#i mean the items are still in fashion forward and styling star but. i liked having a whole brand

[tenebrous-dream]

shivani im gonna hold your hand while i tell you this

[adventuresindolls]

May Photo Challenge!!

Our next photo challenge, #Daisies and Daffodolls, will begin on May 1st! It’s a creative, for fun, non-competitive daily challenge for you to share pictures of your doll(s). There will be a new prompt each day, listed below to give you a month to prepare, and you can participate in as many or as few days as you’re interested in. There is no judgement whatsoever, so please share regardless of how complex your props are, and don’t worry about posting a prompt late.

First of all, thank you so much to @desertdollranch​ for helping with the prompts, especially those surrounding AG birthdays and holidays, and for getting this whole photo challenge thing started back in September! And a huge thank you to @lesbianelizabethcole​ for designing all 5 banners!

The ground rules are the same as in October and December, but I’ll reiterate them for anyone that might be new. Tag all of your prompt posts with #daisies and daffodolls - all three words, complete with spaces. This will allow us to better find and share each other’s posts. You can organize your own posts however you want, but I recommend including the day’s prompt somewhere for context. Also feel free to post on other social medias if you want.

This is not a competition, and there are no prizes, but it should be a lot of fun. Feel free to use any size and brand of doll that you have! American Girl is very popular on doll tumblr, but all other types are welcome as well, including both established (historical or modern) characters and OCs. This could range from 18-inch dolls to Barbies to handmade dolls or porcelain dolls or even paper dolls.

I’ll reblog this post weekly until the beginning of May, and then begin each week of May with the prompt list for that week. Please find a list of all prompts below the cut.

5/1: The first day of each photo challenge is traditionally for seasonal fashion. Does your doll have a favorite spring outfit? Is it cool and light, or are they still bundled in a sweater for the chilly mornings?

5/2: Spring is all about new beginnings. Is your doll learning a new skill or trying a new activity this spring? Or maybe they just met a new person who became important in their life?

5/3: Today is National Textiles Day. Kirsten’s friends gave her a quilt they made after she missed school to help her family. Does your doll have any clothes or other items that are handmade? If not, do they make any textile items themselves? This could be something sewn, knitted, crocheted, or quilted.

5/4: May the 4th be with you! Does your doll like Star Wars? Who is their favorite character? What about other stories? Pick a hero from any movie, show, or book that your doll loves and have them act out a scene as that character.

5/5: Friends are forever. Who are your doll’s closest friends and what do they do together? Maybe they like to play board games or go to the mall or play pretend. Or maybe your doll is planning something special for their friend.

5/6: As the weather gets warmer, it’s the perfect time to head outside. Does your doll play sports, or do they prefer casual games with their friends? Maybe they like picnics or quiet hikes through the woods.

5/7: Happy birthday, Maryellen! Maryellen often feels overlooked in her large family, and she works hard to stand out and show her unique personality. What makes your doll special and unique?

5/8: It’s career day! What does your doll want to do when they grow up? Show them dressed up for and/or acting out their dream job.

5/9: Happy Mother’s Day! Addy and her mother escaped to freedom together, Caroline’s mother ran a shipyard, and Kirsten’s mother encouraged her not to lose heart. Does your doll have a special bond with their mother? How do they celebrate Mother’s Day? If they don’t have a mother or don’t have a good relationship with her, consider today a free space to show us something you really want to but that isn’t included in these prompts.

5/10:  Bugs are everywhere! We might avoid some of them, but others are welcomed. Lightning bugs, ladybugs, bumble bees, and dragonflies are a few happy spring bugs. Show your doll doing something bug-themed. They might take a net out to catch bugs or draw a picture of a bug or hold a ladybug they found. Be creative!

5/11: Parties are always fun! Is your doll going to any birthday parties or sleepovers this spring? Maybe they’re attending a wedding or some other celebration? What are their favorite party activities?

