#based on the america shop opening ~4 months before their first show that is

[autism-corner]

Guy discovers the joy of spending money and wants to live again =w=b

[shhhlikeme]

hii! i saw you’re a new writer and your style is frickin awesome!! could you write a tanaka x black reader who’s also a cheerleader on a lvl 4 team and it’s his first time seeing her compete?!?! please and thank you!

Tanaka Seeing His All-Star Cheerleader GF Compete For The First Time! (Fluff)

———————————

A/N: Thank you for resending this🥺🤍🤍🤍 of COURSE! Let’s go on a trip to the should-have-happened 2020 Cheerleading Worlds:

———————————

“Babe!!! I’m so excited to see you!!!” Your boyfriend exclaimed into the phone. You had to hold the phone a few centimetres away from your ear because his voice was just so loud when he was excited.

“Me too, baby. We are about to start warming up soon. Did you find a spot to sit? You’re not too far back, are you? Because you can buy a pair of binoculars-“

“NO NEED! Second row, baby.”

You gasped, surprised. “What?? But you came a bit late, didn’t you? Those seats would have been taken for hours!”

“Are you questioning the powers of your boyfriend, Y/N?! All we had to do was make our way to the front audience and before you knew it two seats just opened up—“

We. Oh, right.

You remembered that Tanaka had brought his best friend Noya to Florida with him for the Cheerleading Worlds. Being well aware of how your bf and his friend are together , you immediately understood how they were able to find two seats in the front.

“Now I get it. Nishinoya bothered the other girls so much they relocated...” You had seen it first-hand at outdoor concerts with Nishi and Tanaka. Nishinoya has become even more girl crazy since his friend got off the market, he really wanted a girlfriend so he could go on double dates with you two instead of feeling like the perpetual third wheel.

“Huh? What matters is that we got a spot, Y/N!” Called a distant voice that you knew was Noya’s.

You rolled your eyes even though they couldn’t see it.

“Babe, I’m so glad you came, you know that right? Thank you so much!!” Your heart swelled every time you thought about the fact that your man literally booked a surprise trip to Florida from Japan to see you at the biggest competition in your entire life! You found out he was here last night—in a hotel far away because they were all booked up for worlds—But, he was here nonetheless. He didn’t want to shock you at the actual competition in case it altered your mind.

“I told you I’d be there!” He said.

“Yes but I didn’t believe you!! It’s a 15-hour flight!”

“That’s exactly why I brought my Noya with me! We had a blast on the flight. I just can’t wait to see you compete!” Your boyfriend quieted then, and you could hear the smile in voice when he said, “Plus, Noya wanted to be here for [YBF/N aka Your Best Friends Name].”

Noya shouted: ‘shut up, Tanaka!” in the distance and you laughed.

This is the first time that your cheer gym has ever qualified for Worlds and when your team had been given an invitation the lot of you cried for a week straight. Your boyfriend had sent you a singing telegram in celebration. It was hilarious and you loved him for it.

“That silly crush still going strong, huh Yuu?”

There were sounds of bustling in the phone then you heard Yuu loud and clear.

“It’s not silly Y/N. I’ll tell you that for the last time!”

“Tanaka told me you just asked out the hotel receptionist last night!!!”

“Because YBF/N-chan rejects me every day! I gotta make her jealous somehow!”

You heard rustling again and and an ‘Ow!’ from Noya before your boyfriends comforting voice entered the phone speaker again.

“Babe. Don’t let Noya drag you into their drama again. I need you to focus on your cheer comp. You kill it out there. Tell them if they drop you they’re gonna hear from me and blow me a kiss if you can.”

You blushed. You felt so insanely happy every time he encouraged you because he knew you so well and he was the best at it. You literally adored the man.

After speaking a little longer, your loving goodbyes and hanging up, Tanaka left to get snacks for himself and Noya while Noya held their seats

Ryu loved junk food and he loved his girlfriend so today was a perfect day

He knew It was a great idea to surprise you in Florida for the most important day of your life because he wanted you to know that nothing was more special to him than your happiness

On the way to Worlds from the hotel, Tanaka had annoyed Yuu to no end because he had tried to empty out the gift shop in search for an after-competition present for you

Noya swatted everything out of his hands, telling him that you were not on your death bed so the ‘get well soon’ teddybear was a no no & that he’d look lame with it

Not caring but kind of listening, Tanaka settled on picking up a bouquet of yellow roses for you because that was your uniform colour and he got your favourite candy.

Noya rolled his eyes but deep down he was so happy that his best friend had found the greatest love the two of them had ever seen

Seeing Y/N and Tanaka together made Yuu actually want to feel the kind of love his best friend felt for you and stop being such a player.

He had seen how much Tanaka had changed since meeting you, and it was incredible that his high-spirited best friend even had more notches to ascend

After retrieving the snacks, Tanaka returned to the stands and handed Nishinoya’s his order

They watched about 4 other teams perform before the announcer announced your team as next!!!

Tanaka cheered so loudly like a proud father

Nishinoya like a proud uncle

Your team ran on stage and you were holding hands with your best friend while waving to the audience

when you caught sight of your buzz cut baby in the crowd you pointed to him and blew him a big kiss

He pointed to his shirt with a huge smile and you could see that he was wearing a white t-shirt with your face on it in a cheer selfie

Omg lol

Honestly, Did you expect anything less?

Tanaka’s heart soared when you pointed him out, though he would never admit it, and his cheeks were hurting from smiling so wide!!!

He had never seen you perform not once before and he couldn’t wait to see you in your element!

When the lights shut off the libero and wing spiker started chanting your name in unison and whooping like they do while watching NFL.

Tanaka’s heart was beating through his chest because he was so nervous for you! Cheerleading was nothing like volleyball— while his volleyball team had 3 sets and over an hour to win a game, his beautiful girlfriend only had 2 minutes to leave everything on the floor that’s she and her team had been practicing months for and then it was all over.

Ryūnosuke watched as your team got into position.

His eyes glued themselves to you in a dance position to the far right

Since videotaping at the Cheerleading Worlds was strictly prohibited, he had practiced not blinking staring competitions with Noya last night so he wouldn’t miss a second of your performance!

He stood on his toes as to not let you out of his sight. He wanted to see your big ponytail all the way down to your toes. The whole nine yards.

Noya tried standing on the chair but he got hissed at so he jumped back down lol

Tanaka cheered one last time when he saw you take one last deep breath

“Game Time, Y/N! YOU GOT THIS BABE”

In a beat, the up-beat loud music started and you were going.

Tanaka was in awe of you and the incredible sport

Everything went so fast he was sure if he tried he’d have a heart attack from working to hard

He saw you whip your body backwards in series of difficult flips

He watched you jump into your bases hands and get tossed so high in the air that his heart stopped

He watched you stand tall in the air with only one guy holding you up while holding your toes beside your ear flexibly (partner stunts)

He watched the team move into a triangle and jump all at once hearing the crowd go:

“Hit! Hit! Hit! Hit! Pull!”

Then, he watched your team make a human pyramid! But it was so much more elaborate than the 3-person one he’d seen on tv shows:

What Tanaka expected:

Vs. What Tanaka saw:

Finally, he got to watch you in his favourite part: the sassy high energy dance at the end

Tanaka was flabbergasted because he never knew you were so much of an athlete (no offence meant, that’s what most people think before they witness competitive cheerleading)

When your team finished he cheered so loudly for you and so did Nishi

The energy in the crowd was unbelievable!!!

You looked out of breath and beautiful standing in your end position

To Tanaka, Cheerleading looked harder than volleyball!

And more dangerous.

It was like watching a Cirque de Soleil performance if it was on steroids and fast forwarded.....he loved it!!!

Tanaka wanted to run on stage when your team finished but he kept his cool and waited

After the comp and award ceremony (your team didn’t place) Tanaka was the first to run and pick you up into his arms in a big bear hug

He told you how proud he was of you and squeezed you and kissed your cheek

Even though you were sad, you couldn’t help but giggle in his embrace

All of your teammates were jealous of how cute you two were and how amazing your bf was to come all the way to America just to see you

Especially when Noya handed Tanaka who handed you the beautiful yellow roses and candy he bought for you

Everyone wished they had a boyfriend like yours as you took cute pictures together (some with Ryu kissing your cheek, giving you a piggy back, and the two of you kissing)

All pic credits go to Nishinoya who takes it way too seriously but you love him anyway

Tanaka explained to you how awesome you guys did and it literally made you forget about your loss and just smile

It was important you were happy because that meant you could enjoy the rest of the Florida trip with your best boy !!

Even Noya had a pretty great happily ever after on this trip because YBF/N was so impressed by the shirt he made with her face on it.

Go big or go home was definitely your bf’s best friend’s speciality and your best friend actually agreed to go on a date with him after seeing it

Ryu gave his Libero a thumbs up before leaning down to kiss you

He held you lovingly in his strong arms

All in all, you were ecstatic to have your man at your competition and Ryu was even happier than you to be there.

[dacreskars]

I Do?

Chris Evans x Black Reader

A/N: This story is based off of a dream I had, I might change some stuff but hopefully y’all like it. Also it’s my first time writing for Chris Evans and the first time I’ve written anything in months so we’ll see how this goes.

You stood in the mirror admiring how gorgeous you looked and felt. Even though you tried on what felt like your millionth wedding dress it was something about this one that you didn’t want to take it off. Ready to show your friends who were tirelessly waiting for you to show them the dress. Walking out they all stared and told you how beautiful you looked even though you knew they were.

“This is it. I think this is the one.” You say looking in the mirror once again and looking back at your friends.

“YES! Thank you God! Yes!” Your friend Kendra yelled. “I love you Y/N, but I’m so over dress shopping.” She says as you give her a look. “KENDRA!!!” Your friends Lani and Alexis say in unison as they start to laugh.

“Yeah I know I’m over it too. I’m just glad I finally have THE dress.” With everyone’s approval you go back into the fitting room to change.

That night you stood in the kitchen making dinner for your fiancé Daniel as you waited for him to get home from work. Finishing up the dinner you just prepared you go and get changed into something a little nicer than the sweats and tank top that you switch into after coming home. Fixing your hair and make up you make you way back into the kitchen and set the table anxiously waiting for Daniel to come home. Looking at the time you saw that it was 7:00pm so he should be home any minute. You made you plates and poured yourself a glass of wine as you waited for the arrival of your fiancé.

45 minutes pass and Daniel wasn’t home yet you go to your room to get your phone to see if he called or text you that he was running late but nothing. You call him but no answer so you text him to ask when he’d be home. Walking back to the kitchen you waited for his response and still nothing. You figured he was working late and just decided to eat dinner alone and get ready for bed. Laying in bed you slowly drifted off and later woken up to Daniel apologizing and kissing you on the forehead. Opening your eyes you look over to the clock in your nightstand to see the time was 10:45pm.

“I tried calling you.” You say sleepily.

“Yeah I know, I didn’t see that until I was leaving the office. I tried calling back but you didn’t answer. I got caught up in this new case that we’re working on I lost track of time. If I’d known you were cooking I would’ve came home sooner.” Daniel tells you as he got undress to get in the shower.

“I wanted to surprise you also I found my dress today! I can’t wait for you to see it.”

“I can’t wait either. 4 more months and it’s official.” Daniel kisses you and walks back into the bathroom as you go back to sleep.

You wake up the next morning to the smell of breakfast being cooked. You make your way downstairs to the kitchen and instantly greeted by your husband.

“Good morning Y/N!” He says handing you a cup of coffee.

“Good morning baby.” You say as you take the cup from him.

He pulls out a chair and gestures for you to sit. You watched as he made your plates and put them on the table. Before sitting down Daniel gave you a kiss and sat across from you.

“Any plans for today?” He asks.

“Not really, I’m suppose to meet up with the wedding planner to check on some last minute stuff but that’s it.” You tell him.

“Do you want some company? I had some work to do but since I left you hanging last night I figured it could wait.”

“Yeah sure! If you’re up for it I know you really haven’t had the chance to help with the planning- actually this is perfect we can go over everything and you can give the final say about what you like or don’t like.” You say

A few hours later you met up with your wedding planner Shannon and she went through all the stuff that you’d picked out and had planned for your big day with Daniel. So far he liked everything even things you thought he’d say no to. As you were leaving Shannon’s office you convinced Daniel to let you drive. During the drive he noticed that you weren’t going home.

“Where are we going?” He asked looking at you.

“You’ll see.” You smiled.

Minutes later you make it to your destination. Getting out the car you walk to your fiancé grabbing his hand.

“Isn’t this where we’re having the wedding?”

“Yes! You’ve only seen pictures of it and I thought it would be better to actually see it because pictures really do do this place justice.” You say excitedly as the both of you make your way to the entrance.

——

It was finally your wedding day and you waited nervously to make your entrance. Your bridesmaids took their place to walk down the aisle your heart began to beat faster from excitement and anticipation. You started to regret having your wedding outdoors after you felt like you were sweating through your dress. Your dad took your hand and assured you that you were okay you calmed down a little as you waited to finally make your way to your soon to be husband.

You made your way down the aisle not taking your eyes off of Daniel as the sun made his brown skin glow even more than it normally did. He watched as you stepped in front of him and held your hand as he gave you a smile.

You were now officially married, you and your husband headed into the building where the building were your reception was gonna be. The reception was going amazing as everyone ate, danced and made conversation. You noticed Daniel was missing so you asked if anyone had seen him. As you leave the reception area you searched around until you saw Daniel come out of the bathroom.

“I’ve been looking for you.” You say walking to him.

“I just had to use the bathroom.” He says grabbing your waist and going back into the reception.

Your heart sank as you glanced over your shoulder to see a woman come out of the same bathroom your husband just left out of. After what you witnessed your whole mood changed and you excused yourself to get to your suite to get your phone. Standing in the doorway of the reception entrance you made a call. As you listened to it ring you watch the woman answer it you stared at her and she eventually made eye contact with you but hangs up hoping you didn’t notice.

“What’s wrong?” Daniel asks coming towards you.

“Nothing. I’m fine.” You tell him as he pulls you to the dance floor to dance.

You tried to keep it together as the two of slow danced. As you danced you remained silent as Danny talked to you. Wanting to get to the bottom of what was going on you started to talk.

“Who is she?” You ask.

“Who?”

“The woman over there in the pink dress.”

“I don’t know she’s probably here with someone we know.”

“Are you sure about that?” You question again.

Daniel fell silent.

“I seen her come out the bathroom after you earlier. After I saw her I remembered a couple months ago I answered your phone but the person hung up and when I called back it was a woman. I thought that it could be nothing but I saved her number in my phone just in case I needed it. And as it turns out I needed it sooner than I thought.”

“Listen Y/N just let me explain.” Daniel says as the song ends.

“No.” You tell him as you walk away only to be stopped by your dad who wanted to dance with you as the next slow song began to play.

Before you knew it you were sobbing as your dad tried to console you think you were crying tears of joy. But Daniel came over to talk to you but you pushed him away and stormed off. Daniel tried to grab your arm but was stopped in his tracks as you slapped him.

“Stay the fuck away from me.” You yell. Causing everyone to stop and look to see what was going on.

“Can we just talk about it ?” Daniel asks.

“No there’s nothing to talk about leave me the hell alone.”

“What’s going on here?” Daniel’s mom says.

“Ask him.” You motion towards Daniel. “Better yet ask her.” You continue looking over at the woman in the pink dress. Everyone looks at the woman and back to you.

“I just need to go and really don’t wanna be here right now.” You leave and get into a limo out front and ride to the nearest hotel.

Walking into the lobby of the hotel you notice everyone looking at you. You were about to wonder why until you remember you were still in you wedding dress and that your face was probably a mess from crying. You go to the front desk to see if they had a room available but realized that you forgot your wallet. So you go across the lobby over to the bar do think about what you wanted to do.

Sitting at the bar you down a couple shots before you hear someone a few seats say something to you.

“Cold feet uh?”

“It’s not cold feet if you’re already married.” Showing you wedding ring.

“Second thoughts?” He questions.

You become silent and he begins to talk again.

“Look whatever it is its probably not that bad.” He says to you.

“So your husband cheated on you and invited his mistress to your wedding.” You look at your drink.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, crazy right?”

Your new drinking buddy grabs his drink moves over a few seats until he’s right next to you.

“Wanna talk about it? I’m Chris by the way!”

“I’m Y/N!”

Now that he was sitting next to you and you actually got a good look at him you realized it was Chris Evans. Of all the people you could be sitting at bar talking about the worst day of you life with it happens to be the only and only Captain America.

Part 2

Taglist: @literaturefeen​ @bakarilennox​ @chaneajoyyy​ @dorkismaximus1​ @forbeautyandlife​ @cheeky-foxx @doublesidedscoobysnacks

[saleintothe90s]

427. Super Bowl 1991 Commercials (1/27/1991)

(I love that this carefree ad ran in the WE’RE AT WAR issue of my local paper, Daily Press, ten days before the Super Bowl):

I believe my mom would save the papers from the war, and send them to my dad who was out to sea at the time. That’s the only reason why we still have this copy that’s in my collection right now (I took this pic back in 2017 when I re-found it). 

So, anyway, just like 30 years ago, Super Bowl 2021 is being held during an uncertain time in the country, and just like in 1991, advertisers were hesitant. Diet Pepsi pulled a “call this number for your chance at a million dollars” ad days before the game, citing “world events”, and the fear of “Disrupting our nation’s ability to communicate” 1: 

New York Times on wartime Super Bowl coverage the following day: 

Even the commercials were affected by events in the Gulf. In most Super Bowl telecasts, the messages are slick and expensive. This year's batch was somewhat toned down because of the war, most notably the ads of Coke and Pepsi, which abandoned ambitious promotions and made sure the viewer knew it. (And didn't Pepsi have to love that halftime shot of a soldier drinking its product while watching the game in Saudi Arabia?) 2

(source) 

Before we get started, I have to mention Whitney Houston’s Star Spangled Banner from that year. Every Monday morning in elementary school, we had to stand for the Star Spangled Banner along with the Pledge of Allegiance. For weeks after the game, we always stood for the Whitney version. I always refer to this Super Bowl as the “Whitney Houston Super Bowl”.

Ok, now to the “subdued” (?) commercials, beginning here: 

Look, I know that Jay from the Purple Stuff Podcast said he loved this commercial in the Super Bowl Commercials episode, but I think this Bugle Boy commercial with the GoGos is so lame. I mean, I’m going to say it, were the GoGos still relevant in 1991? Was Bugle Boy clothes still a thing in 1991? 

Are picture-in picture TVs still a thing?!

Bud Bowl 3 with Bud Dry this year! I predict Bud Light will win this year.

At 4 minutes in, Advertising History happens. Yes, it’s the Ray Charles Diet Pepsi UH-HUH commercial! I was seven when this aired, so this was one of the first big commercial campaigns I really remembered. I have this strange memory of seeing a TV interview with the Uh-Huh girls (Meilani Paul, Darlene Dillinger and Gretchen Palmer) , and they said they were coming out with an album soon, and little me was like, “I’m going to buy that album”. It never came out. 

Ray made an appearance on Pepsi cans in 2018. I never got my hands on the Ray can, I always got Britney or MJ when I got a pack of Diet Pepsi that Summer. 

I’ve been meaning to watch the John Goodman critical flop King Ralph for months now. 

Is wielding around a giant bottle opener legal at the Bud Bowl?

Part 2 starts with an upset at the Bud Bowl -- Bud Light hid the football in his label? what? So many questions with the commercials this year. 

Peter Jennings updates us during the commercial break about the war. The Air Force was using smart bombs to disturb the oil flow into the Gulf, started by the Iraqis.  It was 3am and quiet in Saudi Arabia. 

Earlier, I mentioned that I was just a little kid when this was going on, and I don’t remember much. However, I do remember thinking “Iraq” was spelled “Arrack”, until I saw the word “Iraq” in a newspaper headline. 

Peter will be back at halftime for another update. Yup, you heard me, no halftime show was broadcast that year. If you were at the stadium in Tampa that year you saw the show with the New Kids on the Block and an “all kids Super Bowl”, but if you were watching it on TV, you got the news, and maybe after the premiere of Davis Rules after the game, you saw the show, pretaped, but most people didn’t see the show. There’s a great video by Secret Base about the “worst halftime show ever”. Peter Jennings was “the Beyonce of 1991″. It looks like from Secret Base’s video that we didn’t miss anything. i mean a small bowl-cut haired boy sang “Wind Beneath My Wings”, which I’ve mentioned before, is the saddest song ever: 

(that little kid has major hair roots)

 The original World Football League only lasted two years.   I found an early game on YouTube.

McDonalds thought that neon clad skiers could sell its steak sandwich with onions, mushrooms, and sauce that looks little McRib-y.

Here is a Harlem Globetrotter dancing with Miss Piggy. 

Karl Malone had some jazzy LAGears.  Did you know that there are some LAGears on the Payless Shoes website? 

I have more questions, what is that popping out of that Panasonic TV? A remote control? Way back in the beginning of this website, I asked another question about a Panasonic Commercial that aired this evening.

 Bud Bowl update at the end of part 2: 

Part 3

Oh, give me a break with this elementary school garbage, Hertz. This is the Super Bowl.

All the goodwill I gave the Ray Charles Diet Pepsi commercial is out the door after hearing Jerry Lewis sing murder the song. 

A 40 oz of Budweiser crushed and murdered some Bud Light bottles. Game’s tied.

Part 4

~the new Panasonic portable laptop word processor~ Nope, this wasn’t a computer, it just handled word processing. 

Eriq La Salle played an olympian in a Budweiser commercial. ~America~

Ok, Boomer. But seriously, l’m 37, and I still want Reebok Pumps. 

Diet Coke dumped their Leslie Nielsen commercial, and instead ran a commercial stating why they didn’t feel right airing it? I don’t think this commercial would hurt anybody’s feelings or offend anybody, Diet Coke. In 1994, The New York Times mentioned it as an ad fail: 

In 1991 the Persian Gulf War overshadowed the cola wars, forcing Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola to reassess plans to promote contests with humorous commercials.

Coca-Cola went ahead with its contest, but replaced its silly spots, starring Leslie Nielsen as a bumbling police detective, with serious spots, including one announcing a $1 million donation to the U.S.O. There have been few more surreal moments in advertising history than when a somber-voiced announcer in a no-frills Diet Coke commercial asked consumers to play the "Crack the Code for Real Refreshment" game.

Pepsi, by contrast, scrapped its contest but stuck with its funny commercials, featuring Ray Charles warbling "You got the right one baby, uh-huh!" for Diet Pepsi. The result: Diet Pepsi trounced Diet Coke -- and Coca-Cola has yet to return to the Super Bowl. 3

A sense of relief washed over me when I saw my bbys, Jon Lovitz and Dana Carvey in an American Express commercial.

