicated ea and ee, dependant on meaning retention.

[revenant-coining]

RWFivepebblescharic, RWHuntercharic, and RWLTTMcharic

[Row One ID: 2 rectangular flags with 5 equally-sized horizontal lines. colors in this order from top to bottom: red, orange, light pink, orange, red. in the center of the flag is a pixel icon of the Five Pebbles from rain world. End ID]

[Row Two ID: 2 rectangular flags with 5 equally-sized horizontal lines. colors in this order from top to bottom: a gradient from light pink to dark pink. in the center of the flag is a pixel icon of the Hunter from rain world. End ID]

[Row Three ID: 2 rectangular flags with 5 equally-sized horizontal lines. colors in this order from top to bottom: blue, purple, red, purple, blue. in the center of the flag is a pixel icon of the Looks to the Moon from rain world. End ID]

RWFivepebblescharic: a gender connected to the character Five Pebbles from the game Rain World.

Etymology: “RW” for rain world, five pebbles, “charic” a suffix for character genders

Pronounced: R-W five peb-bles care-ick (RW five pebbles charic)

[ID: an orange line divider with a star covered in flame in the middle. End ID]

RWHuntercharic: a gender connected to the player character Hunter from the game Rain World.

Etymology: “RW” for rain world, hunter, “charic” a suffix for character genders

Pronounced: R-W hunt-er care-ick (RW hunter charic)

[ID: an orange line divider with a star covered in flame in the middle. End ID]

RWLTTMcharic: a gender connected to the character Looks to the Moon from the game Rain World.

Etymology: “RW” for rain world, “LTTM” for looks to the moon, “charic” a suffix for character genders

Pronounced: R-W L-T-T-M care-ick (RW LTTM charic)

@radiomogai , @oneofmanyarchives , @bpdhoardic , @heart-valentin3 , @sv-log-collection

[ID: an orange line divider with a star covered in flame in the middle. End ID]

[solradguy]

Yepyep I saw the list of things, that's the reason I asked. I meant it more in the sense of 'do you have any idea where/how to find the ones still missing' but I should have phrased it more clearly

Anyway, like I was saying, I think I might have a couple of the ones on the list? Not 100% sure though, and afaik all the ones I have are from DNA (please forgive Muchlax in the corner, I had to throw a bunch of stuff out of the way and only had so much space) They're pretty much all manga but I did manage to score the petit book for a really good price on ebay some time ago

OH WOW, NICE!!! There aren't scans of any of these books online, as far as I know, and definitely not in the archive Volcanic manages over on the lore Discord. That Petit art book is an especially good find, congrats on that!! I've never seen that one for sale anywhere before.

I've been scoping out eBay, Yahoo Auctions JP, and Mercari JP for the books, in that order since eBay is usually the cheapest (don't need a proxy service) but Yahoo JP seems to have the best selection. Mercari JP usually has more of the popup shop stuff and merchandise instead of the actual books but sometimes books show up on there.

Suruga has some REALLY rare stuff, that's where I got the Dengeki PlaySstation mag, but it's entirely in Japanese and requires a proxy service to buy from outside of Japan. Here's a link to a modified search just for the books category for Guilty Gear: [clicky] (品切れ = out of stock)

Idk how much Japanese you know, but here are the full English titles for your books: Top row (Left to right):

Guilty Gear Petit 1 & 2 Official Fan Book

Guilty Gear X Comic Anthology (DNA Media Comics)

Guilty Gear X Plus Yonkoma Kings

Munchlax <3

Bottom row (L->R):

Guilty Gear X Yonkoma Kings

Guilty Gear XX ♯Reload Comic Anthology (DNA Media Comics)

Guilty Gear XX Comic Anthology (DNA Media Comics)

Guilty Gear XX Comic Anthology, volume 2

I had no idea the XX Comic Anthology had two volumes!! That's good to know. Adding a note to the guide post for that.

A few people on here in the tags on some of the manga posts I've made have mentioned owning some of the other manga volumes too, though I don't know how many people will be able to scan theirs. There was a guy on Reddit a while ago that had a full collection of all of the GG manga but didn't know how to scan them and idk if they ever will so I'm not holding my breath over it haha