5/12:  Spring weather can be a relief after the cold and darkness of winter. What is the weather like where your doll is? Foggy? Rainy? Bright and sunny? Show your doll interacting with their local spring weather.

5/13: Everyone needs mentors and heroes. Who does your doll look up to? What have they learned from them or how do they honor them?

5/14: It’s the last day of the school year. What’s your doll’s favorite extracurricular activity or aspect of school that they’ll miss until next fall?

5/15: Happy birthday, Luciana! Luciana loves learning about space and wants to be an astronaut and go to Mars one day. Getting to space involves studying many different things, particularly various fields of science. Show your doll doing something related to space or science.

5/16: Today is National Do Something Nice for your Neighbor Day. What does your doll do that helps others or makes the world a better place?

5/17: Let’s try something different today! If your (OC or non-AG) doll had their own American Girl-style book series, what would be the central theme? What sort of things would happen to them? Show us at least one scene from this hypothetical series.

5/18: Beaches and swimming are iconic activities as the weather gets warmer and people have more free time. Rebecca and her family went to Coney Island for a picnic. Does your doll enjoy picnics, sunbathing, or sandcastles on the beach? Maybe they like to swim for exercise or hang out at the pool with friends? (I do not recommend putting your doll in a public chlorine pool)

5/19: Happy Birthday, Kit! Growing up seeing the effects of the Great Depression on people around her, Kit is determined to report on important things happening to real people. How does your doll relate to current events? Are they involved in activism or spreading awareness? Is there an important social issue that affects them personally or that they feel is very important? Or is there something good happening in the world that they like to think about?

5/20: Spring is a great time for tea parties. What’s in your doll’s teacup? Maybe they’re drinking a fancy tea, or maybe they prefer a refreshing glass of juice.

5/21: Spring is full of baby animals. Show your doll interacting with some sort of baby animal. (Safely! Please don’t grab a real squirrel or bunny!)

5/22: In December we celebrated Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day. I’d like to reprise that, but with a twist: this time, we’re headed into the future! The amount of time and what your doll finds in the future is completely up to you. What do they do while there?

5/23: Cakes and pies and ice cream, oh my! What is your doll’s favorite dessert?

5/24: There may be fewer holidays in spring than in December, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to celebrate! Does your doll celebrate Passover or Easter? Or maybe they prefer a more obscure spring holiday to liven things up? Show them participating in whatever celebration you like.

5/25: Yellow is the color of flowers and sunny days and ducklings. Show your doll wearing or using something yellow.

5/26: Happy birthday, Samantha! After her birthday party, Samantha hears Aunt Cornelia speak at a suffragette meeting in New York City. What is a cause that is important to your doll? Show them with a sign supporting or protesting something close to their heart. As an added challenge, use a cause unrelated to the current events prompt.

5/27: It’s summer vacation! What are some of your doll’s favorite activities now that they’re free from school? Alternatively, what are some of their favorite hobbies to do anytime?

5/28: Happy birthday, Cecile! For her birthday, Cecile’s brother Armand gave her a beautiful porcelain doll that looked like her. Does your doll have a favorite doll or toy?

5/29: Late spring and early summer is a great time to go on a road trip or vacation. Where is your doll traveling to, and what are they doing there? Or maybe their family chose a staycation this year - what new fun new things are they discovering close to home?

5/30: Today is National Water a Flower Day. Show your doll interacting with flowers or other plants.

5/31: What is your doll planning for this fall? What are they looking forward to when school starts again? Is a big change approaching as the seasons and leaves turn? What does the future hold for them?

[needlepcint]

INTRODUCING...

          HALLE BAILEY, CIS WOMAN, 20, SHE / HER   ⟨  ✽  ⟩   hey, you haven’t bumped into nia williams lately, have you ? they have been living here for the past two years ( during the school semester ) and during that time, locals have gotten to know them as quirky & charming.  a little birdie told me they can be quite vain & devious  though. explains why they’re an architecture major at whitby university. they really remind me of field time at six am and still making your eight am looking flawless, spandex shorts under short skirts paired with high heels you can run in, && impeccably manicured hands handling any power tool with ease. if you’re ever looking for them, i bet you can find them around the retro room. 