Jon couldn’t shop at Needless Markup. 

Budweiser is cheating again. 

(part 5)

Bud Light won fair and square!

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1. “Pepsi Promotion Fizzles Out.” Broadcasting, January 28, 1991. 26. https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1991/BC-1991-01-28.pdf 

2. Lapointe, Joe. “SUPER BOWL XXV: TELEVISION; ABC’s Coverage Stays in Perspective.” The New York Times, January 28, 1991, sec. Sports. https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/28/sports/super-bowl-xxv-television-abc-s-coverage-stays-in-perspective.html.

3. Elliott, Stuart. “Super Triumphs and Super Flops.” The New York Times, January 30, 1994, sec. Business. https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/30/business/super-triumphs-and-super-flops.html.

[enkelimagnus]

Pork

Bucky Barnes Gen, 1777 words, rated T for Hydra shit

Jewish Bucky Barnes, pre TFATWS, post Endgame

Coming out of that disastrous therapy session, Bucky comes home and tries to deal with some of his feelings.

TW: mention of torture and death, of family member deaths.

Read on AO3

Part 6 of Making a Home - the Jewish Bucky series

------------

The door slams behind him as Bucky storms into his house.

He has lunch plans but Raynor’s words and eyes and behavior stick to the corners of his mind, sickening like too-sweet candy he shouldn’t have eaten. Except he didn’t even want to eat it. It was shoved into his forced-open mouth. He tried to spit it out but he couldn’t. It was too late. It was already clinging to his teeth.

He rips the gloves off of his hands, then the jacket off of his back. There is light in the room, the light from the outside streaming in through the one window he keeps unshaded. There is the tv, playing an endless loop of soccer. The green and the gold bounce against the glass protecting the Smithsonian postcard he put up on the wall.

Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, laughing at some stupid joke he can’t remember. He’s looking at Steve like he hung the moon, and in that moment, he knows that’s exactly how he felt about this sun-kissed Brooklyn kid.

It hurts to think about this picture. To see himself smiling like this. To know he was already Hydra’s, even if he thought himself free. To know he’d probably already lost Steve.

He forces himself to take a deep breath. The expanding of his lungs is uncomfortable.

Why is this upsetting to you?

Because I don’t get to have secrets. I don’t get to be a person. My mind is yours to tear apart and put back together and you’re just Hydra wrapped in star-spangled banner paper.

This isn’t the first time he’s come back from seeing Raynor feeling like there’s a vice-like grip on his heart.

She doesn’t care enough to do her job properly. She doesn’t care enough to do the paperwork to get him someone who will be good for him. So he’s stuck, because she can’t be fucked to make life less terrible for him.

No one fucking cares enough. Not Raynor, not the people at the VA, not his superiors in the taskforce. And not Steve.

The Smithsonian postcard is an insult. 4 dollars and change for a snapshot of a memory. 4 dollars and change and you can bring home Captain America and Bucky Barnes, and look at the card and think you know what it was like to be either of them in 1944. Best friends since childhood. Inseparable. Bullshit.

Bucky wants to tear that card from the wall and throw it away with all of his strength. But he doesn’t. He knows he’ll regret it. He knows he’ll hate himself for it. He’s supposed to keep loving Steve even if he’s gone. He’s supposed to think of him as this… beautiful, glorious, perfect man. He’s supposed to be okay with this.

He told him he’d be. He told him he would be fine, that he could go, that he’d manage.

And now it’s been a little over 2 months and he’s not fine. He’s not managing. And he wants to slap himself. He should have told Steve to stay. He should have told him he needed him. But he hadn’t. Because Steve wanted to leave, and Bucky’s always been the one to tell Steve to pursue what he wanted. Because he made sure he could afford those art classes by taking that second job on the docks, because he kissed his cheek and told him he was going to be famous one day. That he was going to be respected, too.

Bucky’s never been an obstacle in Steve’s way. And he wasn’t going to stop now. So he told him to go.

And now he wants to scream for him to come home to him. To come get him. To come rescue him from this horrible fucking life he’s made for himself.

He knows Steve won’t come though. He didn’t come in ‘45, when the Soviets got their hands on him. He didn’t come in ‘50, when Zola bought him from the Soviets, in the same breath he bought a bomb. He didn’t come in the following years, and eventually, Bucky forgot the name Steve.

Some nights, he hears his own begging. Steve, Ma, HaShem. No one came. No one saved him. And no one is going to save him now, in 2024. He’s going to drown in the sorrow of too many lifetimes.

What else can he do? Once his brain stops coming up with names to add to the list, what will he do?

He has no idea. And he doesn’t want to think of it. Once he’s not useful anymore, what will he be? The list is his expiration date. Sometimes, he hopes the names keep coming.

There is pent-up energy in his bones, but he doesn’t know how to get it out. It’s broad daylight, and he can’t go on a proper run right now. People will see. He has no desire to go into the military base’s gyms right now. He can probably go into the guest room and pull out the punching bag and rip it to shreds.

He doesn’t have a lot of time. Lunch is coming up. It’s Wednesday. One of the names on his list is waiting. He needs to do that. To fulfill the promises he made. It’s his purpose now.

He feels like an open wound, standing in his living room, bleeding out everywhere, burning and stinging with every miniscule spasm of muscle, every brush of air.

When he shows up at Izzy’s, Yori will ask what’s wrong with him, and he’ll lie. He can’t tell him. Yori thinks he’s just a sweet, if a little lost, guy. Moved away for a while, only recently came back to Brooklyn. Ex-military. All things that aren’t exactly lies. They aren’t exactly truths either.

Izzy’s a Japanese restaurant. The building it’s in is old, the kind of old that Bucky actually remembers. In his day, it was a butcher shop, a non-kosher one. Before his mother died, Steve would sometimes be sent to get some leftover pork trimmings from there, to thicken the soup. It smelled bad at the end of the day.

Now it’s a clean and chic place, all painted in dark colors. It’s busy at lunch time, every day. It’s also busy at dinner time, when he walks by on his way back to work. Sometimes, he grabs something to go.

He’s starting to know his way around a sushi restaurant’s menu. He’s not an enormous fan of the rice, so he usually orders those thin slices of fish, the sashimi. Izzy’s has this plate, red tuna and salmon with a side of seaweed salad. The red tuna has a meaty quality that surprised him at first, but he really enjoys it. It tastes thick and fat on his tongue. He surprises himself with the diverse arrays of foods his palate accommodates.

Thinking about the food, about Yori, and Leah, the lady that serves them at Izzy’s somewhat feels good. They’re relatively untouched by the horrors of his mind. At least for now. One day, he’ll have to tell Yori he killed his son.

For now, he wants to be a little selfish. Yori’s old. The kind of old that makes Bucky feel comfortable.

He still has to watch himself, make sure he doesn’t talk too much like an old man, that he doesn’t tell stories he shouldn’t know about. When he says things about the old Brooklyn he grew up in, he says they’re his grandfather’s stories. If no one looks too close at the details, it works.

It doesn’t help the weird distant feeling he has sometimes when it comes to his life. It pulls him away from it. As if it wasn’t really his life.

He guesses he has little in common with the James Barnes of the 1930s. A name. Some memories. Nothing else. His family’s gone, his neighborhood’s gone, his friend is gone, his shul is gone.

He eats sashimi now, with that spicy green paste - wasabi. He watches soccer on a tv in color that he can afford. He has a computer - that he doesn’t use - and a mobile phone. He’s a soldier. He never went to college.

He was smart, back when he was James Barnes. He could have gotten into university despite the quotas. That was what his father used to say. And then he died.

He departed years before Bucky lost his mind to Hydra. He was 16 the first time he led the family in Shabbos prayers. He remembers the quivering of his voice as he stood at the head of the table, in his father’s place, and recited kiddush. He remembers the tears in his ma’s eyes.

He remembers his father teaching him how to shave with steady hands. He asked him to shave him when Bucky was barely a man, before even his bar mitzvah. His hands still remember how to use both the safety razors and the straight-edged ones. Even with decades of Hydra, he remembers it. He’s thankful for that, because the clippers and electric razors people use now are out of the question for him.

The clock ticks and tocks, minutes melting away as he stands there lost in feelings and memories.

Suddenly, he’s late to meet with Yori and he almost runs to the restaurant where the old man sits at the counter like he always does, saving a seat for him.

“You’re late,” Yori points out and Bucky finds himself sheepish.

“Didn’t see the time.”

He takes his seat by Yori’s side. They talk about sports and the papers, and the obituaries. Bucky finds himself looking through the names and wondering if he knew any of them, if they were the loud kids from down the streets when he was a teenager.

Leah comes over with a smile. Today’s special is subuta.

“What’s that?” Bucky asks in a hushed voice to Yori as Leah walks away with a smile and lets them think through their options.

Yori leans back towards him. “Sweet and sour pork. Very tasty. Izzy’s the best in town. You should try it.”

“Ah,” Bucky sighs softly. “I don’t eat pork.”

It’s a lie. He’s eaten a lot of pork in his life. Pierce loved his bacon. But it’s also true. He hasn’t touched pork since he’s left Hydra. The smell of it cooking makes him think of Pierce. And there’s something inside of him that avoids it, even if he doesn’t keep kosher in any other way. He hasn’t ever announced it that way.

Yori nods quietly, not realizing what those four words mean.

There’s no way he can know. It’s Bucky’s secret.

[papermoonloveslucy]

VACATION TIME

April 29, 1949

“Vacation Time” (aka “Trailer Vacation to Goosegrease Lake”) is episode #41 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on April 29, 1949 on the CBS radio network.

Synopsis ~ It's vacation time, and Liz and George have decidedly different plans. He wants to go camping with a trailer he borrowed from a friend, while she's set on a glamorous vacation at Moosehead Lodge.

This episode later partly inspired the premise of “Liz Learns To Swim” aired on June 11, 1950. 

“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George’s boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benaderet was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Cooper. The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.

MAIN CAST

Lucille Ball (Liz Cooper) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Richard Denning (George Cooper) was born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father’s garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his  roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.” From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.

Bea Benadaret (Iris Atterbury) and Gale Gordon (Rudolph Atterbury) do not appear in this episode. 

Ruth Perrott (Katie, the Maid) was also later seen on “I Love Lucy.” She first played Mrs. Pomerantz (above right), a member of the surprise investigating committee for the Society Matrons League in “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25), as one of the member of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3), and also played a nurse when “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16). She died in 1996 at the age of 96.

Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.

GUEST CAST

Frank Nelson (Policeman) was born on May 6, 1911 (three months before Lucille Ball) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started working as a radio announcer at the age of 15. He later appeared on such popular radio shows as “The Great Gildersleeve,” “Burns and Allen,” and “Fibber McGee & Molly”. This is one of his 11 performances on “My Favorite Husband.”  On “I Love Lucy” he holds the distinction of being the only actor to play two recurring roles: Freddie Fillmore and Ralph Ramsey, as well as six one-off characters, including the frazzled train conductor in “The Great Train Robbery” (ILL S5;E5), a character he repeated on “The Lucy Show.”  Aside from Lucille Ball, Nelson is perhaps most associated with Jack Benny and was a fifteen-year regular on his radio and television programs.  

Wally Maher (Joe Risley) was born on August 4, 1908 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was known for Mystery Street (1950), The Reformer and the Redhead (1950) and Hollywood Hotel (1937). He was heard with Lucille Ball in the Lux Radio Theatre version of “The Dark Corner” (1947), taking the role originated on film by William Bendix. He died on December 27, 1951.

Milton Stark (Filling Station Attendant) was a theatre actor and director, who also appeared on radio and television, although usually in supporting roles.  He also worked as a dialogue coach and acting teacher. At UCLA a scholarship was established in his name. He lived to the age of 103. 

EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers, it is a cold rainy afternoon, but Liz is in her bedroom standing in front of the mirror wearing a back-less, strapless sun dress.” 

Liz calls Katie in to show off her sun dress, but Katie is disapproving that is so revealing.  Liz has shopped for summer vacation clothes.  Liz’s bathing suit cost’s forty dollars. 

KATIE: “That’s a lot of money for two doilies and a diaper.” 

Liz says that husbands only approve of scanty swimsuits when they are on any woman but their wives. 

LIZ: “I want to look good for George. He’s going to see a lot of me this summer.” KATIE: “He’s not the only one!”  

The topic of revealing bathing suits was later also mined for comedy on “I Love Lucy.”  In “Off To Florida” (ILL S6;E6) Ricky thinks Lucy’s new skimpy new swimsuit is for Little Ricky!  Lucy also buys a swimsuit that Ricky feels is too skimpy when shopping for their California trip in “Getting Ready” (ILL S4;E11)

Liz says they are going to Moosehead Lodge on Lake Okeechobee. Liz calls it a real swanky place.  Katie reminds Liz that George prefers more rugged vacations.  Liz says she will suggest it to George at dinner. 

Lake Okeechobee is a real place, located in central Florida, although it is far more conducive to George’s type of vacation than Liz’s, highlighting nature through fishing and nature.  

Although there are places called Moosehead Lodge in America, it unlikely that a moose would be associated with central Florida and that it would be an upscale resort of the type Liz is describing. 

At the bank, George talks to his co-worker Joe about scheduling vacations.  Joe says that his ideal vacation is in a trailer.  If George likes the idea, he will lend the Coopers his trailer.  George will suggest it to Liz at dinner. 

After dinner, both Liz and George get cozy with the idea of easing the other into going on their dream destination.  Liz ‘just happened’ to hear about a place that she vaguely remembers. 

LIZ: “I did hear of some place called Moosehead Lodge. It’s probably situated in groves of stately pines, on the shores of an emerald green lake, its rustic beauty enhanced by lawns and flower beds. Each luxurious room is furnished with clean, comfortable box spring beds, modern bathroom and shower. Ten dollars a day, American plan. Oh, George, let’s go there. We can relax and enjoy a continual round of  glorious entertainment, sports, good food, and true fellowship, see your travel agent for details.”

George realizes that Liz has been plotting a vacation.  George says he has a better idea - two weeks in a trailer.  Liz is less than keen. George says that they can borrow Joe Risley’s trailer!

LIZ: “Keen with mud on it.”

Liz is worried that nobody will see her new vacation wardrobe if they are cooped up in a trailer.  They are at an impasse.  Liz suggests they go on separate vacations.  When George reluctantly agrees, she breaks down in tears.  

Liz moans to Katie that she already misses George, and the vacation doesn’t begin for two months.  George phones from work to talk to Liz.  George offers a compromise.  They will take a trial weekend trip in the trailer, and if she doesn’t like it, he will go to Moosehead Lodge!

Vacationing in a trailer was explored by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in their 1953 comedy MGM’s The Long Long Trailer.  The film mines a lot of physical comedy from the trailer’s unwieldy movement and how Lucy’s character Tacy Bolton copes with it. 

ANNOUNCER: “George is just driving up with the trailer hooked up to the back of the car.”

Liz remarks how small the trailer is.  

GEORGE: “Keep an open mind.” LIZ: “I’ll have to close it or it won’t fit in that trailer.” 

They tour the inside, which is smaller than Liz thought.  Just then, a knock at the trailer door and there’s a policeman (Frank Nelson) issuing them a parking ticket! Forty bucks for parking illegally!

The next morning George and Liz get an early start on their trial trailer trip.  Liz has brought along a little light reading for the trip: “Inside Moosehead Lodge” by Liz Gunther. 

Motoring along the highway, George is enjoying the drive. 

LIZ: “Travel is great. I wouldn’t go anywhere without it.”

George says it is so smooth, you wouldn’t even know the trailer is back there.  Liz notices that it isn’t!  George forgot to hook it on!   Finally, they are off (again) to Goosegrease Lake. Liz reads one of those sequential signs along the roadside: “If Your Whiskers...  Won’t Behave... Take a Tip Use....”  Liz goes silent. 

GEORGE: “Use what?”  LIZ: “The last sign’s torn down. Now we’ll never know.” 

Almost everyone in the audience knew it was Burma-Shave.  From 1926 until 1963 the ‘brushless’ shaving cream company dotted the American highways with small red signs, each containing a line of a short rhyme that the driver could read without slowing down as they drove by.  At one time, there were over 600 different rhymes on signs!  

The idea was given a nod on a 1955 “I Love Lucy” episode “First Stop” (ILL S4;E14) with the roadside signs for Aunt Polly’s Pecan Pralines. 

LUCY: Fifty miles to Aunt Sally’s Pecan Pralines. later... LUCY: 300 yards to Aunt Sally’s! ETHEL: 200 yards! FRED: 100 yards! RICKY: Just around the bend! LUCY: You have just passed Aunt Sally’s. 

Liz is quite sure that George’s shortcut has gotten them lost. They stop to ask directions from a laid back filling station attendant (Milton Stark) who tells them they don’t want to go to Goosegrease Lake.  He suggests they go to the hot springs, instead. 

Oops! Milton Stark has trouble pronouncing ‘Goosegrease’ and  the audience is aware of his flub. When he asks Lucille Ball “What ya gonna do there?” She deliberately says “We’re gonna goose a grease”, instead of “grease a goose”, which causes more giggles from the cast and gales of laughter from the audience. 

FILLING STATION ATTENDANT: “You can’t get there from here!”

Next morning Liz wakes up and looks around.  She sees beautiful green grass and a little flag with the number 18 on it!  A golf ball comes crashing through the window. The policeman from who ticketed them earlier knocks on the trailer door. They have illegally camped out on the 18th green of the municipal golf course - only two miles from home!  Liz said they didn’t know where they were going. 

POLICEMAN: “Do you know where you’re going now?” LIZ: “Yes!  To Moosehead Lodge!” POLICEMAN: “No, to the city jail! Come on!”

End of Episode

[fiesta-freddie]

Love in Disguise - Part 4

Here’s part four! I’m happy with how this part turned out! Let me know if you’d like to be added to either taglist

Words: 2.3K

Summary: The day you’ve been preparing for has finally come, and with a sudden burst of confidence you feel ready. But are you prepared enough for the unexpected? You worry that the job might be given to someone else with more experience, but you soon realize you shouldn’t let your worries get to you.

---------

The day of the interview had finally come and you awoke with a newfound confidence. You weren't worried about anything, really. You felt that spending the day with Archie along with him giving you tips and tricks made you feel different about the whole situation. So what if you were a cross-dresser with a fake identity? At least you had a slight shot at getting a better paying job. It didn't matter if you landed that job or got arrested, because either way you wouldn't have to worry about bills for at least the next five years. 

When you had awoke, Archie was already gone, but he had left you a note, with a piece of advice that you had greatly taken into consideration. “Y/N, one more piece of advice. Don’t wear a suit and tie to that interview, everyone else will probably do the same thing. It's expected. But if you dress a little more casual then there's a possibility that Mr. Epstein would feel more comfortable around you. It just shows ‘em that you're serious, but not snotty.” 

You began to get yourself ready, choosing to follow Archies advice and wear one of the colored turtlenecks you had purchased yesterday.

After you dressed yourself and brushed out your new mop top hairstyle, you did a once over of yourself in the mirror. Despite the fact that the chest bind you were wearing was exceedingly uncomfortable, you had to admit you looked like a pretty convincing man. Archie was right, it's a look you could pull off well. 

*****

Although you may not have been nervous earlier, the second you stepped into the building, your hands got clammy and your heart pounded so loud that you were sure it echoed throughout the building. Deep breaths Y/N, you can do this. 

“Excuse me ma’am,” you said, trying your best to talk in the voice that Archie had taught you “I have an appointment at eleven-thirty with Mr. Epstein.” The receptionist gave you an annoyed look while taking a drag from her cigarette. “Can I have a last name for that?” she asked in a monotonous way. 

“Oh yes, of course. Erm, Santiago...is the last name.” You watched her as she flicked ashes onto the paper full of names. 

“Yeah, okay I see ya name. Take a seat over there and Mr. Epstein’ll be with ya’ shortly.”

You walked over to the row of chairs the gaunt receptionist had pointed to and took a seat. You fiddled with your fingers while you waited. It was a nervous habit you were unable to get rid of since you were a kid. “Alright Y/N, you've managed to make it this far, that's good. Mr. Epstein should be nice, right? Hopefully he won't ask pressing questions..or see right through me.”

Your thoughts were cut short as you had eyed a tall figure in the near distance. By his appearance you had assumed it was Epstein himself, so you stood to greet him. “Good morning, sir” you said.

“Good morning to you sir,” he said, firmly shaking your hand. “I’m Brian Epstein, The Beatles manager. You must be Ezra Santiago. My, I must say, what a lovely name, too.”

He wasn't at all what you had expected. His charming and light personality had somehow managed to make you feel more relaxed and less nervous. You had forgotten why you were so anxious at all in the first place. 

“I must say, I do appreciate your sense of fashion. Every other person I’ve seen this morning has worn a suit, which is fine, but it's nice to see someone who isn't afraid to change things up a little,” he said gesturing to your outfit, “I suppose it's probably because you happen to be much younger than all the others too.”

“I- well, thank you very much sir.” You were unsure of what else to say, his compliments had caught you off guard.

“Right then, shall we get on with this interview? I know the boys are anxious to see who I bring in next.” Brian said, beginning to walk towards the office where the interviews were being held.

“The boys?” you questioned. You weren't exactly sure what he meant by that, but you had a pretty good idea. 

“Sure. Since whoever I hire as an assistant will be spending a lot of time with the boys, I decided that I should bring them in and see who they warm up to the best. Be warned though, Lennon is a bit of a trouble maker.”

You hadn't expected The Beatles themselves to be at the interview, but there was no turning back now. 

You followed Brian into a bland, cream colored room, which happened to be quite big. It was set up just like any other office, with the exception that there were four of the most famous men alive sitting in it. You sat yourself in the chair, as Brian made his way around the desk. 

“Oi Eppy, who's the bloke you've brought in now? Another old wanker? Or another phony?” one of the boys said. You assumed it was John based on his wit and what Brian had told you. Brain said nothing and gave him a cold stare. 

“Mr. Ezra Santiago, these are the boys,” he gestured over to them. You could now understand why all the teenage girls gushed over them, you had to admit they were a bit more attractive in person, but certainly not your type. “John, Paul, George and Ringo.” Thanks to Archie, it was easier to put names and faces together, now that you were able to tell each of them apart.

They sat by Brian with unamused looks on their faces, like four little boys who were bored out of their minds and wanted nothing more than to go home. You watched as the fiddled with their clothes and shoelaces

“Ezra, you said?” questioned John. He seemed like the only one who was willing to talk. “Don’t think I’ve ever heard that name ‘fore. Sure it isn’t a made up one?” He teased.