HIGHLIGHTS...

          the daughter raised by a single father, a former nhler, though also with the help of his teammates’ wives and girlfriends — a unique situation that shaped her life ; a lover of beauty, no matter what it may be, but a little obsessed with it when it comes to herself ; tiny but with a nose for scoring, speed, and elusiveness on the field that’s made her a two time women’s soccer mvp and she’s only a junior ; sometimes comes across as a little ditzy and airheaded, but though she has the look of a girly-girl, looks can be deceiving and certainly don’t underestimate her ; has an incredible knack for turning old things into new and desired items, mostly with regards to furniture and knicknacks.

THE STORY...

— cole harbour, nova scotia, the birthplace of sidney crosby the next one, eight years later — nathan mackinnon, and six years after that : nia williams. her birth was unplanned, however ; her mother only twenty and working towards med school. her father a halifax mooseheads player just having fun at her conception, now twenty-two and playing out his dreams in the nhl with the montreal canadians.

— things always work out in the end, though, and at twenty-two her father became her sole guardian and growing up quite a bit in the process, her mother vanishing from her life at that point and never re-entering.

— she was technically raised by a single father, but she was also perhaps raised by the veterans on the team and most importantly, the wives and girlfriends of her father’s teammates whose care she was left in the care of during games. it was them that taught her the things that her father couldn’t, and nia never wanted for her mother, that space happily and willingly filled by almost two dozen women who were older sisters, mothers, aunts... they were family.

— but even with all the make up and fashion advice, nia was very much her father’s daughter as well : crawling around the outdoors, going one-on-one on the ice, swimming in the ocean and still looking flawless while doing it. michael williams was a good father in the end, and grew into the role.

— she play hockey and soccer growing up, seeming to have a nose for offense, as elusive on skates as in cleats. nia could’ve been great at both sports, was great at both sports, but in the middle of high school she made the switch to focus on soccer full time. her passion for the ice remained, but the opportunities in soccer were stronger — and she loved the outdoors, loved the field in the early hours of morning.

— it was in the summer after grade 11 that she was offered a scholarship from whitby university to play women’s soccer ( amongst others ), but whitby fit the bill for what she wanted, and port briar reminded her a lot of home in cole harbour with the chilly sea. so after graduation, she was off to whitby to play soccer.

— on the college scene, it became obvious that nia simply put, was a star. a small but ever elusive forward who had speed that didn’t seem possible with her stature and an ability to score like no one else. the campus loved her, the team loved her, and opposing teams loved to hate her on the field. she was named mvp of the team as a freshman, a feat she would repeat her sophomore year as well. she’s currently gunning for her third.

MISC...

— architecture feels like an odd choice for those who don’t know nia well. she tends to come across as a little bit of an airhead, ditzy, not always the greatest with common sense. but she is actually quite book smart and sometimes, the ditziness is just a bit of an act. she had fostered a bit of FASCINATION with arenas having been in so many growing up, she began to harbor a desire to design one ( and to do it better ). sketching had been something that held her attention when she needed to be seated and still, and that fit in perfectly. after entering whitby undeclared, nia found herself drawn to the architecture department and program, officially declaring at the end of her freshman year.

— nia is hardly ever still : tapping fingers, jumping knees, sitting and then standing. she was diagnosed with adhd when she was seven. she is medicated for it now, but it also still manifests in attention deficient for her, leaving a wake of unfinished projects in her wake. sports had been one of the few things that held her attention, kept her occupied, and one of the few things she worked to hone her skills in.

— because of her tendency to jump from one thing to another, it’s no surprise she had a litany of hobbies that she’s tried : you name it, she’s likely tried it once. everything from yoga, to sewing, to painting, to rock climbing. in some ways it’s made her a bit of a jack of all trades, though she always comes back to soccer in the end. 

— however, one of thing did stick, kinda. in high school she took a woodworking class and from that spawned a hobby of furniture upcycling. her father had always been good with his hands and she knew her way around power tools, still does. she takes great pride in being able to fix things to be usable again, and loves to shop around the retro room or drive around port briar looking for things left at the curb. it can’t be a huge project though, like anything, if it’s not done in one go, chances are she may never return to finish the project. 

— she lives in an off-campus apartment this year after spending the first two in dorms. she’s looking forward to having her own space and kitchen ( even with roommates ).

— rigid schedules help her to keep organized when her natural tendency is to fall back into messiness and chaos. living with a neat roommate has helped her in some ways, because though messiness is her tendency, she finds that neatness helps her to keep focused and on track. being reminded to clean every week has been good for her.

— her favorite color is red and she has a penchant for red nails and red lipstick.

— her father is now an assistant hockey coach in the ncaa, but not at whitby. she sees him when that school in in town though she’s always rooting for whitby. her summers are spent back in cole harbour and she is still in touch with some of the wives and girlfriends who she’d been so close to.

— she’s an early bird, as odd as it is. she’s always loved sunrises over the atlantic ocean. you can find her either on the field or out for a run in the early hours, and then when the snow flies, likely doing yoga.

PERSONALITY...

— on the surface nia is very much a pretty girl. always looking flawless, a little ditzy, a little shallow. her smile is her weapon and she uses it to get people on her side. she likes people to like her, though one might hesitate to truly classify her as a nice girl or a mean girl. she ends up falling somewhere in the middle as most people do, never mean without cause but not friends with anyone. her enemies aren’t always obvious, something kept under wraps with petty glares and muttered comments. she doesn’t go looking for trouble, but if it crosses her path she meets it head on. her soccer star status has endeared her with some and made her just as many enemies, especially on their rival teams. she’s generally sweet to everyone she meets, but wrong her and she’ll be the first to be shit talking behind your back.

— men and women alike find her charming, something that suits her tastes. she’s been in a fair number of flings, though nothing that she ever saw as longterm. nia in general doesn’t look at the big picture, which has frustrated some who saw something more with her. but people still love her all the same. it’s a power she pretends to not know she has, but she’s more devious than her lipsticked smiles portray her to be.

— she has a thing for looks, rarely looking less than pristine herself, even in the middle of practice on a hot pre-season day. beauty, she’s been told, starts on the inside, and she does believe that, but helping along the outside never hurts either. she likes to feel good about herself, and comfort doesn’t always take precedence.

— nia always has a schedule, but at the same time, she’s almost always late. time management is a thing she’s still working on, and the only advice is to tell her anything is fifteen minutes earlier than it is.

— she’s a pretty girl, but has never felt like she had to stick to that box. instead, she has a way of just looking flawless no matter what that does. people judge her from her appearance and she knows that, but she also relishes in being able to prove people wrong. she knows her way around a math class and almost every power tool there is, she’s not afraid to get dirty --- just looking bad, so she’ll find a way to make mud look flawless. she’s obsessed with beauty, just not always the most conventional forms of it.

APPEARANCE...

— 5′0″, built lithe and fast.

— style : cute and cottagecore on the daily, but isn’t afraid to toe the line into edgy for nights out. a bit of “hardness” can make its way into her outfit in blacks and faux leathers matched with flowy silks and puff sleeves. she can make the switch from “good girl” to “bad girl” as quickly as she wants, depending on how she’s feeling that day.

— jewelry : an absolute sucker for jewelry. often is on esty too often despite her already extensive collection of bracelets, necklaces, and rings. her style is often dainty jewelry, though she doesn’t discriminate.

— tattoos : a small butterfly on the back of her left shoulder

— scars : several small nicks and almost invisible ones

OOC...

hiiii. it’s ollie again ✌️😎... and bc i normally play hockey bois... here’s my self-indulgent tie to hockey via nia whoops.