“That'll be enough Lennon.”

“You’re a swine.” He retorted 

“Lennon, I mean it.” Brian said in a stern tone. That seemed to shut John down quickly. The other three boys giggled at John's scolding.

“I apologize for John's behavior, but I suppose he does have a bit of a point. You wouldn’t believe how many people we’ve seen today who were posing as males! Crazy teenage girls, I tell ya’.”

“Well I mean look at us Eppy,” Paul chimed in. Archie said he was the one girls liked the most, “Who wouldn't want us.” He said sarcastically.

“Oh get over yourself, Paul.” John said with a grin.

Brian rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to you “So Ezra,” Brian began, sifting through a pile of papers, “tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from, exactly?” 

“Well actually, I moved here from America about six months ago. I’m an art major and as of now I work at a coffee shop not too far from here.”

“Ah, well I suppose that would explain why there's no accent.” Brian said jokingly. You only chuckled in response. “Well I’ll tell you what Ezra, I really do like the fact that you happen to be younger. Every other person I’ve seen this morning has been quite a bit older. I suppose that means they might be more responsible, but I certainly don't see why a person of your age wouldn't be able to do the same.”

“Yeah, every person. ‘Cept maybe for John.” Paul joked. Once again, George and Ringo laughed at Paul's joke. 

“Aye, I can be responsible,” John said defensively “I just don’t like sharin’ my wisdom with you three.”

“Boys, that’ll be enough.” You could tell Brian way annoyed with them. No wonder why they needed an assistant “Well, Ezra tell me why you think you’d be good for this job. Anything that you think sets you apart from others?”

Oh well if I can pull off looking like a man, then I think that I more than qualified for this job you thought to yourself.  “Well, before I moved for college, I was top of my class. I’m also quite responsible, the assistant manager at my current job.”

“Very good, very good.” Brian said, scribbling down words. You watched his hand move hastily across a piece of paper

“I’m not exactly sure if it counts as a qualification, but I think that being from America has its advantages, as far as any touring goes.”

“You certainly have a point, there.”

There was a moment of silence as Brian wrote down a few more notes. You glanced over at the four boys, but quickly averted your attention when George looked you straight in the eyes. He seemed to be the most intimidating out of all four of them. The complete opposite of Ringo.

“Well Mr. Ezra, I like you a lot, but unfortunately I have others to interview as well. If you get the job, however, I’ll give you a bell within the next few days,” Brian said, rising from his seat behind the desk. He walked over to the door and opened it. You took the hint and rose from your seat, walking over to the door.

 “It was wonderful to meet you, sir. You certainly have a charming personality.” You said to him. 

“Ah, well the same to you!”

You walked out the door and gave Brian a short wave. He smiled at you before shutting the door. Just like that the moment you had been the most worried about was over. You just stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do.

In your mind, you thought the interview had gone fairly well, but you weren't too sure of what Brian had thought. He seemed to like you, but maybe he was just putting on a front in order to seem approachable.

It was just a matter of time now before you got the answer that could change your future.

****

A few days passed, and with every day that went by you awaited a call. 

“I dunno Arch, maybe I just wasn’t the right fit for it. Mr. Epstein did say that there were others who were a lot older than me and responsible too.” You said while slowly stirring the spoon in your tea. You were bummed out because it had been more than two days and at this point you were sure that Brian had already called someone and given them the job instead.

“Yes, but you also told me that Epstein said you were just as responsible. He probably had a lot of people to interview, and with an assistant's position like this he probably wants to make sure he's got the best person.” You stopped stirring for a moment and gave him a grave look. “And that person is obviously you.” Archie said, trying to save himself after he realized what he said. “Don’t worry about it Y/N, just give it some time and I'm sure things will work out in your favor.”

“I hope so. I mean I put so much effort into changing my appearance, I’d hate for it all to just be wasted, y’know?”

Archie was silent and had nothing else to say, and neither did you. Silence filled your living room, with the exception of an old clock that was ticking. You were starting to rethink everything. Was this even worth it? Probably not. You had all these clothes and things that were now useless to you. 

“Well on the bright side at least we-” Archie began, but he was cut off by the ringing of your phone. 

“Just a sec, let me get that.” You said setting down your cup and walking over to the phone that was mounted on the wall. 

“Hello?” You answered, “This is Y/N speaking.” 

“Y/N?” the man on the other line questioned. His voice sounded awfully familiar but you couldn’t quite remember where you had heard it before. “Oh, I’m sorry ma’am I must’ve dialed the wrong number, I was looking for an Ezra Santiago.”

Your eyes quickly widened at the name and you suddenly realized that the voice belonged to Brian Epstein. “Er uhm, just a moment s-sir, I’ll get him for you.” You said, trying to sound calm. You put your hand over the receiver and turned to Archie. He gave you a questioning look at first but once you mouthed the words 'It's Brian Epstein’ to him, suddenly his eyes widened too. He motioned to the phone, signaling for you to get back on the line with him.

“H-hello?” You said again, this time in your alter ego voice “Mr. Epstein?”

“Yes! Hello Ezra, how are you?”

“I’m doing quite well sir, how about yourself?”

“Very well thank you.”

“Well, uhm what can I do for you sir?” You said, turning to Archie and shrugging your shoulders. Your heart was racing and you were unsure of what to say. You were nervously twirling the phone line around your finger. 

“Well first question, are you currently busy?”

“No, no not at all.”

“Great. You remember where the interviews were held the other day, right? I’d like you to meet me there in a half hour, I’ve got a few things I’d like to discuss with you.” 

“That's wonderful, sir. I’ll be there!” you said excitedly, before hanging up the phone. You turned back to Archie.

“Well, what’d the old man have to say?” he asked you

“I have to meet him downtown in a half hour!” you screeched, jumping up and down like a little girl.

“I told you, he’d give you a ring Y/N! This is great!” Archie said, engulfing you in one of his infamous bone crushing hugs. You hugged him back, just as tightly with a smile on your face “This is it, Y/N! This is the part where your life changes forever!”

-----

Beatles Taglist: @beatlevmania @givemequeen @my-dumbshit @john-lemonade @ineedyoubygeorgeharrison @princesof-theuniverse @geostarr @katiekitty261 @killerqueenisthebest @yeehaw-city @asphalt-cocktail @chloe-on-cloud9 

Love in Disguise Taglist: @motley-queen @littledarlingwellaway @thetimelordmeeps @killerqueenisthebest @lizvxx @edsloveshisrichie @beatlesdotcom @thiccjelly17 @viralwolf02 @givemequeen @bowiescocaine @julessworldd @sapphic-cupid @thegreat-annamaria @yeehaw-city @asphalt-cocktail @myukulelegentlyweeps @jimmypagesandbrianmayshair @doctorwhatwhenandwhere 

[sporclerhejman]

Notes on ‘Hoping this Finds You...’

Every slide in ‘Hoping this Finds You’ contains at least three clues- the ‘hoping this finds you’ tagline, the author of the note, and at least one thing in the note itself.  But many of them contain 4, 5, 6+ clues, some of which are less obvious, and which may be buried in the text, intentional spelling modifications, capitalized words, or even the choice of the background paper.  I thought it might be fun to outline where all those Easter eggs are hidden.

Slide #1: Abe Lincoln

Text Clues: ‘Appomattox Courthouse’- site of the final major battle of the Civil War, April 1865; ‘Passage of the Amendment’- a reference to the late January 1865 passage of the 13th Amendment by the House of Representatives (and a nod to the movie ‘Lincoln’); ‘I am sorry that I can’t join you in the district tonight’- Grant was originally supposed to be with Lincoln at Ford’s Theater on April 14th, but decided, instead, to travel to New Jersey to visit family; ‘Give my best to Tad and Mary’- Lincoln’s son and wife.

Hoping this finds you reference: Lincoln, a big fan of the theater, was assassinated at a showing of ‘My American Cousin’ on April 14, 1865 at Ford’s Theater.

Signatory- General Ulysses Grant, Lincoln’s commander of the Union Army.

Slide #2: Mikhail Gorbachev

Background clue: White House letterhead

Text clues: ‘what I hold Helmut Kohl’- Kohl was German Chancellor from 1982 to 1998; ‘strain on our relations for more than two decades’- the Berlin Wall stood from 1961 to 1989; ‘making the speech at the Brandenburg’- Reagan’s famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech was made with the Brandenburg Gate in the background; ‘tie this issue to the disarmament talks’- The Reykjavík Summit was held in October 1986, just a few months before the ‘tear down this wall’ speech; ‘Schulz will see that Congress back me on that’-  George Schulz was Reagan’s Secretary of State from 1982-1989; ‘party commissariat’- the term ‘commissariat’ had actually been replaced with the word ‘ministry’ by the 1980s, but being a term uniquely connected to the Soviet governmental structure, it made for a better clue.

Hoping this finds you reference: A direct reference to the 1987 ‘tear down this wall’ speech.

Signatory: Reagan, who was called ‘Ronnie’ by his wife Nancy and closest friends.

Slide #3: Marie Curie

Background clue: A lab notebook!  (Probably a bit modern for the Curies)

Text clues: ‘contamination with barium’- The late 1890s attempts by Marie and Pierre Curie to isolate radium were complicated because attempts to separate radium from pitchblende often resulted in barium contamination; ‘salt form may be isolated by differential crystallization’- the Curies eventually settled on the difficult and slow process of using differential crystallization to separate pure radium, but got only one tenth of a gram of pure radium from two thousand pounds of pitchblende; ‘Becquerel agrees’- I have no idea what Henri Becquerel thought about this process, or if he even knew, but he shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics with the Curies, based on his early work on radioactivity, and this was a chance to include him as a clue to narrow the focus on Pierre and Marie; ‘do not think the half-life of polonium will allow for a similar method’- The Curies were never able to isolate pure polonium because it has a half-life of only about four months; ‘something Irene and Eve both enjoy’- The names of the Curie’s daughters; ‘lovely night for a stroll on the Rue Dauphine’- This is a bit dark, and actually made me choke up a bit doing it, but Pierre Curie was killed when struck by a carriage on the Rue Daupine in April, 1906.

Hoping this finds you reference: Curie won two Nobel Prizes and is known for her work in radioactivity.  She died as a result of aplastic anemia from radiation exposure.

Signatory: Her husband, and fellow Nobel winner, Pierre.

Slide #4: Julius Caesar

Text clues: ‘display at the Circus Maximus’- The Roman chariot racing stadium; ‘this new calendar’- The Julian calendar was proposed and adopted by Caesar in 45 BC; ‘dictator in perpetuity’- Shortly after the adoption of that calendar, Caesar was granted the status of dictator in perpetuity; ‘war against the Parthians’- Parthia was a kingdom near the Caspian Sea in present day Iran.  Caesar was planning an assault there at the time of his assassination; ‘set up a time with Brutus’- Merely a reference to Brutus and to Caesar’s famous line ‘Et tu, Brute’ from Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’; ‘Looking forward to seeing you at the Senate this evening’- Caesar was killed at the Senate on March 15, 44 BC.

Hoping this finds you reference: As noted, above, Caesar was killed on the Ides of March, thus the famous saying, ‘Beware the Ides of March’.

Signatory: Mark Antony, one of Caesar’s generals and political allies, who commanded the eventual war against Parthia.  I chose him, specifically, so that I could use him as a double signatory for the Cleopatra slide as well.

Slide #5: Amelia Earhart

Text clues: ‘Fred would never let you down or lead you astray’- Fred Noonan was Earhart’s navigator on her fateful last flight; ‘have looked for you all the way along your Pacific route’- a reference to the search for Earhart after her disappearance; ‘searching around Howland Island’- A designated refueling stop on her flight, but a location which she never reached.

Hoping this finds you reference: Simply a note that Earhart has never been found.

Signatory: Her husband, George.

Slide #6: The Wright Brothers

Text clues: ‘Thrilled to hear the news from Kitty Hawk’- The Wright Brothers’ first successful powered flight came on the beaches at Kitty Hawk, NC; ‘The bike shop is holding up’- The brothers operated a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, which still stands today and is open to tourists; ‘regular contact with the Air Corps’- The Brothers sold technology, and entire aircraft, to the Army Air Corps.

Hoping this finds you reference: The Brothers had just completed their first successful powered flight and were constantly attempting longer and higher flights (which were generally successful).

Signatory: Hart O. Berg, the Wright Brothers’ business manager in Europe, and his wife, Edith, who also managed European business for them, was the first American woman to fly in a plane.  (Odd historical note, Sarah Van Deman, the daughter-in-law of John Van Deman, who built my house, and lived in it from 1878-1921, was the first woman to fly in a plane in the United States.  John’s son, Ralph, was an Army Captain.)

Slide #7: Napoleon Bonaparte

Text clues: ‘he may rule France in the future’- This text snippet (meant to insinuate that this is a segment of the note) is a reference to Napoleon’s son; ‘Reports from Borodino’- The Battle of Borodino, September 7, 1812, was the deadliest battle of the Napoleonic Wars, but also a tactical victory for the French; ‘that traitor, Alexander’- Tsar Alexander had been an ally of the French, but relations broke down, leading to Napoleon’s invasion of Russia; ‘Perhaps Moscow can be our capital in the east’- French forces, following the Battle of Borodino, were mounting their assault on Moscow.

Hoping this finds you reference: Napoleon did not enjoy the French winter.

Signatory: Marie Louise, Napoleon’s 2nd wife.

Slide #8: Ferdinand Magellan

Background clue: An old naval map

Text clues: ‘that idiot Manuel’- A reference to the King of Portugal, who declined the opportunity to fund Magellan’s attempt to find a westward route for the spice trade; ‘There is move afoot to name the strait after you’- Of course, this wouldn’t happen until much later, but the passage around S. America is now known as the ‘Straight of Magellan’; ‘converting the Cebu’- Magellan and his men had successfully converted the Cebu tribe to Christianity; ‘similar success with the Mactan’- Magellan would definitely not have similar success with the Mactan’ ‘circumnavigation and the spice trade’- I couldn’t really make Magellan any more obvious than this.

Hoping this finds you reference: Magellan’s attempts to convert the Mactan led to battle, during which he was killed with a spear, thus ‘in good spear-its’.

Signatory: King Carlos I of Spain, benefactor of Magellan’s circumnavigation.

Slide #9: Lady Godvia

Text clues: ‘I have reduced the taxes’- The legend of Lady Godiva, almost certainly apocryphal, is that she was angry at her husband for overtaxing the poor and he made a bet with her that if she rode naked, on horseback, through the town, he would reduce the taxes. According to the legend, she did; ‘you may donate as much of our wealth as you like to the churches’- She was also famously a benefactor of local religious institutions; ‘I have even freed the peeping tailor’- The legend also provides that Godiva made an edict before her ride requiring all of the townspeople to stay inside with their shutters closed.  A tailor named ‘Tom’ was the only one to break the rule. This is where we get the phrase ‘peeping Tom’ from; ‘do not embarrass the Earldom of Mercia’- Godiva’s husband was the Earl of Mercia.

Hoping this finds your reference: The Earl would, of course, want Godiva off the horse and wearing some clothing.

Signatory: Leofric, Godiva’s husband, and the Earl of Mercia.

Slide #10: William Howard Taft

Text clues: ‘agree with you about the income tax’- Taft was opposed to the institution of a national income tax, believing it unconstitutional; ‘ratification of the 16th A. has certainly settled the issue’- To address the claim of unconstitutionality, Congress adopted, and the states ratified, the 16th Amendment in 1913; ‘trade agreement with Canada’- Taft was, at that time, working on a free trade agreement with Canada; ‘dream of a Supreme Court appointment- Taft is most famous for being the only person to be both U.S. President and Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Hoping this finds you reference: The story is apocryphal, but Taft is also known for his girth, and thus the legend that he got stuck in the White House bathtub.  There is no indication that it ever actually happened.

Signatory: Philander Knox, Taft’s Secretary of State.

Slide #11: Cleopatra

Text clues: ‘do not think is wise to have Herod visit again’- Herod famously visited Egypt in 40 BC, then traveled on to Rome.  He and Cleopatra had competing claims to territory; ‘Octavian is quite pleased with the invasion of Armenia’- Octavian was heir to the Roman throne, and would have been quite pleased with the 34 BC invasion of Armenia, which Cleopatra funded; ‘call on your aid to support the cost of our armies’- see previous note about the Armenian invasion; ‘Ptolemaic Dynasty’- Cleopatra was the last of the Ptolemaic leaders before direct Roman rule; ‘Your story is Taylor made’- Cleopatra has frequently been the subject of modern artistic depictions, most famously the 1963 film starring Elizabeth Taylor.

Hoping this finds you reference: Cleopatra committed suicide (likely by poison), essentially ending the Hellenistic period.

Signatory: Mark Antony, Cleopatra’s third and final spouse.

Slide #12: Neil Armstrong

Background clue: NASA Space Task Group letterhead, in use from 1958-1962, and again for the Apollo program beginning in 1969.

Text clues: ‘leap mankind’- A reference to ‘one giant leap for mankind’, Armstrong’s famous words when first setting foot on the moon; ‘you and Buzz will be successful’- Buzz Aldrin was the command module pilot on Apollo 11, and the 2nd man to walk on the moon; ‘Langley to Houston to Canaveral’- All of the space command locations in 1969.

Hoping this finds you reference: Neil was certainly ‘Out of this world’ when landing on the moon.

Signatory: Deke Slayton, Air Force pilot, Mercury 7 astronaut, Chief of the Astronaut Office, Director of Flight Crew Operations, and Apollo-Soyuz astronaut.

Slide #13: Al Gore

Text clues: ‘campaigned long and hard’- Immediately narrows to a politician; ‘been such a loyal and true VP’- further narrows to Vice-Presidents; ‘CNN has just called Florida’- Most news networks originally called Florida for Gore on election night 2000, before backtracking, leading most people to think Gore had won; ‘So much for the Bush dynasty’- George W. Bush, son of former President George H.W. Bush, was Gore’s opponent; ‘beginning of eight more years’- Gore had been VP from 1993-2001; ‘Tennessee should be proud’- Gore was from Tennessee and had been a U.S. Senator representing that state; ‘Give Tipper my best, Hil says ‘hi’- A reference to Tipper Gore and Hillary Clinton.

Hoping this finds you reference: Gore never got to make a victory speech.

Signatory: Bill Clinton, President when Gore was VP.

Slide #14: Bill Gates

Background clue: Dot matrix printer paper!

Text clues: ‘insisting that software developers are paid’ and ‘Who cares what those computer hobbyists think’- Gates and Allen’s early work on Altair BASIC was widely pirated by early computer hobbyists.  Gates insisted on copyright claims, angering some of those computer builders. ‘meeting next week with IBM’- The July, 1980 contract between IBM and Microsoft set up at IBM as the major player in computer hardware and Microsoft in the same position on software.  ‘Excelling’ and ‘Word’- Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word are two of the company’s flagship products.

Hoping this finds you reference: Microsoft Windows is the key product powering the company.

Signatory: Paul Allen is co-founder of Microsoft.

Slide #15: Margaret Thatcher

Background clue: Buckingham Palace letterhead.

Text clues: ‘brave men and women in the Falklands’- Thatcher was PM during the UK-Argentina Falklands War; ‘handling of the Hong Kong negotiations’- Thatcher negotiated the terms of the Hong Kong transfer to China at the end of the agreement for British control of the city; ‘Sending you, Dennis, and the children all my best’- A reference to Thatcher’s husband and their kids.

Hoping this finds you reference: Thatcher was famously known as the ‘Iron Lady’.

Signatory: Queen Elizabeth II.  I was unsure how she would sign her name in such a note, but found several example of letters to political figures that she signed simply, ‘Elizabeth’.

Slide #16: Pete Best

Text clues: ‘Epstein thinks’- Brian Epstein was the Beatles manager’ ‘great chance at Decca’- The Beatles breakthrough recording session came at Decca’s recording studios, but it was also the end of Best’s tenure with the band; ‘My Bonny’- One of the Beatles early recordings was a cover of ‘My Bonny’ and it gained them some attention at Decca; ‘George is working on some new stuff’- A passing reference to George Harrison; ‘The drummer is always key’- Best was the drummer, and his perceived shortcomings in that key role led to his dismissal; ‘You’re the...’- Just a play on words on Best’s name; ‘sure that you’ll be a Starr’- Best’s replacement was Ringo Starr.

Hoping this finds you reference: Best would not remain a member of the band.

Signatories: John Lennon and Paul McCartney

Slide #17: George Lucas

Background clue: Stephen Spielberg formed Amblin Entertainment in the early 1980s shortly before the release of E.T.

Text clues: ‘take on directing the second part of your space opera’- Lucas had decided not to direct after A New Hope.  There were some discussions with Spielberg, but the latter never directed a Star Wars film; ‘two pending sci-fi projects of my own’- E.T. and Poltergeist; ‘and the Indy sequel’- Temple of Doom was released in 1984; ‘Kershner or Marquand’- the eventual directors of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi; ‘Crichton and I are discussing a project that we might need ILM on’- Spielberg directed the movie version of Crichton’s ‘Jurassic Park’ in 1993 and ILM did the special effects.  In reality, they would not discuss the novel until October 1989, shortly before its release; ‘Tell Harrison not to hurt himself’ and ‘behind the whip again’- References to Ford starring in in both Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

Hoping this finds you reference: The Force was with Lucas to the tune of a $4 billion sale to Disney.

Signatory: Steven Spielberg

Slide #18: Mary Shelley

Text references: ‘1 July 1822′- The date of Percy’s death; ‘news from London is good- Victor is a hit’- Mary’s novel ‘Frankenstein’ was released in 1822 to much acclaim; ‘Byron says he can’t wait to see what you produce next’- The poet Byron was a close friend of the Shelleys; ‘The Don Juan is ready to sail’- Percy’s ill-fated boat was named the ‘Don Juan’; ‘Williams and I plan to take her out’ and ‘I’m sure it will go well’- Percy and his friend Edward Wiliams launched the boat on July 1, 1822.  It sank and they were both killed as was a young deckhand they brought with them.

Hoping this finds you reference: Frankenstein was monstrously good.

Signatory: Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary’s husband.

Slide #19: David Livingstone:

Text clues: ‘dispatched by the New York Herald’- Stanley’s expedition to find Livingstone was funded by the New York paper; ‘sail to Zanzibar in March’ and ‘try to locate you near Lake Tanganyika’- This was Stanley’s route; ‘anxioiusly await the Herald’s funding’- Stanley was delayed by slow funding from the paper.

Hoping this finds you reference: Livingstone was in Ujiji when Stanley found him.

Signatory: Henry Morton Stanley, speaker of the famous line, ‘Dr. Livingstone, I presume?’