[betweentheracks]

On a scale of 1-5000, how annoyed do you get when people have the gall to tell you, “Wow! You’re so lucky!” when they find out that you work in entertainment and with celebrities?

Also on a scale of 1-5000, how unimpressed are you with the celebrities you end up working with?

Please share some horror stories so we can commiserate over nightmare clients! 😂

Yeef and also yikes, do I actually want to dive into this particular can of worms? Lmao. 

I thoroughly see spots of red in my vision whenever people try to do the whole “Wow, that’s really cool and lucky for you! How many famous people have you met or worked with? Your life must be so glamorous and exciting!!” Like please, spare me. It isn’t glitz and glitter all the time - in fact, the fun parts are in the minority of how working in this industry goes. Beyond that, I’m not ‘lucky,’ I worked my ass off to pull this off and have never slowed my pace (until this COVID-19 chaos) to ensure my post remains relevant. In accordance to your ranking, I guess I would go with 4999 points annoyed.

Frankly, my rating and impressions of my clients are like a river that flows on and on and yet there is no apparent water to be found. I have a good rapport with most of the ones I am contracted with exclusively, but they're prone to make my feelings change from sentence to the next. Celebrities will forever remain exhaustively effervescent. 

If you really want some dish, I can offer up some from a client I once worked with in my apprenticeship and how much I hate the time I had to spend with her while also retaining a sense of gratitude for helping shape me into someone that can withstand some of the prickly goings-on of the industry. She wasn’t even my client, as I was merely apprenticing and therefore was little more than a ghost that shadowed one of the veterans of our company. I’m highlighting this now before diving into the thick of what was the worst week in my career thus far because it is extremely important to keep in mind that I was under no actual obligation to work with this woman. 

Ahem, so, story time! Let me start off with first making it clear that even now I will only work with actresses and actors when I have no viable means of refusal. This is simply a preference of mine and stems mostly from this woman’s behaviors and treatments of me and some of the crew I worked with at the time. I was quite young when I entered my apprenticeship, like barely more than 20, and I was simultaneously accustomed and starstruck by the world I was entering. Before the apprenticeship, I had already been working off and on via temporary contracts and commissions as a MUA at the time, so I knew the ends and outs of the place and the people that worked my end of it. However, I hadn’t worked with many clients one on one as either a MUA or as an aspiring wardrobe stylist. Due to this I was still very green and awkward and hadn’t yet figured out the line between casual and professional (to this day, for me, this line is nearly nonexistent) and I tended to make a mess whenever I opened my mouth so mostly I kept quiet and melded into my role as an observing trainee with occasionally useful ideas but was mostly just an extra pair of hands. The stylist I was shadowing was, in a word, cumbersome. They weren’t a very great teacher and had a tendency to drop projects into my lap without much proper instruction or insight and would leave me to attempt making sense of what was wanted by means of vision boards and client portfolios. In much a similar fashion, when a scheduling conflict came up involving the actress which will star in this tale and another more major artist; naturally, he had to see to the client he had a more tangible contract with and stuck me with wrangling our golden girl. 

Within the first 4 sentences of our first exchange as stylist and client I hated her immensely. She was the type of client I abhor to work with; overbearing and demanding, thankless and impatient. She was in the midst of her career finally catching some interest which is the most pivotal time in any celebrity’s career and I like to think she was so bitchy and just plain mean due to the stress and pressure she was under but it doesn’t make what happened any more justifiable. Her immediate and first words to me were, “You’re young and clueless enough to be my baby sister. Whatever authority you think you can have in dictating what I wear ended with the sound of the door opening when you stepped in, get that straight now.” I remember this extremely clearly because I went from gobsmacked to incensed within the time it takes to pop the top on a can of soda. But! I knew at least enough to know to keep my mouth shut and temper my immediate dislike of this person and tried to push forward and steer the conversation in the direction of what her ideal style and presentation should be. It went well enough for all of an hour tops before she domed me again by calling me “baby sis” in place of my name. As I am, in fact, the baby sis of my family I am well aware of when a power play is being maneuvered in on me and spotted this for what it was: her trying to remind me that I had no right to be speaking to her, let alone designing her. This was a culmination of her being upset and put out that she wasn’t chosen by my mentoring stylist and was stuck with someone that had basically no merits behind her. 

Calling me this wasn’t really an issue for me, but it did chafe against my skin enough to make me feel uncomfortable and anxious. Still, I let it slide and she continued to call me as such for the duration of our time together. The true horror of this story is what comes next and the escalation from minor verbal insults meant to belittle me fanned into blatant sabotage. She and I had come to a sort of estranged agreement when it came to modeling her vision board - she wanted to retain some traces of her perceived sweet and demure self from when she was cast in her first role, but play up the maturity and grace she held now and have it reinvented into timeless class while holding a touch of being chic. It was a headache to make sense of since, from a the perspective of fashion and trends at that time, this wasn’t the ideal and even seemed counterintuitive to someone in her position and of her age. I went along with it and threw myself into the quest to pull from the brands she mentioned liking most and for days I learned firsthand how exhausting and tedious it is to make acquisitions and swear responsibilities/accountabilities one after the other and put my name and my company on the line. I handpicked every item and steadily managed to pull off forming my second ever ensemble of 4 sets of styles each with 2 or 3 substitution items that could alter the look entirely while still remaining within the realm of what the client had asked for. I worked upward of 13 hours for 4 days and when I finally was able to bring the client to her showroom and present my designs, I was only able to feel relieved for mere minutes before she began to yell and make a scene. She demanded my supervisor and the head of the styling department of our company both come to tend to her and see what a mockery I had made of her ideal image. She went on to use her acting quirks to insinuate that I had gone off half-cocked and overruled her every idea and word and then dared to present her with such low quality fashions. She even managed to produce a vision board that was entirely different from the one she and I had planned together! It was obviously done by herself and lacked the detailed attention any of the stylists housed in our company would have added, but it was convincing enough to appear damning. 

At this point my head was in a weird place, trying to make sense of the perilous world I was throwing myself into and the fact that this was actually happening to me at all and wasn’t just me daydreaming while watching daytime dramas. After I worked through that initial shock, I was more than mad but less than enraged. I was confused as to why this client was being so purposefully obstinate and difficult for me, even briefly wondered what sort of grievance I could have possibly cost her when I had only just met her and had done my utmost to seem cool and pro like all the seasoned stylists I had worked with. I thought I was going to lose my job and have to go back to my family with my tail between my legs and tell them they were right and I never should have strayed from my original course and career path. I only became aware that I was crying, like big fat tears that made a mess of my face and were embarrassing to the point that I wanted to flee, because my supervisor had given me his handkerchief. It was at this point that I teetered and looked deeply at the person accusing me and wasting my time and efforts and realized that it wasn’t about me and was only ever about her. This moment of clarity, though, was like the opening of a gate I had been clinging to all week in hopes of keeping all my spurned senses quietly simmering beneath my skin rather than wreck my name and finish off my chances before they truly begun. I very rudely told my supervisor and the department head that if they needed proof of my hardwork and dedication to the vision of a thoughtless actress caught in the weeds of her own wilting fame then they were free to examine my copy of the original vision board and compare it with the one she had; that they could check through the 15 or so LORs under my name and in her stead (both names are featured for security means). Anyway, she was attempting to spill a stain across our company and specifically the stylist in charge of me for blowing her off. Her idea was that if I failed in a big way it would make him look like a horrible mentor and cost him some of his reputation. I was merely cannon fodder.

This got insanely long - let’s put it up to me also being a storyteller and writer as well as very passionate about this encounter. It sparked the timid embers of my uncertain pursuit of my career into a fire that has since gotten me through many other rounds of hard hitting clients and their excessive personalities and entitled arrogance. I love my job a lot, but man is this industry full of bullies.  