Slide #20: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Background clue: Attorney General Letterhead

General note: I was hesitant about this one.  King and Bobby Kennedy were not close friends, and subsequent to their deaths have been described as ‘arms-length’ and ‘quiet rivals’.  I was careful to try not to suggest a closer relationship between them than actually existed.

Text clues: ‘Jack how good it was to see you in the Rose Garden’- This should immediately give the timeline as 1961-1963 and MLK was actually in the Rose Garden on June 22, 1963; seeking intervention for the SNCC’- President Kennedy was asked to intervene on behalf of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; ‘reached out to John Lewis’- A young Lewis was the SNCC leader and this clue should further help with timeline and subject matter; ‘formal proposal for the Civil Rights Act’- That proposal was in June 1963, contemporaneous to King’s Rose Garden visit; ‘southern trips- Miami, Tampa, Dallas’- JFK made those exact trips in November 1963, culminating with his assassination in Dallas, though they were more campaign stops than trips in support of the Civil Rights Act; ‘Washington March next month’- King’s legendary ‘I Have a Dream’ speech was made in August of 1963 during that march; ‘everything that you are dreaming of’- A reference to that speech.

Hoping this finds you reference: A nod to King’s ‘Been to the Mountaintop’ speech, delivered the night before his assassination in 1968.

Signatory: Robert Kennedy, then U.S. Attorney General

[judymusgrove]

New Post has been published on https://judysbusinessblog.com/luxurious-way-of-living/

Luxurious way of living

Style is an expression that lasts over many seasons and is often connected to cultural movements and social markers, symbols, class, and culture (ex. Baroque, Rococo, etc.). Fashion is a popular aesthetic expression at a particular period and place and in a specific context, especially in clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body proportions. Whereas a trend often connotes a peculiar aesthetic expression and often lasting shorter than a season, fashion is a distinctive and industry-supported expression traditionally tied to the fashion season and collections.

Style is an expression that lasts over many seasons and is often connected to cultural movements and social markers, symbols, class, and culture (ex. Baroque, Rococo, etc.). According to sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, fashion connotes “the latest fashion, the latest difference.”

“One is never over-dressed or under-dressed with a Little Black Dress.” —Karl Lagerfeld

Even though they are often used together, the term fashion differs from clothes and costumes, where the first describes the material and technical garment, whereas the second has been relegated to special senses like fancy-dress or masquerade wear. Fashion instead describes the social and temporal system that “activates” dress as a social signifier in a certain time and context. Philosopher Giorgio Agamben connects fashion to the current intensity of the qualitative moment, to the temporal aspect the Greek called kairos, whereas clothes belong to the quantitative, to what the Greek called Chronos.

I don’t design clothes. I design dreams.

Exclusive brands aspire for the label haute couture, but the term is technically limited to members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris. It is more aspirational and inspired by art, culture and movement. It is extremely exclusive in nature.

With increasing mass-production of consumer commodities at lower prices, and with global reach, sustainability has become an urgent issue amongst politicians, brands, and consumers.

“A retailer is a business that presents a selection of goods and offers to trade  them to customer for money or other goods.”

Early Western travelers, traveling to India, Persia, Turkey, or China, would frequently remark on the absence of change in fashion in those countries. The Japanese shōgun’s secretary bragged (not completely accurately) to a Spanish visitor in 1609 that Japanese clothing had not changed in over a thousand years. However, there is considerable evidence in Ming China of rapidly changing fashions in Chinese clothing.

Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life.

I spent summer in Australia’s city.

“Shoppers’ shopping experiences may vary, based on a variety of factors including how the customer is treated.”

Online shopping allows the buyer to save the time and expense.which would have been spent traveling to the store or mall. According to technology and research firm Forrester, mobile purchases or mcommerce will account for 49% of ecommerce, or $252 billion in sales, by 2020.

H1: Fashion is what you’re offered four times a year by designers.

The notion of the global fashion industry is a product of the modern age. Before the mid-19th century, most clothing was custom-made. It was handmade for individuals, either as home production or on order from dressmakers and tailors.

H2: Fashion Book makes me more productive

By the beginning of the 20th century—with the rise of new technologies such as the sewing machine, the rise of global capitalism and the development of the factory system of production, and the proliferation of retail outlets such as department stores—clothing had increasingly come to be mass-produced in standard sizes and sold at fixed prices.

H3: 9–5 is not optimal

This is my average total monthly spending from one year living in Seattle’s Capitol Hill, one year living in San Francisco’s Upper Haight, one year traveling to 20 countries, and one month at a hotel in Bali. It is much cheaper for me to travel. Since the majority of my costs are from trains and flights, it’s significantly cheaper if I stay in one place.

H4: Fashion expands my cultural bubble

By the beginning of the 20th century—with the rise of new technologies such as the sewing machine, the rise of global capitalism and the development of the factory system of production, and the proliferation of retail outlets such as department stores—clothing had increasingly come to be mass-produced in standard sizes and sold at fixed prices.

H5: Fashion week is not the same as vacation

The notion of the global fashion industry is a product of the modern age. Before the mid-19th century, most clothing was custom-made. It was handmade for individuals, either as home production or on order from dressmakers and tailors.

H6: I became a nomad by fashion

By the beginning of the 20th century—with the rise of new technologies such as the sewing machine, the rise of global capitalism and the development of the factory system of production, and the proliferation of retail outlets such as department stores—clothing had increasingly come to be mass-produced in standard sizes and sold at fixed prices.

Heading H1

Heading H2

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Heading H4

Heading H5

Heading H6

I spent summer in Australia’s city.

Although the fashion industry developed first in Europe and America, as of 2017, it is an international and highly globalized industry, with clothing often designed in one country, manufactured in another, and sold worldwide. For example, an American fashion company might source fabric in China and have the clothes manufactured in Vietnam, finished in Italy, and shipped to a warehouse in the United States for distribution to retail outlets internationally. The fashion industry has long been one of the largest employers in the United States, and it remains so in the 21st century. However, U.S. employment declined considerably as production increasingly moved overseas, especially to China. Because data on the fashion industry typically are reported for national economies and expressed in terms of the industry’s many separate sectors, aggregate figures for the world production of textiles and clothing are difficult to obtain. However, by any measure, the clothing industry accounts for a significant share of world economic output. The fashion industry consists of four levels:

The production of raw materials, principally Fiber, and textiles but also leather and fur.

The production of fashion goods by designers, manufacturers, contractors, and others.

Retail sales.

Various forms of advertising and promotion.

These levels consist of many separate but interdependent sectors. These sectors are Textile Design and Production, Fashion Design and Manufacturing, Fashion Retailing, Marketing and Merchandising, Fashion Shows, and Media and Marketing. Each sector is devoted to the goal of satisfying consumer demand for apparel under conditions that enable participants in the industry to operate at a profit.

“Americans spent over $83 billion on back-to-school and back-to-college shopping.”– Maya Angelou

The joy of dressing is an art.

Fashion trends influenced by several factors, including cinema, celebrities, climate, creative explorations, innovations, designs, political, economic, social, and technological. Examining these factors is called a PEST analysis. Fashion forecasters can use this information to help determine the growth or decline of a particular trend. It helps to know more about the Fashion arena and lifestyle in the modern world.

Though there had been distribution of dressed dolls from France since the 16th century and Abraham Bosse had produced engravings of fashion in the 1620s, the pace of change picked up in the 1780s with increased publication of French engravings illustrating the latest Paris styles. By 1800, all Western Europeans were dressing alike (or thought they were); local variation became first a sign of provincial culture and later a badge of the conservative peasant.

Although tailors and dressmakers were no doubt responsible for many innovations, and the textile industry indeed led many trends, the history of fashion design is generally understood to date from 1858 when the English-born Charles Frederick Worth opened the first authentic haute couture house in Paris. The Haute house was the name established by the government for the fashion houses that met the standards of the industry. These fashion houses have to adhere to standards such as keeping at least twenty employees engaged in making the clothes, showing two collections per year at fashion shows, and presenting a certain number of patterns to customers. Since then, the idea of the fashion designer as a celebrity in his or her own right has become increasingly dominant.

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[newstfionline]

Headlines

American tourists face bans and restrictions across the world amid pandemic (Yahoo) The reputation and prestige once associated with a passport from the United States have suffered as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. For Americans right now, traveling is harder than ever before—they aren’t welcome in the majority of the world’s countries because of the U.S. response to the outbreak. As a result, the U.S. passport ranking has fallen 50% in the last year, down from the no. 3 spot to the no. 19 spot in the Passport Index. “The American passport was always in the top five passports over the last five years,” Armand Arton, founder of Passport Index, told Yahoo Money. Pre-pandemic, an American passport holder could access 70% of the world’s countries without a visa. Arton said the “only reason” for America’s sudden fall from grace was the coronavirus. “It is not foreign policy,” he said. “It is not the visa restrictions. It is really the temporary limitation of travel of U.S. citizens, based on the fact that the rest of the world doesn’t want U.S. citizens coming to their countries.”

Millennials and younger are new US majority (AP) Sorry, boomers. Millennials and their younger siblings and children now make up a majority of the U.S. population. A new analysis by the Brookings Institution shows that 50.7% of U.S. residents were under age 40, as of July 2019. The Brookings’ analysis of population estimates released this summer by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the combined millennial, Generation Z and younger generations numbered 166 million people. The combined Generation X, baby boomer, and older cohorts represented 162 million U.S. residents. Millennials typically are defined as being born between 1981 and 1996. Baby boomers, long considered a primary driver of demographic and social change in the U.S. because of their large numbers, were born between the end of World War II and the arrival of the Beatles in the U.S. in 1964.

The Pandemic Workday Is 48 Minutes Longer and Has More Meetings (Bloomberg) We log longer hours. We attend more meetings with more people. And, we send more emails. From New York City to Tel Aviv, the telecommuting revolution has meant a lot more work, according to a study of 3.1 million people at more than 21,000 companies across 16 cities in North America, Europe and the Middle East. The researchers compared employee behavior over two 8 week periods before and after Covid-19 lockdowns. Looking at email and meeting meta-data, the group calculated the workday lasted 48.5 minutes longer, the number of meetings increased about 13% and people sent an average of 1.4 more emails per day to their colleagues. During the two month time frame, there was one part of working that did improve: Those additional meetings were shorter, according to the analysis by researchers at Harvard Business School and New York University.

Pandemic Is Changing the Military, From Boot Camp to Office Work (Bloomberg) The U.S. military is finding its footing and changing how it operates as cases of the coronavirus keep rising. The services have been forced to continue widespread use of quarantines and to rethink future training, deploying, and day-to-day work. The virus curve has shot up from 10,462 cumulative cases in early June to 37,824 total cases by late July, according to the Defense Department. The figure includes more than 14,300 current infections among active-duty troops, as well as total cases reported among civilian workers, dependents and contractors since the pandemic began.

Seeking refuge in US, children fleeing danger are expelled (AP) When officers led them out of a detention facility near the U.S.-Mexico border and onto a bus last month, the 12-year-old from Honduras and his 9-year-old sister believed they were going to a shelter so they could be reunited with their mother in the Midwest. They had been told to sign a paper they thought would tell the shelter they didn’t have the coronavirus, the boy said. The form was in English, a language he and his sister don’t speak. The only thing he recognized was the letters “COVID.” Instead, the bus drove five hours to an airport where the children were told to board a plane. “They lied to us,” he said. “They didn’t tell us we were going back to Honduras.” More than 2,000 unaccompanied children have been expelled since March under an emergency declaration enacted by the Trump administration, which has cited the coronavirus in refusing to provide them protections under federal anti-trafficking and asylum laws. Lawyers and advocates have sharply criticized the administration for using the global pandemic as a pretext to deport children to places of danger. No U.S. agents looked at the video the boy had saved on his cellphone showing a hooded man holding a rifle, saying his name, and threatening to kill him and his sister, weeks after the uncle caring for them was shot dead in June. And even though they were expelled under an emergency declaration citing the virus, they were never tested for COVID-19, the boy said.

Coronavirus surprise: Remittances to Mexico rise during pandemic (Washington Post) It was an intuitive prediction, supported by virtually every expert who had studied the subject: As the coronavirus pandemic caused the global economy to tumble, remittances to Mexico and Central America would crash. It turns out the forecast was wrong. Instead of collapsing, remittances to Mexico were up year-over-year in five of the first six months of 2020. In June, payments to El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras also increased compared to the same period in 2019, after a dip earlier this year. In March, the month the World Health Organization declared a pandemic, remittances to Mexico topped $4 billion—a record. Across the United States, migrants and the children of migrants say they have prioritized sending money to family in Mexico and Central America during the pandemic.

Economy tanking, Cuba launches some long-delayed reforms (AP) With its airports closed to commercial flights and its economy tanking, Cuba has launched the first in a series of long-promised reforms meant to bolster the country’s struggling private sector. The island’s thousands of restaurants, bed-and-breakfasts, auto mechanics and dozens of other types of private businesses have operated for years without the ability to import, export or buy supplies in wholesale markets. While the communist government began allowing widespread private enterprise a decade ago, it maintained a state monopoly on imports, exports and wholesale transactions. As a result, the country’s roughly 613,000 private business owners have been forced to compete for scarce goods in Cuba’s understocked retail outlets or buy on the black market. That has limited the private sector’s growth and made entrepreneurs a constant target of criminal investigation. With the essential tourism business cut off by the novel coronavirus and the government running desperately low on hard currency, the government last month announced that it would allow private restaurants to buy wholesale for the first time. Ministers also announced that private businesspeople could sign contracts to import and export goods through dozens of state-run companies with import/export licenses.

Former Colombian president placed under house arrest (Economist) Colombia’s Supreme Court ordered that Álvaro Uribe, a conservative former president, be placed under house arrest. It is examining whether Mr Uribe had tried to tamper with witnesses in an investigation that he instigated against a left-wing senator. Mr Uribe, the mentor of Colombia’s current president, Iván Duque, is the first sitting or former president since the 1950s to be detained.

Emergency lockdown in Scotland (Foreign Policy) Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon moved quickly to impose a partial lockdown in the city of Aberdeen on Wednesday, after 54 new cases of COVID-19 were reported. The outbreak was linked to a bar, leading Sturgeon to close all pubs in the city and impose a ban on all non-essential travel. Sturgeon told reporters that the lockdown was a necessary measure. “We need to take decisive action now in order to prevent a larger outbreak and further harm later on,” she said.

Closed for vacation: France faces new virus testing troubles (AP) With virus cases rising anew, France is struggling to administer enough tests to keep up with demand. One reason: Many testing labs are closed so that their staff can take summer vacation, just as signs of a second wave are building. Testing troubles have plagued the U.S. and other countries too. But France’s August ritual of fleeing cities for weeks of holiday rest on seashores, mountainsides or grandma’s country house is an added tangle. “Closed for vacation” signs dangle from door after door across Paris this month, from bakeries to shoe shops and iconic cafes. Doctor’s offices and labs are no exception. Their staff need a rest more than ever this difficult year. But this August, socially distanced lines snake outside the scattered Paris labs that remain open, from the Left Bank to the city’s northern canals. Trying to get a test appointment can take a week or more. So can getting results.

Pakistan stands behind Kashmir (Foreign Policy) On the first anniversary of the Indian government’s decision to revoke Kashmir’s special autonomous status, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan heaped criticism on his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, and reiterated his support for Kashmiri self-determination. In a statement, Khan called Indian activity in the region since the move a “crime against humanity,” and in a subsequent address to the legislative assembly, he said Modi has been “exposed in the world.” One year later, the region is still saturated with troops, communications are slow, and arrests are a routine part of daily life.

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (Foreign Policy) Anti-government protests took place in Thailand earlier this week as demands for limits on the power of the monarchy grow. Due to strict laws forbidding criticism of royals, the demonstrations featured a happy twist. Many of the 200 activists showed up dressed as Harry Potter and other characters from the popular book and film series in an effort to draw parallels between their fight against the government and Harry Potter’s battle against the totalitarianism of Lord Voldemort.

Survivors mark 75th anniversary of world’s 1st atomic attack (AP) HIROSHIMA, Japan—Survivors of the world’s first atomic bombing gathered in diminished numbers near an iconic, blasted dome Thursday to mark the attack’s 75th anniversary, many of them urging the world, and their own government, to do more to ban nuclear weapons. An upsurge of coronavirus cases in Japan meant a much smaller than normal turnout, but the bombing survivors’ message was more urgent than ever. As their numbers dwindle—their average age is about 83—many nations have bolstered or maintained their nuclear arsenals, and their own government refuses to sign a nuclear weapons ban treaty. The United States dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, destroying the city and killing 140,000 people. The United States dropped a second bomb three days later on Nagasaki, killing another 70,000. Japan surrendered Aug. 15, ending World War II and its nearly half-century of aggression in Asia. But the decades since have seen the weapons stockpiling of the Cold War and a nuclear standoff among nations that continues to this day.

As Smoke Clears in Beirut, Shock Turns to Anger (NYT) Since an orphaned shipment of highly explosive chemicals arrived at the port of Beirut in 2013, Lebanese officials treated it the way they have dealt with the country’s lack of electricity, poisonous tap water and overflowing garbage: by bickering and hoping the problem might solve itself. But the 2,750 tons of high-density ammonium nitrate combusted Tuesday, officials said, unleashing a shock wave on the Lebanese capital that gutted landmark buildings, killed 135 people, wounded at least 5,000 and rendered hundreds of thousands of residents homeless. Beirut’s governor said the damage extended over half of the city, estimating it at $3 billion. The government has vowed to investigate the blast and hold those responsible to account. But as residents waded through the warlike destruction on Wednesday to salvage what they could from their homes and businesses, many saw the explosion as the culmination of years of mismanagement and neglect by the country’s politicians. And with the country already deep in the throes of a major economic crisis, residents had no idea how they would afford to rebuild. Because of the financial crisis, banks have placed strict limits on cash withdrawals to prevent runs.

U.S. eyes Saudi nuclear program (NYT) American intelligence agencies are scrutinizing efforts by Saudi Arabia, working with China, to build up its ability to produce nuclear fuel. A classified analysis has raised alarms that doing so could be a cover to process uranium and move toward development of a weapon, U.S. officials told The Times. American officials have searched for decades for evidence that the Saudis are moving toward a nuclear weapon, and the kingdom has made no secret of its determination to keep pace with Iran. But the spy agencies have been reluctant to warn of progress, for fear of repeating the colossal intelligence mistake that led to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

[jacksonroseroth]

Tales Of The XX Chapter 1

A/N: Aaaaaaaaaaand I’m back with another Colson fic. I’ve been working on these two(Waste Love) for about a month now? Maybe two. Anyway, this is an Italian Mafia AU based off the lyrics ‘young, blond Don and the Double-X Mob got a gang out in Sicily’ from MGK’s Floor 13. Hope you guys like it!

Warnings: Weed usage I tried to limit the amount of Italian I used, so if anything seems to be wrong, please let me know!...I didn’t get a great grade in Italian in college XD

Words: 4,248

Moodboard made by me, none of the pictures are mine

~

The sun scorched down on the black SUV as it drove along the Sicilian roads. Colson sipped his Scotch and gave a sigh, annoyed with how long the supposed 4-hour drive was taking. He would have rather taken the coast route, but the driver had other instructions. Shifting in his 3-piece suit, Colson pulled a hand through his bleached blonde hair, making a mental note to speak with his assistant to make him a hair appointment; Spying the natural dark hair that began to grow again when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.

Any further thoughts flew from his mind as they, finally, pulled up to the iron gate, the driver speaking to the intercom. A piercing screech sounded as the gates squeaked open allowing the car to pull in and around the fountain in the courtyard, to park. The back doors opened and Colson, along with his crew, filed out and up the stairs where the double doors opened for them.

“Mr. Romano.” An older man said, dressed in a black suit with graying brown hair. Colson glanced at him as they entered, not really focusing on him. His high was wearing off as his anxiety kicked into overdrive. Rubbing his hands together as the man led them through the foyer to a side room, he said, “Luca. How is everyone feeling today?”

“As they do at every meeting, Signore. Old, miserable, bitter, and upset.” Luca said. A brief smirk tugged at Colson’s lips as Luca held open the door to let Colson and his men in. Colson hated bringing his personal crew with him to meet with the Dons and the family. Most of his organization and general security were the Italian-born and bred sons, but his most loyal were three gangsters he picked up from the States and happened to consist of two black men. Colson despised their initial reaction, seeing color before loyalty, and struggled to keep his feelings about it under wraps, especially at meetings. Every time there was a threat and there was a meeting, Colson only trusted those three men to escort him and no one else.

Through all the years of his life that he gave to the Mafia, he’d learned to savor loyalty, having seen the use in it. While visiting family in New York, he was put under the protection of the three men that stood behind him now. After an attempt on his life, those men proved their value and Colson refused to have any other security to join his inner circle. While the Dons and the family disagreed, the only reason Colson’s request was allowed was because of his best friend; JP ‘Rook’ Cappelletti, the son and heir apparent of the XX Mob. However Rook wasn't the sole reason it was allowed, but the reason it was still allowed. It was Colson’s father and uncle, along with Rook’s father, who helped Colson’s grandfather form and create what the XX Mob was to this day. When Colson’s uncle, Aureliano, died, it was his last remaining ally among the elders and the Dons, leaving Rook as his sole lifeline to his birthright.

From his teenage years, it was a long believed secret rumor that Colson would be excommunicated when his kin died, as he had caused an enormous amount of trouble for the mob. But once Colson and Rook formed a closer friendship, Colson was given a second chance as the Dons and the family saw he had begun to change.

When a second door opened to reveal the elders on their usual pedestals, Colson sighed and walked in, up to their seats and bowed as his men filed into their box. Rook smirked at Colson, both him and his father sitting below the elders, trying to ease his anxiety, while his father gave Colson an acknowledged nod, silently telling him to take his seat. Colson turned and took the foremost seat, sitting back and, crossing a leg over his knee, resisted the urge to punch out the Don next to them, who was eyeing Slim and AJ with a semi look of disgust. His blue eyes burned with the urge, but once John Sr. began to speak, his anxiety spiked, high, and his hand twitched.

“Is everyone here? Good.” John started. Colson watched Rook lean back, looking around his father to the empty seat on his left, and smirked. Colson wasn’t sure who was meant to be sitting there, as it was always Rook and John. As he sat wondering, his question was soon answered as John continued speaking, “I would like to thank the Dons for coming on such short notice. The reason I’ve called you here today is-”

John was interrupted as the doors burst open and everyone turned to look as a dark, curly-haired, young woman blew in, two flunkies by her side. With a chipper smile on her lips and a mischievous twinkle sparkling in the two emeralds that sat on her face, she made her way before John and dipped into a brief curtsy, as did the flunkies. Rook smirked and watched her, as did Colson. John, however, was less than amused.

“Atta,” John said. The woman, Atta, looked up at him, still smiling despite the man’s tone, and replied, “Father.”

Leaving her spot, she climbed the short stairs to take the vacant seat on his left. After leaning over to place a quick kiss on John’s cheek, Atta said, “I’m sorry I’m late, Father. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything?”

Murmurs rippled among the Dons, as her gaze swept around the room, of ‘No. Not at all’s, while they looked away from her, with respect. Atta smirked and sat back, crossing her jean-clad legs and folding her hands in her lap.

While John gave a soft grunt of disapproval, he still continued speaking, brushing past the interruption. As John spoke, Colson studied the second Cappelletti sibling. Though her and Rook were twins, it made sense that they would both be present, but in the same token, Colson couldn’t recall her being at other meetings he attended and was intrigued to see her there. Atta froze her face and emotions to a pleased yet neutral look. She despised being called into meetings, though it didn’t happen often. JP was the heir apparent and would take their father’s place once he died, and John never seemed too keen to involve his only daughter in the family affairs, not that Atta minded.

She was in charge of running the Cappelletti General Store, taking over a few years back when their mother got sick. It was a position she took to like a duck to water and was involved enough in the family affairs. Relations and affiliates of the Dons, sometimes the Dons themselves on occasion, visited the shop on a semi-frequent as a way to throw the cops off their trail. Atta’s mother did everything in her power to prove her store was a legitimate business and the only reason these mobsters came to her store was because of her husband. While it seemed like a shaky story, as the police kept surveillance on the shop for a month, John was adamant that none of the mob’s business be taken near the store, wanting to give his wife something of her own. Once it was well established the store had no real involvement with the mob, it was left to those same deceivers, though they protected it with their lives. They would come in with a message or an order that Atta passed to the elders and her father. As the daughter of John Sr., by rights, she was the Princess of the XX. She was more well known on her small island of Sicily, still known well enough on the mainland, and that was enough for her.

“-Cannot sit idly by while these Germans push in on our territory. I put it to this council, in the hands of the Dons; Someone must remove this German threat before they bring the AISE down on us all.” John’s speech brought her back and she started listening again.

“Not to split hairs, Don Cappelletti. But wasn’t Don Romano the cause for this rivalry?” One of the Dons stated. All eyes turned to Colson’s box, while Colson glared at the old man. “With his pathetic attempt to charm Mr. Muller’s daughter, before his father’s death, was the start, was it not?”

Colson opened his mouth to respond, but someone spoke before he could. “A shrewd observation, Don Moretti. But if you remember correctly, other things were put into motion that affected the Germans, well before Don Romano made his appearance. Mr. Muller saw Colson’s showing as the last straw, even though Colson had not taken Vittorio’s role as Don Romano.” Colson’s head whipped around at the first sound of her voice and continued to stare in shock as Atta came to his defense.

Many of the boxes began to buzz with upset. While Atta was respected as the family’s only daughter, many of the old men believed there was no place for women in Mafia business, save for being arm and eye candy, housewives, and mothers. This being one of the first times that Atta spoke up in a meeting, there was a bigger upheaval for the simple fact that they disliked Colson and had plans for their own sons to take over his territory.

Rook smirked and looked down as he attempted to suppress a snicker. Atta heard the faint snort and her lips twitched upward in a smirk of her own. John glanced at her and smiled, turning to Don Moretti and held up his hands to calm the Dons as he said, “Do not be upset by my daughter’s words. Especially when she speaks the truth. As I recall, it was your grandson, Adriano, who was sent to America to take out a hit and botched it. That was when Mr. Muller put us on his radar. Having taken out one of his men by mistake.”

Don Moretti grumbled and mumbled as he looked away in shame of the truth. John cast a glance to Colson, with a small smile, and said, “That is why I said this task is in your collective hands instead of singling Don Romano out; As it was not his fault.”

The grumbles of old men soon died down and John spoke again, “Discuss this matter with your families and each other. I want to hear names at our next meeting at the end of the week. Now, the other reason for this meeting and the reason for my daughter’s presence…”

Atta flinched and Colson saw her face twitch. Rook glanced at his sister and watched as she gripped her own hands so tightly, she white-knuckled. John reached over to place a gentle hand on hers and said, “Atta turns 26 this next week, on the 13th. I believe it is high time she was married and settled down. Many of you have expressed interest in my daughter’s hand. Each family will produce a suitor for my daughter at her party. From there, she will choose her husband.”

“You are letting her choose, John Paul? She could draw it out and never choose!” One of the elders called in a gravelly voice. “We’ve never given daughters free choice. You shall choose her husband.”

“Don Greco. We all value your input as the elders. But our children were born into a much different age. They have seen much in their young lives. My daughter will make her own choice. By her next birthday, she will be married.” John said, announcing the last bit to the room in a firm and final tone. Atta glanced at her father and gritted her teeth before standing and walking out in a deafening silence.

~

As the meeting went on without her, Atta hung around the gardens, finishing one of her last joints. As the smoke trailed from the burnt orange end, she placed a delivery order to restock as she made her way back to the manor. When she reached the porch, she set up shop on the swing bench to finish the roach.

Just as she snubbed it out with the toe of her boot, the doors flew open, causing her to look up. Colson walked out, rubbing his hands over his face and muttering. With a muffled groan, he dropped his hands and sighed, still muttering. Once he finally turned to begin pacing, he noticed Atta off to the side and gave her nothing more than a cursory glance as he paced, evenly, trying to quell his anxiety and his anger.

Atta watched him for a moment as she patted herself down to find her lighter and last joint. Giving it a few good puffs to get it nice and lit, Atta stood and went to Colson, offering it to him once he paced back to her. He accepted it and took a large hit, trying to allow as much of it to soak in as he could before he let it go, blowing out a slow line of smoke. Colson closed his eyes with a sigh as he took another hit. It made Atta giggle.

“You seem a lot jumpier than you used to be.” She teased gently. Colson opened his eyes and gave her a look. The look only made Atta smirk as she leaned on the hands against the brick wall. Colson took another hit before handing it back as he said, “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Atta said, softly, taking the joint. As Colson passed to walk back inside, Atta turned, quickly, and caught his hand. Colson turned and his expression softened as he saw a small, flirtatious smirk spread across her face while she stepped closer and looked up at him. “You should come by the shop sometime. I’m closing all this week. Could use the company.”

Her fingers played with his in the sweet, innocent way she did when they were younger. There had always been a mutual attraction between them, but Atta had to be seen with someone who was favorable to the family and Colson was a very far cry from that. So, they kept their friendship as a way to still at least be able to be around each other.

With a chuckle, Colson said, “Yeah. And what happens if John or one of the Dons walks in? Sees us alone together. They’re already gunning for me.”

“Gunning for the Gunner? They must have a death wish.” Atta teased with a chuckle as she took a small step closer to close the already small gap between them. She brought her joint to her lips and inhaled slowly. Colson smirked and plucked the joint from her lips and said, “You’re cute.”

Atta blew out the smoke as he took a hit and held it in for a moment as he said, “You must have a death wish for me. John would kill me if he found out. Damaging his precious princess’s reputation.”

Atta laughed as Colson finally let out the smoke, then she said, “Please. I damage it on my own. 25, living alone. No husband, no fiance. The family already treats me like I’m living in sin.” Atta scoffed and rolled her eyes as she took the joint back. She looked up at Colson and asked, “So, will you come see me tomorrow night?”

Waiting for his response, Atta took another drag as Colson took a step back, taking the joint from her as she offered it. After taking a final drag and handing it back, Colson said, “Sure.”

Atta’s face began to light up, but skidded to a halt and dropped as Colson, who seemed to take her smile, said, “If Rook is there.” He snickered as Atta sucker-punched his shoulder and said, “Not funny.”

“I thought it was.” He said with a small shrug and a smirk. Colson chuckled and took a step closer to bend down and kiss her cheek. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Atta watched him walk back inside and down the hall with a sigh. She kicked a chip of brink before finishing the joint and stamping it out before going in as well to find her friends. Colson approached his gang and smiled when he saw Rook turn. The men chuckled and clapped hands before Rook said, “Hey, Colson, my dad was asking for you. He wants to see you before you leave.”

Scrunching up his face, slightly confused, Colson asked, “Did he say why?” Rook smirked and said, “It’s nothing bad, bro. Promise. But don’t keep him waiting.

Colson sighed, sightly, calling to his men to hang tight, he then turned to find his way through the mess of halls to get to John’s office, no doubt that’s where he would be waiting. Two knocks on the door, Colson prayed that his high set in soon, as he felt the pricklings of anxiety form again.

“Entra.” The command came, slightly muffled behind the heavy oak door. Colson pushed the door open and walked in, closing the door behind him. When Colson turned, he saw John’s back facing him as John flipped through folders and papers, standing in front of a filing cabinet.

“You wanted to see me, John?” Colson said, taking a few steps to the center of the room and clasping his hands behind his back. John turned, folders still in hand, and smiled at him before closing the drawers.

“Colson. Sí, Sí, come in.” John said, waving the young man over. Colson approached John’s desk but didn’t move to sit down until invited. John set his papers and folders down on his desk and grabbed two crystal glasses and a decanter of scotch. Filling the glasses, he held one out to Colson, inquiring, “You still drink scotch?”

Colson smirked and nodded, accepting the drink. “Yes, sir. I do.” Colson said. Both men chuckled and clinked glasses in a cheers. John quickly downed the amber liquid and refilled his glass before indicating the chair in front of Colson, saying, “Please. Sit.”

Colson sipped the scotch as he sat down. Taking another sip, Colson began to choke and sputter on it, caught off guard when John said, “About the wedding…”

Colson coughed and set the glass down, wiping his face as John looked up in confusion and watched him. Once Colson was able to pull himself together, he looked at John and said “Uhm the wedding? Atta’s?”

John chuckled and said, “Not to you, dear boy. That’s why I’ve called you here.”

“I’m sorry, sir, I don’t understand,” Colson said. John gave a heavy sigh as he continued to speak and look over papers.

“Colson, our families are very close. Aureliano and Vittorio were like brothers to me. It pained me when the elders asked that I step in as head of this family instead of you. I think of you as my own son.” John finally looked up at him and continued, “When I asked that each family produce a son as a suitor for my daughter...Whom did you expect to name? Yourself?”

“Well, I-Yes?” Colson answered, still confused as to why he had been called there. John smiled and nodded, looking back down at his papers.

“As I expected. You are the only Romano son left. It is the logical choice and I understand that.” John said. “But you must understand when I say, that you cannot present yourself, nor any of your men, as a prospect for Atta. The Romano family will not have a suitor.”

Colson blinked in surprise and questioned, “Sir?”

John looked up, watching Colson for a moment then sighed and said, “You know as well as I do; The Dons are not overly fond of you or your choice of men. If I were even to entertain the notion that I would allow Atta to consider you, there would be an uproar. You have your seat on this council because your grandfather made XX what it is today.”

“I’m aware of my lineage and birthright,” Colson said, with blatant disdain as obvious by his lip curling in a sneer. John smirked and said, “I have no intention of removing you from your position, Colson. But one I am gone, if JP cannot keep the Dons and elders happy...He will have no choice but to remove you once they call a vote.”

Colson sighed and sat back, refusing to admit defeat, but also at a loss. “Then, what the fuck am I supposed to do here, John?” He asked, throwing a hand up. John stood, as did Colson. He went to the young, blonde Don and clapped a hand on his back, steering him to the door.

“Nothing. Right now, at least. The Dons know of your friendship with my children. They will expect you to offer yourself for Atta’s hand. Surprise them all, Richard.” John said. Colson couldn’t help the twitch that took over his face at the use of his first name, but he knew John only used it to drive home a point. As the door opened, Colson sighed and nodded, turning to John and shaking his hand.

“Yes, Sir.” He said. “Was there anything else?”

John chuckled and said, “Don’t start a fight at her party. We both know it won’t be me or the Dons that will punish you for it.”

Colson smirked, recalling the day when a very young Colson and Rook started a fight at Atta’s 13th birthday. Both boys left with black eyes and scars from Atta’s ring. He nodded and walked out, making his way back through the maze of halls to the foyer where only Rook and Colson’s men were left.

He said his goodbyes to Rook and the group walked out the front doors and made their way down the stairs. Light, lyrical laughter met his ears and he looked up to see Atta and her friends getting into their car. Colson watched as her curls bounced and shone in the sun as she turned to talk to one of the girls; Carina was her name if Colson remembered correctly. Atta’s eyes flickered up to Colson and her smile widened a touch before the car door opened and she looked away, thanking the valet that held her door open. She slipped him a few bills before climbing into the SUV.

As Atta’s car drove off, Colson made his way down the stairs, a few steps before his car, when a young man stepped in front of him, a smug look on his face and dressed to kill. Colson repressed the urge to sneer at him. Or punch him out. He showed an extreme amount of self-control as the man began to speak.

“Young Romano. Good to see you again.” He said, briefly touching Colson’s shoulder.

“Enzio d’Este...Good to see you as well.” Colson said, half a second away from rolling his eyes at the smug bastard. Enzio chuckled and continued, “I hope you haven’t gotten too many hopes up?”

Raising an eyebrow, lazily, Colson offered, “About what, exactly?”

“Atta choosing you,” Enzio said. “I know you, her, and Rook are i tre moschettieri, but I’m a d’Este. No woman can resist a d’Este. Everyone knows that.”

Colson chuckled and shifted. “d’Este...If she chooses you? I respect her and her choices...Enough to shoot you after everyone is gone. No woman needs to see that mess.” He said. His smile dropped as he added, “Even if she does choose you, Enzio...If I find out you’ve hurt her, or you’re the reason she cries, you’ll find yourself at the bottom of the Tyrrhenian wearing a pair of cement Mary Janes with a matching hat...Am I in any way unclear, d’Este?”

Enzio chuckled and stuck a cigarette between his lips and lit it before he said, with a gesture to Colson, “You have a good night, Don Romano.” With almost an even bigger ego than before and even more smug, Enzio walked away, back to his own family as they piled in their cars and left. Colson groaned softly and got into the backseat of his own SUV, his buddy, Slim, had waited for him to get in before sliding in next to him as the door closed.

“The fuck did that smug asshole want?” Another man from the back asked, scratching at his beard as he sat forward. Colson glanced at him and chuckled.

“Eazy, Baze.” He said to the man. Baze had a run-in or two with the d’Estes and wasn’t fond of the eldest son, Enzio, at all. “He’s just trying to rattle us so we fuck up and I lose my power.”

Baze scoffed and sat back, unconvinced. The other man beside him, AJ, nudged Colson and said, “What’d John want?”

Colson glanced at him and sighed. “He told me I’m not to name myself or any of you for Atta. He basically forbade me from marrying her.” He said. The car suddenly went silent as the rest of them were in shock. While they knew Colson would offer himself as he was the only Romano left, save his daughter, they all thought it would be a sure thing and John would be overjoyed to welcome him to the family. But as Colson explained the nature of their conversation, they understood and dropped the subject.

~

Next Chapter

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@badwolf-in-the-impala​​ @lovemythsworld​​ @kellsfanficalltogether​​ @mgkobsessed​

[medea10]

My Review of Kaguya-sama: Love is War

How did I get into this anime? It was about time to do it as this was one of the best animes to come from the winter 2019 anime line-up (after Dororo and The Promised Neverland). Now let’s hit…

Hold it Medea! Weren’t you supposed to review Darker Than Black for your Aniplex pick?

Ah, yes…THAT anime. I watched it. I finished it. It was a mind-fuck. I bailed on the review. And while I’m at it, I’m also not reviewing Psycho Pass 3, Violet Evergarden, or A Certain Scientific Accelerator. Onto Kaguya-sama!

Shuchiin Academy, once a school for students that are well-off financially. Nowadays, it’s still that, but even commoners can attend. And one such student is a boy by the name of Miyuki Shirogane, who in just his first year managed to obtain the top spot at the school with the position of Student Council President.  By his side is his vice president, Kaguya Shinomiya. This girl comes from extreme wealth and excels in many fields including art and music. The students here revere these two as being the best of the best. And also…they make a great couple!

Pump the brakes here, pal. These two are NOT a couple. As a matter of fact, both characters end up playing 3D chess in their brains to try and take the other person down with mind games if even the slightest topic involving love is brought up. Both Kaguya and Miyuki already have feelings for the other, they just won’t admit it. The first person to admit love will be considered the loser in this war. And both of these characters are stubborn to the point of…oh my god!

THESE TWO ARE TSUNDERES! I’ve seen animes where only one person is the tsundere in the couple. But what happens when they’re BOTH tsunderes? Well…it took over 20 episodes for Taiga on Toradora. It took over 4 seasons for Louise on Familiar of Zero. But those two animes had only ONE tsundere. This anime has TWO. We might be here for a while!

Well, let’s watch who wins and who loses in the game (or war) of love!

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: Aniplex of America has a good grip on this anime as they have managed to license the second season before it has aired. Much to my dismay, this anime has not received an English dub. Aniplex of America has released the blu-ray last month ($100+ shipping and handling), but only with Japanese audio/English subtitles. Okay.

Now IF they decide to come back in a few years and dub this series, I have a few thoughts. And don’t say it’ll never happen. FUNimation and Sentai are guilty as fuck of releasing a series with no dub and two years later dropping a dub release just so they can grab extra dough.

I HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN NICHIJOU YOU GRIFTING CRAP-WEASELS!

Anyways, if they decide to do this, I want R. Bruce Elliott to voice the narrator. I don’t give a shit about the rest of the cast, I just want that for the narrator! That’s just my take on that matter. I know this would NEVER happen unless Elliott ends up in L.A. for a few sessions (as he’s mostly stationed in Texas). It’s just that he’s the best person to play a narrator in just about anything. Don’t believe me? Watch Space Dandy and Sgt. Frog and get back to me!

Oh! And just my luck, FUNimation plans on giving this series an English dub. Though it’ll be a while before we see anything due to COVID-19 mess! No rush, take your time. Rest up. Consider R. Bruce Elliot as the narrator. And we’ll see you after we get off quarantine!

The sub version consists of a lot of newer, yet familiar voices. As for Kaguya’s seiyuu (Aoi Koga), this is my first time hearing her voice and so far I’m impressed. I’m also impressed with an anime to have several tsunderes and no sign of Rie Kugimiya, the QUEEN of tsundere anime characters. That shows great dedication, but if she ends up in season two, I’m gonna scream. Here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

*Kaguya is played by Aoi Koga

*Miyuki is played by Makoto Furukawa (known for Saitama on One Punch Man, Hatsuharu on Fruits Basket 2019, and Banri on Golden Time)

*Chika is played by Konomi Kohara (known for Miu on Domestic Girlfriend, Fizel on SAO: Alicization, and Kai on Hitoribocchi)

*Yuu is played by Ryouta Suzuki (known for Ryouhei on Tsurune)

FAVORITE CHARACTER: Chika. Chika. Chika. Chika. Chika. And did I mention Chika?

Best girl!

SPEAKING OF CHIKA: I found an infectious little song in the form of an ending theme! For one episode, we got an ending theme song featuring Chika.

Chikatto Chika Chikaa♡! I just love it! This should win an award or something!

*several months later*

Thank you Crunchyroll Awards!

Seriously, this ED as well as the OP theme are just so infectious that I constantly go back to replay these two songs whenever I take a break from replaying Black Clover themes (no joke, I love Black Clover themes). The first ending is fine. It’s just that Chika’s special ED was so addicting that I had to mention it once, twice, or more!

SHIPPING: It’s pretty obvious to see that Kaguya and Miyuki are mad for each other. But there are several obstacles in their way. For one thing this is sort of their first love, so approaching this subject is very new. Secondly, both of them are dead-set on the fact that love is a war full of wins and losses. Both Kaguya and Miyuki play these mind-games when something mundane happens like a personality quiz or a weekend activity. They try to trap the other person into saying something embarrassing or admitting to something. Even though it’s so crystal clear that they both are romantically interested in each other!

However, I’m pretty sure Kaguya has lost more battles than Miyuki due to the infamous sick day episode. Sick Kaguya is pretty ballsy getting Miyuki to lay in bed with her.

FUNNIEST MOMENT: You can blame this on the fact that I’m absolutely immature and have the mind of an 8 year old. But there was a moment in mid-season where Chika learns of a specific quirk about Kaguya. Because Kaguya was suppressed when it came to matters of phrases and naughty words, she still finds the word “wiener” utterly hilarious. And so during this whole segment, you’ve got Chika continuously saying the word “wiener”. Then, she goes the extra mile to have other members of the student council like Miyuki and Yuu to say the word. And Kaguya is trying to prevent them from saying it until we just get a barrage of “wieners” and hysterical laughter. I gotta admit that it was one of the funniest moments in this series.

ENDING: A few episodes before the finale, a monumentous moment occurred. Kaguya got sick.

Just go with it!

Whenever Kaguya gets sick, her mind goes into a complete stupor. Her mind is almost that of an infant or small child and once she’s better, she will not remember a single thing that happened. And Miyuki was the poor sap to check on her during that sick day! I’ll cut to the chase and say what went down.

She opens her bed covers and drags Miyuki into bed with her. Now before your mind jumps in the trash, they remained fully clothed…although they both did fall asleep. So, they slept together. Just no intercourse! This kinda lead to a major fight involving a cake, an apology, and a cute moment where Kaguya touches his lip!

Hey, a girl who’s been sexually suppressed her whole life, this is like first base here.

I feel that was a bit of a breaking point to bring up on a count of a lot of the mind games stopped temporarily. Probably because the last two episodes of the season involved summer break! By the looks of it, Chika was having a blast eating so much and Yuu is doing his usual gaming stuff. All the while, Kaguya and Miyuki didn’t really do much during their break. But they promised to all meet up one day to see the fireworks. Unfortunately, that serves to be a daunting task for Kaguya as she’s been heavily sheltered her entire life. Her family (especially her father) never let her do things normal kids take for granted including going out with friends or even walking to school.

In fact, Kaguya’s plans of meeting up with Chika and others to go shopping were cancelled due to Kaguya’s father calling her to the main house…for literally nothing. Add to that, the family saw it in THEIR best interest to not allow Kaguya to leave the house to see the fireworks with her friends. But Kaguya decided to defy those orders! She gets her servant Hayasaka to disguise as her if any other servants come in and escaped her house. Yuu, Chika, and Miyuki were all in an agreement to save Kaguya…just not on the same wavelength. Kaguya on her own ended up missing the firework show. But once Miyuki found her, he took her and they went on a small adventure to another prefecture to see another firework show. But it could be cutting it close due to traffic and the show was reaching its end. Thankfully, they made it! Kaguya was finally able to see the fireworks with her friends.