[themysteriousauthor18]

It had been years since the events of the weirdmageddon and the pine twins like those years that passed, had grown with time.

Each summer they visited the mystery shack the others had gotten the chance to watch them grow. And things for those four years were normal. 

This year, well this year was special. And it wasn’t just because the twins were turning eighteen. No, it was because of something that was soon to come, something neither Mable and especially Dipper wouldn’t have seen coming. 

As the bus neared their location and the forest blurred past the window a certain brunette was sitting by the window, his lips turned down and eyes hazy as he was once again in deep thought. Dipper pines. Currently seventeen, he hadn’t changed much in those seven teen years. The only noticeable changes were that he’d grown much taller. His hair still had the same style and length. He’d traded his baseball cap out for the hat Wendy had given him and traded his shorts, red t-shirt and blue vest for some jeans and strangely a blue hoodie. 

His voice had finally gotten deeper but not as deep as his uncles but it was indeed noticeable and a sign of his maturity. His facial features had also matured with time and he no longer had the childish face but a more defined jawline and facial features.

His sister had been the same mainly, her taste in sweaters hadn’t changed. Nor had her taste in fashion. The only thing really changed was that of her hair style which was not more often than not usually in a single long braid. The large star earrings she wore were also new as well as the make-up. 

All that aside you would think with their last year of highschool coming up next year at least one of the brunette’s would have had a love life. Mable certainly had quite a few boyfriends during highschool Dipper had lost count. It seemed none of them could handle her overly enthusiastic attitude. That was fine, none of them deserved her. 

But Dipper was a different case. He had been through middle school and then almost highschool. During all that time he hadn’t one girlfriend. True there were a lot of pretty women in highschool but none of them really peaked his interest, not like they would take an interest in him. He had always had his nose in books, intrigued in novels and real world mysterious. But in all these years there was still one mystery that kept him awake at night. One thing he couldn’t take his mind off, not because he liked it, but because he didn’t understand them.

Bill.

Just thinking of the name put him on edge.

The bus soon came to a stop and before Dipper could properly move away from the window his sister tackled him from the seat behind. “Mable.” He grumbled and the young women only laughed, grinning mischievously. 

“Come on bro bro, we’re here.” As if that weren’t obvious. The nicknames didn’t seem to wither with time either. Dipper grabbed his backpack as he got up from the school bus seat. They’d been here enough times over the summer that they had a lot of their belongings here. Such as clothes, personal items ect. So normally all they had to take on these yearly trips were themselves and if necessary a bag of anything they needed.

In this case Mable chose waddles who had gotten rather big, and for Dipper just his bag filled with things he used for research. He had his own notebook now which he jotted down things into for studies. 

As they got off the bus they were greeted by their uncles each aging with time. Zeus wasn’t currently here, the shack would be opened tomorrow. Tonight they would throw a party to celebrate the twins arriving in gravity falls once again. 

Dipper's uncles or, grunkles, did the usual introduction with the pair. Each welcoming them back, Stanley denying missing them were as Stan openly admitted to missing them. And like every year since Dipper got to highschool they teased him for not yet having a girlfriend in his young life. 

But this year Dipper hadn’t wasted any time in returning their gestures only giving them a small wave before setting off into the woods. This wasn’t abnormal considering every year when the male twin got off the bus he wouldn’t waste a minute in heading off into the woods. Looking for the mysterious the best he could. He would be back later for the party and dinner, Mable would remain with the grunkles.

As Dipper walked deep into the woods, the usual sounds of nature greeted him. Ever Since the incident the weirdness around gravity falls had completely vanished. Of course the people living there were easily fooled, Wendy and Pacsfica aside. Dipper frowned as the memory as he stepped over fallen trees and mossy rocks.