It’s just that Kaguya didn’t pay attention to the firework show…she stared at Miyuki the whole time!

In the final segment of episode 12, Kaguya and Miyuki kinda realized how dorky they were the night of the firework show. Kaguya let her guard down so many times that night and spent the entire firework show staring at Miyuki. Meanwhile, Miyuki thought he sounded stupid when he took Kaguya to the show. We get one final mind-game between these two until it ended with Miyuki almost saying something and Kaguya chases him down while the end credits play on in the background.

Will either one of them say how they truly feel about the other? Who will win? Who will lose?

…Guess we’ll find out in a few days when season two airs!

This was an entertaining anime! It’s like if Death Note were a rom-com instead of a thriller. Both Kaguya and Miyuki have a similar mind-set to Light Yagami when it comes to the game of love. They both have the hots for each other and both refuse to admit it first. But thanks to key moments including Kaguya’s sickness and the firework saga, there’s been definite progress with these two letting their guards down. But they’ve got a long way to go! I mean, these two are major tsunderes meaning they’re going to suppress their wants and desires with the opposite sex with these ridiculous mind-games. So…we might be here for a while before any one of them admits their feelings. But I say give it a watch! It’s not that long of a series and it’s still fairly new so it’s still open for more sequels and side-projects before losing its luster.

Currently, this anime is available for streaming on Hulu, Crunchyroll, and FUNimation.

And stay tuned for the second season exclusively available on FUNima…You guys are really pissing me off with your exclusivity!

Okay, I managed to finish this baby up quite quick. What’s the next Aniplex title I’m going to watch?

Picture it, Medea. Osmosis Jones but…

Cells at Work?

That’s great. I’m also not reviewing this one. I have my own reasons for not reviewing this. So let’s hit the randomizer button again because as of this date, I finished Cells at Work.

Lord El-Melloi…I’M NOT READING ALL THAT SHIT! Sum it up quickly!

It’s Fate, but with Waver Velvet.

Jesus “Tap Dancing” Christ, it’s another Fate series! I’m not reviewing anything Fate! It’s a cluster-fuck of a series! Don’t get me wrong, I love Fate/Zero and Unlimited Blade Works as much as the next dip-shit, but the franchise is a pile of cluster bombs and I can’t make heads or tails of any of this. Regardless, I finished that hot mess as well.

Okay you picky-ass bitch, how about the best animated anime of the 2010’s?

Demon Slayer!

Now that’s more like it! But I will still fight to the death that best animated goes to Violet Evergarden!

[goldstarnation]

JANUARY 2020 GOLD STAR MEDIA SCHEDULES & REVIEW

Members may earn 3 points each (up to 6 points) for writing, by the end of February 7 KST:

A solo para of 400+ words based on their monthly schedule (does not count toward your monthly total).

A thread of six posts (three per participant, including the starter) based on their monthly schedule.

Threads do not have to take place directly during an important date listed on the schedule, but must be related to what the muse is mentioned to be doing in the paragraph explaining their schedule/the company’s schedule for the month and/or their thoughts on the mentioned activities or lack thereof.

These schedules may be updated throughout the month if new information needs to be added.

Reminder: December schedule posts are due by the end of January 7 KST.

Overall Company

Now that they’ve proven themselves to be the company to beat, Gold Star is more interested in proving the strength of their artists to investors than giving fans the endless stream of content they’d prefer, if the beginning of the year meeting is anything to go by. Gold Star is the dominant idol company in the west, and that’s another title they’re interested in keeping. Compared to past years, the plans shared at this year’s meeting seem much more about image than ever before and many artists under them are only looking at one comeback this year. If nothing else, everyone will have the Seollal break to mull over the company’s evolution.

Important dates:

January 13: Meeting for company artists and those who work directly with them (managers, PR, etc.) headed by CEO Bang Sunyoung. Gold Star Media’s mission statements and overall plans for 2020 will be delivered.

January 24-26: Seollal break (no activities save for specific voluntary individual schedules). 

Various dates (up to individual muse): As per usual January Gold Star custom, all group members and soloists will be required to individually schedule beginning of the year medical check-up appointments on Gold Star’s dollar if they have not had one in the past six months. This will be slightly media-played as it is every year by the company as the company having a clean bill of health regardless of the results, although any medical concerns will be privately addressed.

Gold Star Soloist 1

A final track list for her comeback this year is coming into place with discussions between her and the appropriate departments, although Gold Star gets the final word on it as always. As such, she’ll be in the studio for the month to record final vocals for the narrowing track list. Gold Star has it officially nailed down that she’ll be releasing a single without a music video off the album in March before coming back with the album itself with another single, this time with a music video, in May, after which, she’ll be preparing to tour in the second half of the year.

Important dates:

N/A

Gold Star Soloist 2

She will begin her national tour next month, so January brings with it a lot of late night concert rehearsals at the Gold Star building. In addition to her hits and fan favorite songs, she’ll be performing a few covers at the request of Gold Star’s concert team that she’ll need to be practicing too: an encore dance medley of Bad Guy X Senorita X 2002, a vocal cover of Speechless, and a vocal cover of Into The Unknown. Stage outfit fittings will happen mid-month.

Important dates:

January 18: Tour stage outfit fittings (examples: 1, 2, 3)

Gold Star Soloist 3

The 23rd of this month is his seven year debut anniversary, and as such he’ll be doing a small and simple fanmeeting for his fans before he gets Seollal off. He has a lot of freedom for the fan sign to make the anniversary as genuine as possible, so he’ll get to choose which of his songs he’d like to perform (as long as he includes his most recent singles). Gold Star will supply gifts for all of his fans attend from brands endorsed by other Gold Star artists.

Important dates:

January 23: Seventh anniversary fan meeting at Blue Square Market Hall.

Silhouette

Silhouette will be touring Japan next month. It’s not a tour with very extravagant staging, so they’ll mostly only be rehearsing their top hits, their Japanese songs, and their most recent songs this month to be in top performance shape for the tour. On the 11th, they’ll need to go in to fittings for their stage outfits to make sure all of the stylists’ choices are easy to dance in and flattering to each member.

Important dates:

January 11: Tour stage outfit fittings (examples: 1, 2, 3)

Aria

Aria will be promoting themselves a little past the end of promotions this time around since the holiday season took away so many promotional opportunities for them. They’ll be filming an appearance on the newly-returned Two Two Project: Sugar Man covering A.R.T.’s “Sad Face” to air on the final day of the month. They’ll be rehearsing for the performance for the week and a half leading up to it to give a satisfactory performance. Ticketing will also open for their fanmeeting in March this month.

Important dates:

January 9: End of music show promotions.

January 17: Two Yoo Project: Sugar Man filming (to be aired: January 31)

Origin

Awards season continues, but Gold Star is more focused on the release of a series of three remixes of the b-side “Make It Right” off of their most recent album. It’s mostly to test out public reception and ways to improve radio and streaming performance for future comebacks and none of the remixes require any new vocals from the members. For the new year, they’re beginning a new campaign with the city of Seoul to boost tourism and they’ll be filming separate ads for the campaign. They each only have to film a small scripted intro and outro on the CF set in addition to brief group shots (Leader/main rapper | vocal 1 | lead rapper | main dancer/lead rapper | lead vocal/lead dancer | vocal 2 | maknae/main vocal/lead dancer).

Important dates:

January 5: Performance at Golden Disc Awards Day Two at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea (also attending: CHARM, Alien, and Impulse).

January 10: Release of “Make It Right (Remix) ft. Lauv”.

January 24: Release of “Make It Right (Remix) ft. Lauv [EDM Remix]”.

January 27: Seoul Tourism CF filming (see above).

January 31: Release of “Make It Right (Remix) ft. Lauv [Acoustic Remix]”.

Impulse

For the month of their sixth anniversary, Impulse members get something of a break. They have the Golden Disc Awards to attend on the 5th and they’ve been chosen as the new brand ambassadors for The Face Shop, meaning they’ll need to shoot their first CF modeling for the brand. They also all do individual photo shoots with one specific product for the brand: The leader/main vocal/lead dancer for essence, the main rapper for mascara, the lead rapper for sunscreen, the lead vocal/lead dancer for primer, the main vocal for a face mask, the lead rapper/lead dancer for lip liner, and the maknae/main dancer/vocal for their signature serum. After that, they’re granted an extended Seollal vacation from the 20th to the 30th to relax before they go back on tour next month.

Important dates:

January 5: Performance at Golden Disc Awards Day Two at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea (also attending: CHARM, Alien, and Origin).

January 15: The Face Shop CF filming.

January 19: The Face Shop ad photo shoot (see above).

Fuse

Gold Star isn’t planning to wrap up their Fuse Festival trilogy until late summer and after they hold a solo concert in the spring, so there isn’t too much on their schedule this month. Their Hotel del Luna OST releases very early in the month, but it isn’t the major hit some of the other songs on the soundtrack are. Fuse will focus on modeling this month, including a photo shoot for High Cut and CF filming for their new 2020 job as GMarket brand ambassadors.

Important dates:

January 4: Release of Hotel del Luna OST “See The Stars”.

January 9: Photo shoot for Issue 257 (first half of February) of High Cut magazine.

January 20: GMarket CFs filming.

January 30: Performance at Seoul Music Awards at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea (also attending: BEE, WISH, Alien, Lucid).

Element

From January 16 to January 22 and from January 26 to January 30, the members of Element will be in the U.S. for their North America tour. They’ll be performing three of the four cover stages they did for their North America tour: “If I Can’t Have You”, “Thank U Next”, and “Taki Taki”. While in Los Angeles, they’ll film videos with both Access Hollywood (discussing tour stories of their choice) and Young Hollywood (doing a “mystery box challenge”). There will not be a hired translator present for either video, though management may help to clarify off-camera if ever necessary. By the time they return, Gold Star will have picked their next title track from the options under consideration and confirm them for a May comeback with another digital single.

Important dates:

January 16: Access Hollywood interview filming.

January 17: Young Hollywood Mystery Box Challenge filming.

January 17: 4lement in North America Tour concert at La Mirada Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, USA

January 19: 4lement in North America Tour concert at Theatre of Living Arts in Philadephia, PA, USA.

January 22: 4lement in North America Tour concert at Cullen Performance Hall in Houston, TX, USA.

January 27: 4lement in North America Tour concert at Patio Theater in Chicago, IL, USA. 

January 29: 4lement in North America Tour concert at Buckhead Theatre Atlanta, GA, USA.

Femme Fatale

Following their performance at the Gaon Chart Music Awards, they’re off on the Asia leg of their first world tour. This month they’ll be in Thailand and Indonesia. For the duration of the tour, they’ll be filming a mini-reality series of their rehearsals and travels called Femme Fatale Diaries. They’ll shoot two episodes during their Bangkok stops this month. The series will mostly consist of self-cams by the members backstage, at their hotel, and exploring the city to help fans feel in touch with the members even while they’re busy touring. During the time they’re in Seoul, they’ll be recording the four new tracks on their next mini-album. Though the comeback has not been publically confirmed, hype is already being built for one after their reveal as part of this year’s Coachella lineup in April.

Important dates:

January 8: Performance at Gaon Chart Music Awards at Jamsil Arena in Seoul, South Korea (also attending: BEE, Alien, and Lucid).

January 10: Femme Fatale In Your Area World Tour concert at IMPACT Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

January 11: Femme Fatale In Your Area World Tour concert at IMPACT Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. 

January 12: Femme Fatale In Your Area World Tour concert at IMPACT Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. 

January 18: Femme Fatale In Your Area World Tour concert at Indonesia Convention Exhibition in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

January 19: Femme Fatale In Your Area World Tour concert at Indonesia Convention Exhibition in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

[sorasunao]

the GazettE ~ Reita about World Tour’13 ~

Today let's talk with you about the Gazette World Tour'13 in full.

Reita: Well, since we have such a topic, here! *shows a T-shirt on him* I put on a T-shirt I bought in Germany (laughs).

Great idea! So, you have enough free time during the tour?

Reita: There were days when we were completely free. In Mexico and in Cologne [*the first city in Germany] we had one free day, so we decided to take a walk (laughs). We divided into two teams: "shopping" and "pyramids."

And how were the forces distributed in these teams?

Reita: Ruki, Aoi and I went shopping, and Uruha and Kai went to the pyramids (laughs). There were reasons for that. Kai specially brought a camera with him and began to say: "Finally we went abroad, I want to take pictures of pyramids or something!" All the others wanted to go shopping, and, having heard that the road to the pyramids will take about 3 hours, flatly refused to go with him. "It turns out that art loses with a score of 1 to 4, and we began to resolve the dispute with the help of "stone-scissors-paper". Uruha lost, and Kai took him to see the sights (laughs). As a result, the roads were empty, they reached the pyramids for 40 minutes and, it seems, had a good time. Well, it's good if that's so (laughs).

Are you sorry that you didn’t go to the pyramids?  

Reita: Not really, I'm actually not very much occupied with such things. 6 years ago we went to the Louvre, and then it seemed to me not very interesting. In fact, it seems to me that our members wouldn’t be surprised at anything (laughs). I suspect that they just pretend to be interested in such things (laughs).

It can not be (laughs). And what kind of harvest did the team of shopping get?

Reita: Well, what a harvest (laughs). I went for pajamas, because I forgot mine, and for home slippers, because the hotel didn’t have, but I feel uncomfortable without them. I didn't need nothing specially to go shopping in Mexico, so I bought only essential goods (laughs). This is how our world tour began (laughs). Arriving at the airport, we were shocked, seeing how many local fans came to meet us, we generally barely understood what was happening. Especially in Mexico, as it was the first visited country, we could not even figure out how many people came. The security was too slow, and near the passport control we were surrounded by fans, so much so that we could not move at all. There was also a positive moment in this situation -  wherever we go, I everywhere went with a mask and sunglasses, so I remained a suspicious person (laughs). 

It's because they've waited for you so long.

Reita: Yes, we felt their fervor. Especially in Mexico and throughout South America, because we arrived there for the first time, and the fans were especially on the platoon. In Europe, we were six years ago, but still there was a feeling that you came here for the second time. Even at concerts, I felt these moods, which were in the air. In South America, not only at concerts, but also at airports, as in Mexico, there was incredible enthusiasm (laughs). All of them were happy that the Gazette arrived. In Europe, it was the feeling that the fans enjoyed the spectacle more carefully. Therefore, I am very curious about how we will be met in Central and South America for the second time. In truth, at first we thought of visiting only Europe, because we thought that fans from Central and South America never took us into account. So, we were very surprised that they, it turns out, were so tired of waiting. I am very glad that we went there. In Brazil, encouraging exclamations didn't abate for a minute. And at the airport, the guards had to put their hands together to protect us, but the crowd poured so much from behind, that the trolley with the luggage couldn't pass and stuck motionless. It was just a frenzied pressure.

How long did you rehearse before the tour?    

Reita: Two days, probably. It makes no sense to rehearse, if you don't rehearse on the equipment that you take with you. Since we had to send the equipment in advance, we were forced to rehearse for 3 weeks before departure. In fact, before the performance, there was almost a month of free time, and rehearsing was useless, so we switched to self-preparation.

By what criteria did you select the set-list?

Reita: The settings of the instruments for the songs of the Gazette vary greatly, if one chooses from the full spectrum, will have to transport a mountain of equipment. Therefore, we discussed the settings, and based on this, selected songs. We talked over: "I would like to play this song, but for the sake of this it's necessary to increase the amount of equipment." Having considered this matter, we singled out two songs with a line-up in “B flat major”, mandatory for playing - Filth In The Beauty и VORTEX. And songs like Akai Onepiece and similar to it, with the standard line-up, this time we didn't include.

By the way, recently you have songs with a standard line-up?

Reita: Recently, no. So, we thought hard, before deciding for the sake of one song to take another guitar. Following the latest trends, it seems to me that the set-list this time was formed around lines-up of A major and B flat major. However, in this case LINDA didn’t fit in the set. Therefore, it was decided to take another guitar for the D-major line. Well, for this case, we also added SHIVER. Total came out a set-list for three variations of the settings, for this I took 4 guitars, guitarists - 5 or 6. As for the time, it went out for an hour and a half -  the main part consisted of 13 songs, and 3 more remained on the encore. For comparison, in Japan only in the main part we play 18 songs, so the set-list might seem short, but, I hope, we showed "what is the live of the Gazette" as far as we could.

And from the very first day did you give the best concerts?

Reita: Not really, in Mexico the psychological mood is a bit disappointing. There was a feeling that we were at a festival. Of course, we approached the concert seriously, but I think it was because of the loud, overwhelming voices of the audience. They were like football fans. The area was also opened two hours before the start, and the people gathered in the hall very exclusively expressed their anticipation, so it was audible even in the dressing room. And the stupor was that we had to play live in such conditions. There were minor problems with accuracy of transmission in the columns, and I didn’t hear a sound at all.Since I don’t use headphones-monitors, because of the terribly loud voices, I didn’t hear anything at all.

And how did you get out of the situation?!    

Reita: I tried (laughs). And looked desperately at Kai's playing. And what could I do (laughs). Because in the instrumental interlude of Filth In The Beauty, which begins with the parties of acoustic guitar and bass, I did not hear absolutely anything. In Mexico, it was the worst. At the moment when it was over, I realized that there were some shortcomings in this live I regretted about,  and, starting from this, I began to correct myself. In addition, to withstand the impact of the local environment, you need to play the concert as best as possible. You can not blame everything on the situation in the hall. It's not good to give fans that have been waiting for us so much, a concert by which we ourselves will remain unsatisfied.

Is there a concert on this tour, the feedback of the audience on which you would have noted especially?    

Reita: Perhaps this is our second stop in the first part of the tour - Chile. The structure of the hall also played a role, it looked like Budokan. At this concert we got incredible feedback. Taking into account the shortcomings of the first performance, we could soberly look at ourselves and correct our mistakes. Argentina also left a strong impression. Because of the tilt of the stage, it was very difficult to play on it. During the live I had to strain to firmly stand on my feet, and the next day my muscles ached terribly (laughs). This, too, was terrible in its own way ... different problems (laughs). Causing this conversation, there were many places where the situation on the stage was deplorable. There were such venues where the design of the stage was hollow, and low frequencies resonated and echoed there, because of this during the concert, I had a constant feeling that my feet were numb. If we were in Japan, I would say: "It is impossible to perform at such place!" But here we had no choice but to put up with it. But as for the whole series of concerts, they passed even in a better atmosphere than we expected. And the local staff worked perfectly.

You have an incredibly valuable experience. 

Reita: I think so too. Whatever conditions we are met, no matter what happens, we will not be we, if even with all this we can not give a performance. We were really hardened as a band.Groups whose activities have already exceeded a dozen, almost no chance to get experience, in which they could return to the origins and shuffle themselves from scratch. Reita: Truly so. Not that we rely solely on our present state, and before going abroad we had a lot of things behind our shoulders. And despite the fact that we have already developed an atmosphere for ourselves, where our sound would be the best, I still believe that we still need to know life. In this sense, the last tour was a wonderful life experience.

Here's how. By the way, after the concert in Brazil you returned to Japan on September 17, and then on September 19 went to France.

Reita: Yes. On the night of the 17th we arrived in Japan, on the 18th we had one day to rest, and on the 19th at 5 am we left home again. Although flying from Brazil to France, it seems very close, but for some reason we returned to Japan for one day (laughs). Nothing has happened to us, why then we returned (laughs). Well, between the air temperatures in South America and Europe there was a significant difference, we needed to change clothes and, I'm glad I could refresh myself a bit. In addition, while we were traveling around South and Central America, an update for Monster Hunter came out, and before the trip to Europe we so successfully refilled with the new software (laughs).

Ahaha! A matter of special importance (laughs). 

Reita: Yes, yes, increased importance! (laughing) All but Ruki purchased a new software and only after that, with a calm soul, went to Europe (laughs). Thanks to this, I was able to spend pleasantly 10 hours of road from Paris to Toulouse and 16 hours from Toulouse to Cologne. It seems that I was not mistaken in my assumption (laughs). And the main lives passed with a bang. The mood of the audience in Europe is close to Japanese, probably because we are not here for the first time or because the local public is more likely to watch our videos on YouTube or somewhere else. But even for this circumstance, German stands were very hot (literally). There were also a few problems related to the architecture of the hall, but I am very glad that the audience even in such heat and stuffiness had fun in full. Also in Germany we had one more day off, so I bought there this T-shirt and belt. "I snatched some of the catch" (laughs).

Congratulations (laughs). And finally: when you came back from abroad, were you keen on anything?

Reita: Well, there was something that I did all day long after returning - I ate like starved! Still, in Japan, any food is delicious. Even the dragee per 100 yen is very tasty. And since then, every day I enjoy the taste of native food (laughs). Missing Japanese food, in Brazil I went to Sukiya. The rice was not bad, but the suspicious smell of meat made me wary. Then I felt all the charm of Japanese food, it is the best. Also, probably, I got carried away by spoken English.

Have you started practicing in English?!    

Reita: I still doubt if it's worth starting (laughs). And so every time we go to foreign countries. The trip becomes much more fun, if you can speak English. Since we again want to go on a world tour, I think that I need spoken English, but I am very heavy to start something. Therefore, we can say that my last hobby -  it is an internal struggle between desire and unwillingness to practice English (laughs).

translation from japanese to russian by haruurara-kazan on tumblr

translated from russian to english by me

as always thx for reading and sorry for mistakes ^^  

[exidtotheleft]

The Tattooed Lady | 07

Pairing: Jin x Reader Genre: Circus AU/Fluff Summary: When a circus from Korea takes their act to America for a better audience, a certain audience member, who happens to be the daughter of the owner of New York’s first tattoo shop, catches the performers’ eyes. Since the circus is in need of new help, they decide that their consistent audience member would be a good candidate. Unknown to them, their choice to hire an unusual woman in the year 1871 would invoke mixed reactions from all over America. Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

It had been snowing for a few days now as the end of the year approached. By this time, you had been apart of the circus for over two months. You had solid relationships with everyone now. You really could say that everyone of these boys were like your brother. Seeing that you lived together everyday and had to treat each other as siblings, it just happened naturally. The only member that was an exception to this brotherly feeling had been Seokjin. Of course you still cared for him and loved him just as much as anyone else you worked with now but it felt different to you. It was a closeness that siblings didn't feel. A romantic interest some would call it. You weren't falling head over heels for him, but at the same time, the idea didn't bother you.

It was the beginning of December and from what you heard from the boys, when it snowed not a lot of practice gets done. Which was understandable, walking back and forth in the snow is often a task. But it did get rather boring from time to time just staying at home and doing nothing. And today was one of those days. You sat in your bedroom, just pondering your own thoughts not knowing what else to do. No one else seemed to be doing anything different. But as you laid there in thought, you were brought back to reality when you heard a few knocks on the front door. You sat up out of your bed and opened your bedroom door. Hoseok must have already been downstairs because he was answer the door as you looked out. You watched him as he stepped outside a bit and grabbed something. It must have been a package. He brought the brown package into the house and you wondered what it could be. You stepped outside of your room and leaned on the railing that was a few feet in front of it. “Who is it for?” you asked. Hoseok looked up at you before looking at the sticker on the package and back up at you.

“It says it’s for Namjoon.”

“Namjoon?” you thought about it for a second, not remembering him saying anything to you about ordering something. But once you realized what it was, you nearly jumped over the railings to get to the box.

“Oh my God it’s the uniforms!” you exclaimed, hearing Hoseok gasp as you rushed down the stairs and to the box.

“Do you think so?”

“Yes I’m sure this is about the time they were supposed to come in. Seokjin! Get down here!” you yelled, not wanting to wait any longer than you needed to. “The uniforms are here!” after that information was out, you saw him come right out of his room to towards you. Namjoon as well heard what was happening and followed him down.

“I’m so excited! I haven't worn anything outside of a dress in years. Or, ever! Actually. Come on let's open it I don’t want to wait!” you enthused. Jin pulled out a knife that he had had on him to separate the string that was holding the wooden box together. You waited with bated breath as the box was opened and you saw everyone's new uniforms. You smiled to yourself and looked at Jin. He looked down at you before you grabbed your delicate uniform and held it out so that it unfolded. Ethel really had done everything you asked. It was the leotard cut and the legs had small white lace coming from them. The design had changed a little bit but you still loved it, the whole body was a silky material which you loved. Where your two side tattoos were had diamond cutouts that were covered with the mesh material so that they would be displayed perfectly. It had a straight neckline that connected with the long sleeves that were the same transparent material and it stretched over the base of your neck above where the white leotard has cut off. The final touch that you loved was the silver bow on the back that was part of the original design. The  long strands of the bow were a flowy material that was longer than the actual leotard and acted almost as a cape.

“This is incredible.” you said while looking over at Jin, your eyes practically glowing with content. “What do you think?”

“I love it as much as I love mine.”

“And that’s good right?”

“It sure is.” you squealed happily before instinctively throwing your arms around him in a hug, holding onto the uniform in one hand. You could hear Namjoon and Hoseok laugh quietly around you.

“I think she likes it.” Hoseok commented.

“Are you sure?” Namjoon joked in response.

“Yeah, she loves it.”

“Okay. I’m gonna go put it on. You should put yours on too.” you said after you let go of him slightly. You still held onto his arms as you spoke. “Everyone else too, I want to see everyone’s.”

“They’ll figure out what’s happening soon enough. I will put on my own though.” Namjoon agreed, going to look for his own suite and Hoseok did as well.

Without another word you sped off into your room and shut the door behind you. You just knew that your skin was going to practically sing once it was out of a dress for once.

You quickly took off the dress you were wearing, along with anything you had on under it which was the weird part. You had never put a final piece of clothing on over your bare skin in your entire life you had worn almost on entire outfit on under your dresses as well. But after you carefully slipped on the leotard, you felt like this was what every girl was supposed to be wearing. As beautiful as the dresses were, you felt like you could actually live, move, and breathe properly. You took a breath before turning and looking at yourself in a thin, full length mirror that was in your room. And once you caught a glimpse of yourself, you were in love. It was everything you asked for. It made you feel powerful being dressed like this, like you couldn't be ignored. And the tattoos definitely helped with that feel.

You looked at yourself again and squealed a bit more before turning around again and opening the door to your bedroom. You peeked only your head out and looked to see who all was outside. You saw some of the other members walking down stairs as they caught wind of what was going on. Taehyung happened to be leaving from two doors away from you to see what all the ruckus was about. When he saw you peeking out of your door, he stopped and turned to face you. “What is it?”

“The uniforms.” Taehyung gasped and a smile filled his features.

“Really?” you nodded and he bolted down stairs and you heard him yell something along the lines of “Joon, you look good!” 

About a minute after, the person you had been waiting for stirred. Jin’s bedroom door opened and you saw him step out so you did as well. “I think I know why this is borderline criminal now.” you said to him to catch his attention since he hadn't seen you waiting. He turned to look at you and his entire expression changed. His jaw almost dropped and he looked awestruck. You couldn't blame him. The only other men who had seen a woman like this before were either married or immoral. “Power goes to your head and power is what I feel in this.” you said while putting your hands on your hips. Jin stepped towards you and looked you up and down. Obviously taking in what he was seeing.

“You look, seriously, amazing. Like I almost feel like I shouldn't let others see you like this. They might get, ideas.”

“I’ll be fine.” you assured with the shake of your head. Jin continued to look at you with his same dazed look, scanning you with his eyes until you were both reminded of the crowd downstairs.

“Come show us already!” Namjoon said impatiently. You both looked down at him through the railing before you both headed down the stairs side by side. You were sure that you were still smiling to yourself. You could see the look on their faces gradually change as well.

“Woah.” Hoseok awed as you both proudly went down the stairs.

“She sure did do what we asked for.” Namjoon said once the two of you were standing in front of him.

“I’ll say. This is amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever worn something outside of a dress before.”

“It looks good on you. But I’m pretty sure you would look good in everything. And the tattoos, they really bring it together.” Hoseok mused and you nodded at him.

“I totally agree. You look fine yourself.”

“Why thank you.” Hoseok mused while tipping his black hat that now how a feather coming off the side. You had to admit, his new uniform was weird to say the least. His dress shirt had stars for buttons, and his jacket was an odd blue with floral details. One side of his pants had a skirt like cut over it, and that was what you found most odd.

“I don’t know.” Namjoon said, cutting your enthusiasm short. He rested his hand over his mouth as he looked at you as if he was thinking. “Something seems wrong.” He looked over at Hoseok who looked back at him.

“What do you think it is?”

“It seems unbalanced. But I’m not sure what it is. Jin, come here.” he commanded and looked at the other. The two of you looked at each other before he walked and stood next to Namjoon.

“I think something is missing.”

“From the uniform?”

“No, from the whole picture here. Something just isn't working…” it went silent for a moment and you looked at Jin as he stood across from you. He shrugged at you and you looked over at Namjoon. Right as you did, he seemed to realize what it was that was bothering him. He quickly took his hand away and gasped.

“I know what it is. It’s her legs.”

“What about them?” Jin inquired.

“They’re, plain. All the tattoos are on her arms.”

“Oh yeah,” you started, beginning to explain why. “I just, didn't get the chance to put any on my legs. I came here before I could. It’s not good to get more than one tattoo at a time so getting all the ones I have took years anyway.”

“Well, do you think we could change that?”

“Like, you want me to get one on my leg?”

“Yes, just something. Sorry, I’m a bit of a perfectionist and this is, bothering me.”

“Well I could certainly get one before our season starts. But, you’d have to take me back to Manhattan.” he nodded once, looking at the other two men and back at you.

“We can arrange that.”

“If you say so. Guess I’ll think about what I should get.”

“Well, I think we should get the others to see this now, and vise versa you agree?” Jin changed the topic and directed the question at you. He looked as if the conversation before was annoying him.

“Yes that’s a good idea.” Jin went to stand close to you again and Namjoon hurried off up stairs to get the other four men. You looked up at Jin as his eyes stayed on Namjoon. He was obvious bothered by something. “Jin.” you whispered, looking up at him and standing close. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“We can talk about it later.” Jin glanced down at you for a moment before looking back up at the rest of the members who were coming down the steps. All of them looked equally happy to see how the two of you looked, and even happier when they saw their own uniforms had been spread out on the table.

“Damn, now that’s how you do it guys. I hope me and Kook look this good.” Jimin complimented while standing in front of you two. “They really outdid themselves. You really look amazing.”

“I agree, too bad we don’t really match at all.” Jungkook said while standing next to his partner.

“It will add, trust me.” Jimin assured and Jungkook laughed skeptically.

“I never realized how many tattoos you actually had.” Taehyung said as he walked close to you, wearing his blue suit with a bright floral dress shirt. He walked behind you to look at everything, and as you expected, he had questions to ask about them.

“What’s the book tattoo for?”

“It represents inquisition. If I don’t understand something I should educate myself on it.”

“Do they all have meanings?”

“You missed that whole conversation didn't you?”

“Apparently.”

“Well yes, they do.”

“That’s really cool. I’m glad you decided to show them off.”

“I am too.” you smiled at him before looking over at Jin. He was practically modeling for Jimin and Jungkook. His charisma really was amazing. You hadn't really gotten a good look at his uniform until then. It certainly met your standard of classy but fun. The pants were the same white as your outfit and the jacket was still white but a different fabric to add depth along with small jewels littered around it. The sleeves had a reasonable poof to them that added the perfect amount of character and the look was finished with metallic silver boots. You looked down and smiled to yourself as he struck another pose for his small audience and they laughed along with him. The only two that weren't there watching him were Yoongi and Hoseok. You turned around to look for them and saw them standing off a few feet. Both of them were looking at you. From The way they were looking at you then back at each other to speak, they seemed to be talking about you.

You turned around and looked at both of them before walking closer. “What’s wrong?” The two looked at each other again and Yoongi put his hand around the back of his neck as if he was nervous about something.

“Isn’t there a reason that women don't wear, you know. This?”

“What exactly is, this.”

“Just, with the skin and the, not, dress.” it was obvious Hoseok himself didn’t even know how to explain what they were thinking. “I mean this for your own good. Really, aren’t you not allowed to dress like this?” you shook your head a small but.

“I don’t think so. But me and the seamstress worked our way around the laws.”

“Laws?”

“Yes, laws. I’m not supposed to wear pants but I’m not really. That was the loophole.” Hoseok blinked at you before looking at Yoongi who looked less than amused. He had his arms crossed and was practically staring you down. Hoseok didn’t mind what you were doing, but he was concerned by the parts Yoongi brought up to him a few minutes prior about what you’re uniform could do to their image.

“Is this gonna cause issues for us? For our name? Because all seven of us came here on a whim with nothing to go back to. If this circus of ours fails, you can just run back home without a problem but we can't. I’m not gonna let a woman trying to be a rebel ruin this for all of us. If this causes any issues, you’re gonna get it from me.” Yoongi stayed stoic and kept his voice low. You looked down and away from him. You expected something like this to come up, but not like this, not from him. Maybe you hadn't thought about how what you were doing would affect the other performers, or the little thought you gave it wasn't enough.

You looked up at Hoseok who looked away from you, you could tell he obviously agreed. “Okay.” you accepted quietly. Maybe not so much accepted, but stated just to appease the two. You didn't know what else to say, but thankfully before the atmosphere became too heavy, you felt a hand on your shoulder.

“What do you think Jin? Do you think an outfit like this is gonna cause issues?” Yoongi didn't hesitate to ask as soon as your partner laid his hand on your exposed skin.

“What kind of issues?”

“Issues for business. We’re worried about it possibly giving us a bad name. Men don’t like to see women step up and do something different.”

“Then they just don’t have to watch.”

“That’s a majority of our audience, Seokjin.”

“Women watch us too.”

“The women come with their husbands and their husbands aren't gonna want them getting any ideas from us.”  Everyone in the room had began listening in at this point. Hoseok refused to even look at you. You could tell he wasn't a very confrontational person and that he didn't want to be in this situation.

Namjoon walked up to the four of you and turned Yoongi to look at him and as soon as he did to end the encounter, Jin yanked you to the side by your shoulder. “Come on.” he said before heading towards the front door. “Here, put this on.” he took a trench coat off the coat rack and you put it on. It covered your legs entirely and Jin opened the door after he slipped his own coat on.

“Where are we going?”

“The circus.” he answered quickly and you didn't respond. You just followed him to the brick building that was at the end of the street.

“Jin, what are we doing.”

“We need to practice.”

“You're being ridiculous! What is with everyone today? It’s like we get new uniforms and changed with them.” you argued after the doors were shut behind you. Jin didn't answer and just continued to walk to the ring in the center. Since you two had been practicing the most here, all the targets for the set you had been working on was still set up. Jin walked right up to the table and grabbed a knife, he was obviously waiting for you to take your spot, but you hesitated to do so. You walked to where he was and stopped. “What do you want from me?”

“Take off the coat and stand at the board.”

“Are you serious right now?”

“Yes!” you scoffed at him before pausing.

“Jin, not while you’re mad.”

“I’m not mad.”

“Then what do you call this?!”

“I call it impatience, now go!” You kept eye contact with Jin for a moment before looking away and taking off the coat he bad given you. You left it on the floor beside him and walked with ease to the board that was about 10 feet away from him. You took a breath before you turned and faced him.

You knew that Jin went throwing when he was angry or upset. It was his way of venting. Thought he always hit the target, it was a little bit different when it was your life he was throwing at. Your heart was beating in your ears as he held out the first knife. You took a breath in as he threw the blade and it lodged itself less than a foot away from your calf. “Jin! I’m serious!”

“So am I.” he responded before throwing again and landing a knife where your arms were spread out in between your hip and hand.

“You really shouldn't be doing this right now. I know you throw as a way to vent but this is really not a way to do that.” He didn't listen, he threw another knife that landed parallel with your elbow on the opposite side of the other two knives.

Your heart started beating faster as the knives started to travel up higher. You continued to say more but you knew he wouldn't listen. “Jin, really, what is wrong? What did Yoongi say that tipped you off like this? Why were you mad earlier? Please just tell me. I’ll listen.”

“After this.” he said before throwing the last blade he had lined up. You knew you shouldn't have let him do this to you, that you should have refused to go on the board. You knew that for a fact when you felt the cold medal slice through the top of your left shoulder. It didn't impale you but it landed close enough to the top of your arm to break the skin and wound you.

You hissed in pain and fell to your knees in the sand. Your right hand flew up to cover the wound as you fell. You heard Jin gasp as you fell once he realized what he had done. Whatever state of mind he was in, he quickly snapped out of it as soon as you fell. He ran over to you and gently placed you up against the board. Even if you had a grand tolerance for pain, you still felt just as much pain as a normal person would, you could just handle it better. Needless to say, a knife slicing about a half of an inch through your shoulder hurt like hell. Hurt worse than any tattoo pain you had felt.

You opened your eyes to meet Jin’s. He looked incredibly sorry and remorseful for what he had done. You on the other hand felt nothing but anger with him for being so careless. You knew it was showing in your eyes too when he shook his head and began apologizing violently as soon as you met his gaze. “_(y/n)_ I’m so sorry. I...I can't believe I did this I don’t know why or what came over me. I’m, damn. I’m so sorry.”

“Apologize later and save me first dammit.” you rejected bitterly.

“Right.” Jin said before standing you up and holding you around your waist for a moment. “Move your hand.” you slowly pulled your hand away from over the wound and kept your eyes on him, not wanting to look at it. Jin swallowed thickly and looked back at you with a blank but still panicked look. You could tell from that that it was pretty bad.

“Let’s go.” he said quietly. Luckily the cut was on your arm and not your leg so you would be able to walk just fine. “Can you put this back on?” he asked, picking up the jacket.

“Yeah, hold on.” you grabbed the jacket with your bloody right hand and guided it on slowly over your left arm. That was when you looked at the cut for the first time. It was deep and bloody, that’s all you could say about it. There was a trail of blood running down your arm. So much for the new and clean uniforms.

Once the jacket was on, you and Jin hurried outside and as soon as you were outside, Jin grabbed a handful of pure white snow that was on the ground and held it out to you. “Hold this on there, it might help.” you took the cold frost from his hand and did as he said. You winced at the feeling at first but kept walking, with Jin right beside you. You could tell he was rattled by this. He had his arm around your waist and was hurrying you home.

It only took both of you about three minutes to get back when it was normally a five minute walk. Once you got inside, neither of you really knew what to do. The snow you were holding was melting fast and all the other members had gone up stairs. “Here, go sit down on the couch and calm down a bit. I’ll fix this.”

“You better.” you said gruffly before sitting as he said. You took whatever of the snow was left off your shoulder and shrugged the jacket off. Jin hurried upstairs and came back down with Namjoon. You weren't exactly sure how Namjoon was going to help with a medical issue other than tell you that it was a pretty bad cut but you didn't say anything. You were really just trying to get any help you could. Your arm had gone numb at this point.

Before Namjoon even got a good look at the cut you heard the signature sound of “that's not good” come from his lips. The sharp inhale didn't make you feel any better. “Okay I’m going to be blunt here. If neither of you know what to do, then take me to a doctor. Fast. I’m kind of bleeding a lot and I can't feel my arm anymore.” You said before either of them could get a word in. Namjoon and Jin both stood in front of you as you complained. Namjoon quickly knelt down and looked at the cut as you pulled your hand away again.

“Yeah. We need to take her in. That’s gonna need stitches.” as soon as you heard those words, you looked right at Jin and shot him a fake smile. You could tell he felt horrible and by the way he rubbed his face after he heard that, you knew the guilt was sinking in.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Later. Do you guys need me to change? I can manage to put on something simple if it will save you the embarrassment.”

“If you think you can handle it then go ahead.” you took a deep breath before standing from the couch and slowly walking up stairs. Jin followed behind you all the way up to your room.

You knew there was no way you would be able to slip on an entire day dress so you pulled out the top drawer of your dresser and pulled out your nightgown, laying it across your bed. You took a deep breath before carefully sliding your arms out of the thin transparent fabric and pulling the leotard the rest of the way down. You put on the nightgown as quickly as you could, leaving the leotard on the floor for the time being. You opened the door once the dress was on and Jin immediately was at your side again as you walked down the stairs. “Are you doing okay?”

“Yes I’m fine just take me where I need to go.”

“Jin, we’re gonna have to walk. We don’t have a carriage for us.” Namjoon informed to him quietly but you could still hear him.

“Then we’ll walk. It’s not too far. Put this back on it’s freezing out there.” Jin handed you your trench coat  before he reached down and picked you up, holding you like a bride before Namjoon opened the door and the three of your left.

“You really are a trooper aren't you?” Jin asked to try to lighten the mood as he carried you to the local hospital.

“Yeah but I don’t know how much longer I can troop.”

“You’re gonna be fine. I promise you’ll be alright.”

“I would be better if you didn't hit me in the first place.” Jin chuckled a bit, laughing off your serious comment.

“I can accept that.” You kept your arms around his neck for support as he carried you through the snowy city. Luckily because it was midwinter not many people were outside to slow you down.

You shut your eyes as he carried you and tried to ignore the pain. Though it had mostly numbed by this point, the fact that you would most likely need stitches was still fresh in your mind. You had a feeling that that would be the most painful part of this. As you walked, you felt a drop of water hit your cheek. You had heard Jin’s breath become uneven a minute ago but you figured it was just because he was carrying you. But that was when you realized that he was crying. You wanted to hold him tighter but you knew it would hurt.

“I’m gonna be fine.” you said into his chest loud enough for him to hear you. He didn't reply but you felt him inhale shakily, as if he was trying to calm down.

“It’s over here Jin.” you heard Namjoon say before he turned to the left. You still had your eyes shut so you don’t know what was going on around you but you knew you were inside when you felt warmer air hit your face.

“I’m gonna put you down now.” Jin informed and you opened your eyes. He didn't look completely wrecked but he was obvious emotional. You nodded to him and he gently put you on your feet as you let go of his neck. You turned around to see Namjoon walking towards you with a nurse.

“Where is the injury?” the nurse asked before stopping in front of you. You slipped the coat off your shoulder and showed her the wound. The bleeding had slowed at this point but you hadn't cleaned it off either. “Okay. Come with me we’ll get the doctor to look at it. I’ll clean it off in the meantime. You two can stay in here until I or someone else comes to get you.” the nurse lead you back to a room where there were beds lined up against the wall. She showed you to one of them and asked you to sit on the edge of it. She helped you slip down the jacket and your the short sleeve of your nightgown so expose the cut. “I’m gonna disinfect and clean it. The blood already clotted for the most part so the bleeding slowed down but it’s still deep.” the nurse went to a cabinet that was by the bed and pulled out some fabric to wrap it with along with several vials of liquid. She grabbed a cotton ball out of a glass container and poured some clear liquid onto it. “This is going to sting but it will keep you from being in more pain later.” she explained before dabbing the cotton ball on the wound. You bit your lip as the alcohol seeped into the cut. It stung but you knew you had to deal with it. “Are you okay?” she asked as he cleaned the blood off your shoulder that had pulled before continuing to disinfect the wound.

“Yeah I’m fine. I can handle it.” you were surprised that she hadn't said anything about your tattoos but you assumed that she was just focused on taking care of you.

“How exactly did this happen?”

“Um,” you hesitated to tell her the truth, you didn't say anything for a moment.

“I need to know so I can tell the doctor. Depending on how you cut it we may have to do more than disinfect it.”

“It was cut with a knife. It was clean I know that.” you explained vaguely, not wanting to tell her how you got a cut so deep.

“On your shoulder?”

“Yes.”

“Were you attacked?” She asked with a concerned tone.

“No I. It’s just kinda embarrassing.” you tried all you could to stall her. You were racking your brain for any kind of excuse.

“Everything you tell us is confidential. It’s for our ears only. I can assure you we’ve heard more embarrassing stories.” you sighed as she placed cotton ball in a line over the cut and wrapped it with a piece of cloth.

“I was, cutting my hair.” you used as an excuse, it was the only thing you could think of. “I couldn't find the scissors so I thought a knife would work fine. But, my hand slipped and it, yeah this happened.” you lied hoping it was convincing.

“Well now you know for next time.” she put away her medical supplies and turning back to face you.

“I tied the cloth on there tight enough to keep it from bleeding much more while you wait. I’m going to talk to the doctor and he’ll come take a look at it. We’ll be right back.” she informed before walking down a hallway that was at the end of the long room.

You positioned yourself differently on the bed. You pulled your legs back and layed down on top of the white sheets. There was only two other people in the room but you hadn’t looked at them or try to find out what their issues were. You just stared straight up to the white ceiling. You shut your eyes to think back to how this whole thing happened, considering what he was mad about. You knew at this point that it started by something Namjoon said to him. But before you could think about it too much, you felt someone sit at the foot of your bed. You opened your eyes to see Jin there. You sat up and greeted him.

“The nurse said I could keep you company because the doctor is busy at the moment.”

“Can we finally talk about this then?” he looked down and nodded, obvious still guilt ridden about what he had done.

“I’m so sorry _(y/n)_, I really am. I don’t know what came over me I just got so mad about what Yoongi said, and,” he scooted closer to you and lowered his voice. You scooted a bit too, knowing he must have wanted to say something that shouldn't be overheard.

“Namjoon. The tattoo thing really just, it annoyed me. He shouldn't care about how the audience sees your body. And you said it yourself, tattoos are painful and sorta dangerous. I don’t care if you looked unfinished, it’s your body and not even a man should be able to tell you what to do with it. You get a tattoo when you feel like it. Don’t feel like he has that power over you even if he is our boss.”

“Seokjin, it’s okay. I was wanting to get one anyway but I came here. Just go with me to New York when I leave, I want you to meet the people there.”

“Of course. If you want me to go I will.”

“Okay, but. What made you do this. What tipped you off this bad.”

“It was Yoongi. For the same reason. I don’t get why women are treated so poorly. I never did and I never will. Maybe I just care too much about you, but a man's place shouldn't be telling you how to take care of yourself.”

“Yoongi just cares about the show the same way you care about me. He doesn't want to see his hard work get ruined just as much as you don't want to see me be mistreated.”

“You’re right. And acting up makes me just as bad as him. I didn't listen to you,” you could hear his voice start to crack as he vented, his eyes watering as well. “You were right when you said I shouldn't take my anger out on you. I’m so sorry but sorry doesn't fix this.”

“Shh, Jin it’s okay.”

“It’s not.”

“Jin I’m gonna be fine.” you assured while putting your hand on the side of his neck. He looked at you and met your eyes, a tear was sliding down his cheek and you rubbed it away. “Even if you are I still feel terrible. You looked so mad at me when I went to help you, and it really hurt. Knowing that I did that to you. This whole relationship is built on trust and I misused it.”

“I still trust you.” you whispered to him. Jin started to cry a little more but you really didn't want him to feel sad. You placed your forehead against his and let out a quiet “shh” to try and calm him. He took a deep long breath and pulled away from you. You took your hand away from his neck slowly and he rubbed the moisture from his eyes.

“Thank you.” you nodded at him as he scooted away from you again.

“Did she say anything about your tattoos?” he asked as a way to start a different conversation.

“No she didn't actually. I think she was just focusing on her job. The doctor might though. He probably will.”

“Yeah I would too.”

“Where is Namjoon in all of this?”

“He figured we wanted to talk alone so he stayed behind. He said he would stay until he hears that you’re fine.”

“Okay.”

“Excuse me miss, the Doctor is ready to see you.” The nurse who had treated you earlier came back with a tall, older man whom you assumed was the doctor. Jin stood from the foot of your bed.

“Should I leave?” he asked the nurse. She shook her head no, inviting him to stay which he did. Jin walked around the other side of the bed and stood behind you.

“Hello Miss.” the doctor greeted formally as the nurse stepped aside. “What’s your name?” you told the doctor your first and last name and he reached his hand out for you to shake. That was the moment when he took into account your tattoos. As soon as you grabbed his hand, he looked at you arm and squinted at it. “Did you get a hold of some ink?” he asked as a joke.

“Yes actually. They’re tattoos.”

“Permanent?”

“Yes.” he squinted at them some more, looking a little less than amused and letting go of your hand. It was obvious what he saw wasn't entirely acceptable to him.

“Well. That aside. I’m Doctor Thornsberry, the resident doctor here. My nurse told me that you cut your shoulder while cutting your hair with a knife.”

“Yes that’s what happened.” You heard Jin chuckle quietly behind you, making you smile.

“Well I’m gonna take a look at it. That doesn't sound too serious but my nurse seems to think it’s pretty ghastly.”

“Then I agree with your nurse.” the doctor pulled out a sliding chair that was aside your bed and sat in it before untying the knot on your fabric bandage. Once it was completely off, the doctor pulled his glasses out of his jacket and put them on to look at the cut.

“Oh I can see why you agree with her now. How badly does it hurt?”

“Pretty bad. It’s gotten better but it still stings and I’m sure it’s tender to the touch.”

“Alright.” the doctor slide back in his chair a bit and took the glasses off. “This cut is deep enough to need stitches. Luckily for you, it’s just deep and not long. So even though it needs to be stitched up, it won’t be a lot of stitches. I would say about five.”

“Okay.” you agreed, looking back at Jin. You could tell he was starting to feel horrible about this again.

“I have time to do it now. If you’ll come with me to our operation room in the back we’ll begin right away.” you sighed and looked down before slowly standing up. Jin took your coat off the side if the bed and you turned to look at him.

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“Okay. I’ll wait with Namjoon. I’ll see you soon.” you nodded at him before he walked back to the waiting room and you followed the doctor down a hallway and too a sterilized room towards the end of the hall. There were several nurses in the room already preparing for the procedure

“Go ahead and sit on the bed. We’ll be with you soon.” you didn't say anything as you walked towards the bed and sat on the edge of it. The two nurses that were in the room were taking various objects from cabinets and drawers and putting them on a silver tray that was on a counter. You tried not pay them much attention, but when you saw one of them grab a syringe and a small bottle from the tray, you couldn't help but watch as she filled the needle with the liquid. She put it back down when she was done and you looked away before the other nurse grabbed the tray and set it on a table behind your bed where you couldn't see it.

“Miss _(y/n)_, is it?” the nurse who had filled the syringe asked as she stepped in front of you.

“Yes that’s my name.”

“Okay, I’m going to give you a small dose of morphine. Since we can't safely put you to sleep and this is a small procedure, the painkiller is the best we can do for you. You nodded at her and took a breath. It was a good thing you were use to needles.

The other nurse held the syringe out and the woman who had been talking to you took it. “Your left arm please.” she asked while holding her free hand out. You took a breath before holding your arm out to her and looking away as soon as she point the syringe to your arm. You winced and she grabbed your skin and pierced it with the needle, you feeling of the painkiller was numbing as it was shot through your vein. You let out a breath as soon as she pulled the needle out and covered the skin break with her thumb. She put a cotton ball on it and wrapped it with some cloth to keep it in place.

“We’ll let that sit for about two minutes then the doctor will begin the procedure.” you took your arm away and dropped it to your side. You could feel the effect of the painkiller slowly working, and it was one of the weirdest things you had ever felt. As you sat waiting for the two minutes to be over, the pain you were feeling from the cut was gradually being covered. Though it was possibly the longest two minutes of your life, as soon as it was over, you couldn't feel the pain anymore, you could barely even feel your arm.

You watched as the doctor approached your bedside. He had his glasses and a medical mask on. He pulled a swivel chair by you and sat, looking at the wound. “Can you feel the pain anymore?”

“No it feels normal.”

“Well good that’s how it’s supposed to feel.” a nurse brought the silver tray to a place where the doctor could reach it but where you couldn't see it. You had a feeling they were trying their best to keep your eyes shielded from the medical utensils.

The doctor reached to the tray and grabbed something from it. You were assuming it was the stitches but before you could look to see, the nurse that had given you the injection went to your right side and spoke so that you looked at her and not what he was doing. “What are all these on your arms?” she asked trying to keep you distracted.

“They’re tattoos. Like paintings but for your skin.”

“Permanent?”

“Yep.” you explained yet again. But after your confirmation, you felt your skin start to tingle where your cut was. But after a second, it was gone. You could assumed that the doctor had put in the first stitch, and when you felt the feeling again, you knew that was exactly what it was. Since the morphine was censoring your pain, you could feel everything he was doing but there wasn't a hurtful sting to it. The break between your conversation, you felt the curved needle pierce through the wound and pull the skin together, but at the same time it felt almost like nothing.

“I get them all to represent something.” you explained more, wanting to get your mind off the odd feeling.

“What’s this one?” she pointed to the black widow tattoo that was above your wrist.

“Oh it’s a spider, it represents patience.”

“How?”

“Well spiders spend all the time making their web perfectly then they just wait. They wait patiently for their work to pay off. It’s just to remind me that sometimes you have to wait for your reward.”

“I like that. Where do you get these at?”

“My father and some family friends of mine own a tattoo shop in New York. It’s the first of its kind.”

“Oh so you’re not from around here? I thought maybe the men with you were your brothers.”

“No they’re just friends. Friends that care a lot.”

“They certainly do. I saw them sitting out there when I passed by a few minutes ago, they both seemed pretty upset but one of them looked completely wrecked really. He was just sitting with his face in his hands.”

“Yeah I know which one you’re talking about.” you looked away from her and down, picturing what she had told you. You had a feeling Jin would keep this alive in the back of his mind for the rest of his life.

“Bandage please.” the doctor said causing you to look at him. The nurse who was talking to you quickly grabbed a roll of cloth that was on the tray and handed it to him. At that point you decided to look at your arm. It was red and swollen from both the injury and the newly damaged skin. You looked away after, the sight wasn't anything you wanted to see. There was fresh blood from where the needle had passed through and your stomach really had had too much blood for the day.

The doctor cleaned up the remaining blood and added some disinfectant before wrapping the wound in a final cloth bandage and stood from his chair. “Now please, next time, wait for scissors to be available.”

“I certainly will. Thank you.”

“Just doing my job. The morphine will wear off in about four hours and it will probably still be tender then so do be careful. My nurse will show you out.” he concluded before you stood from the bed and walked aside the same nurse who had talked to you. When you walked out to see Jin and Namjoon, they both immediately stood up and waiting for you to say something to them.

“I told you I’d be fine.”

“Oh my god.” Jin whispered before stepping towards you and hugging you to him, holding your arms to your sides.

“Thank you for making sure she was okay.” You heard Namjoon thank the nurse and her give a quick response before continuing to her work. “Alright you two, we should go back now. I don’t think the others know what happened.” Namjoon suggested and Jin slowly let go of you.

“Yeah you’re right. Let’s leave.” Jin agreed while handing you the trench coat back. You slipped it on and followed the two of them out into the cold winter air.

“How bad was it? The stitches.” Jin asked while you headed home.

“I think we’ll know in a few hours. They put me on morphine so it just felt weird but it didn't hurt. I still can't feel any pain anywhere.”

“I’m glad to hear that. And don’t worry about your cooking duties today. You need to rest I’ll cover for you.”

“Thanks.” a small silence spread across you for a moment, but Jin changed the subject to lighten the mood.

“So the leg tattoo? When you want to go do that? I’ll go with you.”

“Are you gonna get one too? You said maybe you would.”

“Eh,” he sounded a bit unsure.

“If I can handle it so can you.”

“Yeah I suppose.”

“I say, we can go as soon as my arm stops hurting. Hopefully that’s soon. I don't want to put myself in too much pain.”

“Sounds like a deal.”

[dodgesrtdemon-blog]

2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon False Advertising

The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (“FCA”) 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon (“Demon”) has been the subject of much discussion since FCA's 2017 New York Auto Show Demon introduction.  Not long after its introduction, in June 2017 FCA announced the car would be a limited production run, “one and done”, of 3,300 cars. Demand for the 3,300 Demons outpaced the limited production and created a healthy aftermarket even before production ended in June 2018.

 The FCA Dodge Demon production has now ended but Ebay.com and Auto marketplaces like Autotrader.com still have new and used Demons for sale. Auction houses are getting upwards of $190k for Demons that MSRP’d from $83k-98K. And FCA was able to again leverage their long lived Challenger platform and create a lot of brand "buzz".

 However, all the attention the Demon has produced may also result in the Demon being the subject of nationwide dealer advertising misrepresentations.

 In 2015, FCA created the Challenger SRT Hellcat and had issues with distribution, customers waiting months for cars, and dealer mark ups. FCA learned much from what occurred, and FCA designed the distribution of the 2018 Demon accordingly.

 "We learned a lot when we launched the wildly popular SRT Hellcats,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Car Brands, Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and Fiat — FCA North America. “We’ve taken that information and created an allocation plan that is clear and concise, builds on Demon’s position as the Dodge/SRT halo and makes it easy for our customers to understand how they can put a Demon into their garage and, ultimately, out on the drag strip.” (http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/fcas-allocation-system-for-2018-dodge-demon-that-takes-aim-at-markups/)

 Prior to June 21, 2017 when FCA opened Demon ordering, FCA planned Demon distribution by allotting cars to some Dodge dealers based on prior performance.  Some dealers received 0 Demons, some received 1-4, and few large volume dealers received more allocations.

 FCA also required any dealer who was issued an allocation for a Demon to place a customer order to claim the allocation. So the allocation went to the dealer but only if there was verified and contracted pre-sale to a consumer.

 Furthermore, in an attempt to dissuade dealers from marking the Demon up over MSRP, FCA created a production queue whereby Demons ordered and sold to customers at MSRP or less would be produced first, and cars with dealer markups above MSRP produced later.

 Additionally, FCA required buyers to supply notarized documents including an indemnity waiver to protect FCA from misuse of the car. In summary, FCA was attempting to control the Demon's distribution and pricing to a greater extent. And as they had done with the Hellcat previously, stated that they were staying close and monitoring the Demon’s distribution.

 "When a dealership has an allocation and wants to order a Demon for a customer, it must go through the concierge program. The team there will first make sure it’s a verified sold order and then an acknowledgement document must be completed and signed by the customer and the dealer. After that, it must be notarized. This document includes some safety considerations, the Demon’s technical specifications, the options that are being ordered and the contract price of the vehicle." (http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/fcas-allocation-system-for-2018-dodge-demon-that-takes-aim-at-markups/)

 All Demons had to be pre-sold to a customer for the dealer to claim the allocation and place an order.  That sale required a notarized agreement by the buyer and dealer and monitored through the Demon concierge Dept. As a result, there should not have been many available Demon cars for sale at dealerships unless a buyer backed out post order, or if a dealer placed their allotment order for a "close friend" or party which resulted in the car in the showroom.

 But if a buyer shopped online or monitored the Dodge Demon's availability, they would have come across many Demon ads on website marketplaces like Autotrader, Car Guru’s, and others. New and used Demons are and were available pretty much from the beginning of Demon deliveries in November 2017. At any one time, there were 150-200 new Demons available for sale, nationwide, from dealers, as advertised on Autotrader.com, for MSRP price or less. So how could there be such a supply of cars available for a pre-sold car where demand had surpassed production?

 Most dealers utilize bulk uploading programs to link inventories onto the internet marketplaces like Autotrader, Car Guru’s, etc.. Dealers use bulk uploading because at any one time, a dealer might have 200-500 cars available in their constantly changing inventory. And Dealers want just about every car advertised so that buyers can see them. So why would a dealer upload and represent a car for sale on marketplaces like Autotrader if not available for sale and/or with the wrong price?

 Part two of this involves FCA's internal processes which seemingly upload dealer orders into the dealers computerized inventory system when the cars leave the factory and are en-route to the dealership. This allows FCA to track and account for all the cars that leave their plants, and maybe thereafter as well.

 So FCA is populating a dealer inventory with all Demons leaving the plant (estimated November 2017-June 2018) for Demons on pre-sold orders (estimated sold dates in June thru September 2017), and the dealers are linking their inventory to auto marketplaces like Autotrader. So how many of the Demons en route to dealers over the 8 month delivery time spectrum (Nov 2017-June 2018) are being input into Autotrader and advertised for sale when they were already sold 3-8 months prior to the advertising dates?

 The pre-sale of the Demon was retrofitted into existing FCA delivery and inventory uploading processes. It appears nobody at FCA and the dealerships were watching this transpire, or they were watching it and did not correct it.  Either way, as a result, many hundreds or more Demons not available for sale were being advertised for sale on Autotrader and the like, months after being pre-sold, and many at the incorrect prices. And potentially hundreds of respondents answering each of the dealer advertisements.

 "Over the past few weeks, we have seen dozens of dealership website postings advertising 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demons available for sale.  In most cases, if you call the dealership and ask about the Demon on their website, you will learn that the vehicle has been ordered by a customer who hasn’t picked it up yet. Basically, those dealerships are using a customer’s car to draw traffic to their website, and it is working." ( https://www.allpar.com/news/2018/01/why-you-can-still-buy-a-demon-39226)

 In addition, dealerships have some editing control to change their ads after the upload syncing of their inventory into Autotrader. Control meaning ability to adjust the price, info details, availability, even areas where custom verbiage can be added to the advertisement, or even completely delete the ad. 

 If a buyer frequented Auto trader over the last 6-8 months or so, they would have seen hundreds of "available" cars priced at MSRP or less, with some cars advertised as "sold", some cars with "market adjusted prices", and just about everything in between. But for the volume of advertisements representing MSRP or less priced Demons available for sale, most dealers didn’t adjust what needed to be changed in the ad which is drove this entire problem.  Those dealers allowed the ads to run or were unaware of the false ads running with the existing information regardless of the car not being available. Or in the case where the car was at the dealership for sale, let the ad run with the wrong price. Moreover, if they were unaware of the issue and the ad, they were made aware when the first e-mail or phone call came in from an ad respondent.

 So at any one time, there were hundreds of cars unavailable for sale, being advertised nationwide as available, albeit, worldwide, with the additional problem of most of them misrepresented in price.

What does this all add up to?

 In most states, advertising issues like what is referenced above are addressed by consumer protection laws and advertising guidelines. Differing by state, laws exist that are very specific to advertising and advertising claims. And as many consumer protection laws were created specifically with car dealership advertising in mind, what is pointed out above could be a major problem for FCA and dealers that did not properly manage their advertising.

 What about the most obvious excuse being “FCA and the dealers made a mistake, an oversight, were unaware, etc”. Would that deflect liability? The answer is maybe or no, it might not (depending on a particular state’s laws).  In many states, consumer protection and advertising laws do not recognize “mistakes”, etc. If it did allow for mistakes, then that excuse would always be abused to justify bad behavior and those bad behaviors would repeat. The mitigating or aggravating factors of the “mistakes” vs. “purposeful intent behaviors” are typically looked at within the punitive damages framework of litigation. The black and white of the violation itself carries with it that particular state’s calculation of damages and multiples of those damages if present within the law before anything punitive is considered.

 So how could someone who never got to purchase a car have been damaged? 

 The Demon's aftermarket value has been fluctuating between $120k-199k for a car with a max loaded MSRP of $98k. If a buyer tried to buy a falsely advertised Demon at $90k MSRP and were told, the car is sold (as in 6 months ago when the dealer per ordered it for a buyer), or sorry, the car is not for sale at $90k, it’s for sale at $160k, the potential damages are the market value of the car ($199k and going up), or the actual dealer sale price ($160k), minus the price they advertised the car for ($90k) for a damage total of $109k or $70k respectively. It’s called “benefit of the bargain” and if denied it through a violation, damages may be sustained. Laws and calculation of damages differ state to state. If a buyer could not buy a Demon, yet they answered some of these false ads, the dealer may have broken that state's consumer protection laws.

 The additional potential problem for FCA and dealers is that some states award multiples of the actual damages, plus attorney fees to be paid by the defendants. And the window is open as well for punitive damages depending the seriousness of the violation and intent. Remember, laws are meant to punish and dissuade violators from repeating. So a dealer who falsely advertised a $90k car and sold it for $130, now worth $200k, could be looking at several hundred thousand dollars in damages/fees to each person that answered the false advertisement for that same car.  And FCA being the head of this particular “mistake” could be looking at millions if a class action develops. False Advertising cases tend to be very black and white fact driven. What occurred is in writing/print and not easily disputed.

 In the past where a dealer falsely advertises something at a price and a shopper demands by law to be able to purchase it as advertised, a dealer simply has to go get the buyer "another one", and transact at the advertised conditions to remedy the issue. Then, problem solved, the buyer has the benefit of the bargain. Perhaps this is why the FCA inventory upload and Autotrader ad link has never been a problem before. If a problem arose, a dealer would simply find the buyer another of the same car or order it.

 But how does a dealer remedy a Demon when most of the available cars have already been sold, a dealer cannot order anymore, and the benefit of the bargain keeps growing in value in the aftermarket?  FCA is not making any more Demons. This is what was meant by FCA retrofitted the Demon into existing distribution processes without seeing the end result. The pre selling of the car required additional adjustments to the distribution process in order to avoid all these problems.

 Every passing day a potentially larger damage calculation exists because of Demon rising values. Even if the value levels off, the argument for loss of benefit using the highest auction prices realized is valid and already stands at $190k+. For any single dealer, a mere handful of respondents who answered their advertisement could be a major issue.

 FCA and Dodge dealers either failed to see the differences with the Demon and adjust their advertising norms and inventory process, or is it possible they knew full well about the advertising results and preferred the benefits?

 “We know some dealers may be tempted to sell to the highest bidder, but we are encouraging them to leverage the Demon as a halo for both the brand and their dealership, to bring customers into their showrooms and see everything we have to offer” said Tim Kuniskis, head of passenger car brands for Fiat Chrysler North America. (http://moparconnectionmagazine.com/fcas-allocation-system-for-2018-dodge-demon-that-takes-aim-at-markups/)

 So FCA by its own words stated that the car is to be used to bring people into the dealerships. Does that mean FCA permitted, or turned a blind eye to the advertisements?  Will FCA claim they didn’t know what was going on for months? How can the car be used to bring people into the dealership if the cars were all pre sold and only have to be delivered to the buyer upon arrival to the dealership?

 "A source inside Fiat Chrysler said the automaker is "monitoring" dealer actions in selling Demons, but there is little the factory can do beyond encouraging dealers to sell their Demons at sticker price."( https://autoweek.com/article/supercars/dealing-devil-dealers-are-auctioning-srt-demon-allocations)

 Is it possible for FCA to not be aware of hundreds of new Demons up for sale at any one time? Is it possible that no single consumer called FCA customer service to complain? Did FCA not see all the articles citing the false advertisements, or the postings in car forums? And both FCA and each dealer appear to have benefitted through these false advertisements. They benefit through attaining more sales leads and traffic, they benefit through the brand being highlighted in the press, through other car sales, etc.

  Tim Kuniskis states:

 “We haven’t built the first one yet, but people have been talking about this car since January,” he said. “So the hype has been building and selling other Challengers. Our Challenger sales are through the roof. We’re having an all-time record year to date.”

(https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/chrysler/2017/09/17/dodge-sees-payoff-demon-hype/105745768/)

 So did FCA know about it from the beginning, and or through its own inaction permit the false advertising for benefit? As it looks right now, this could easily be a Class Action against FCA since so many persons have likely been affected and the violation and damages are consistent. How many inquiries were made via these false advertisements, and moreover how many other Challengers or Dodge products were sold by virtue of disappointed Demon buyers settling for another trim level? These questions and more surround these occurrences and time will tell to what extent the dealers and/or FCA may be held accountable.

 We continue to monitor this complex issue and welcome any feedback or submissions of individual experiences regarding this subject.