The first time it happened was when he’d returned back to gravity falls when his 14th birthday would be at the end of that summer. He had been so excited to return, to look around and find or discover new things. But he had found nothing...there was never anything strange after that day. No signs of anything either...it was just, nature. Even the animals were normal, no sign of an animal with an extra appendage. Nothing.

It was just….normal. 

And Dipper had realized that day that he had a rather unhealthy obsession, attraction and fascination with that abnormal. While his sister didn’t mind being normal, he didn’t like it. He liked things that were different that were strange and that didn’t belong.

With this his summers here had become mundane, boring, normal. He still liked seeing his grunkles and friends here but otherwise...there was nothing to look forward to any longer. 

Having said all this, there was truly only one thing that remained that didn’t quite belong. 

It seemed to be the last slice of weirdness he had in this world. 

He walked into the clearing that seemed to be lost somewhere in the woods, and yet, he had been able to find it each and every year. Everytime. 

The brunette paused, his eyes looking down at the small statue that stuck out of the ground. It hadn’t moved an inch in all these years, that one large eye still looking at nobody in particular and that hand still being held out. Just waiting for someone to grab it.

Dipped glanced at the hand; he’d never touched it. The thought made his anxiety rise. Even if it was just a statue it was still Bill. But now that he was nearly an adult he questioned if the paranoia was worth it. He was sure at least one child had come through here and shook the statue's hand, and yet..here it remained. And there was no yellow-eyed child running around either nor adult. 

Was it bad of him that this disappointed him? Did it make him a bad person? 

Dipper shook off the thought as he seated himself down across from the statue like he had every year. He sighed, taking his hat off and setting it down on his lap, next he shrugged his bag off allowing it to fall behind him. He stretched his shoulders out, rolling his head around before finally settling his eyes on the statue. 

He glanced around making sure nobody was around like he had done every year. When he deemed the coast clear he returned his attention back to the statue. 

“....Hey Bill.” Dipper began, his voice shaking a little as it always did. Another look around. “It’s me again. Dipper.” A pause and his eyes fixated on the statue. “..Pinetree.” He muttered. “Things have been pretty..normal. Is it weird that that’s boring for me? That normal is boring? I should be happy about that shouldn’t I...but I’m not.” 

Dipper sighed, he never understood why he felt this way especially considering everything that happened. He understood even less why he only told Bill--well his statue--this. Maybe it was because he was afraid of anyone else thinking he was crazy. Afraid that they would deem him to be insane like Bill, a machine of chaos. 

He wasn’t like that..

Maybe he only told these things to Bill because he couldn’t be judged for them. Not by someone like Bill and all the things he’d done. 

“Maybe it is.” Dipper laughed nervously to himself. “I couldn’t tell my parents or anyone back home about everything you did. What our first summer here was like..They wouldn’t believe me anyway, they’d put me into some kinda crazy house.” Dipper ran his hand through his hair. “I should be mad at you for what you did to my family. And I am..” Dipper frowned, staring at the statue in thought. “But I’m also annoyed that you probably took all the weirdness with you when you left. I mean---what am I supposed to do now while I’m here? It was one of the only things that actually got me interested in life and something besides screens..”

Dipper huffed out an annoyed breath. He pulled his legs to his chest, resting his chin on his knees. “And you had to take that away too.”

It was silly to expect the statue to responde, but he did expect it. He had even waited several minutes..just staring down the statue in the eye expecting the yellow triangle to pop out of nowhere and say something to him. To suddenly come to life again and tell him that he’d been toying with him all these years. That he was really back and so was the weirdness. 

But nothing happened….

Dipper sighed, defeated as he slowly got to his feet. “Guess it’s time for me to head back.” The brunette grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulders and setting his hat back on the top of his head. He turned, ready to leave but something prompted him to pause. 

The outstretched hand, the same hand that offered him a deal..One in which Bill screwed him over. One in which screwed Mable over, and the same type of deal that nearly killed them all. 

So then why for the love of god was he even considering touching it? 

Dipper chewed on his bottom lip.. 

Nothing will happen. He assured himself, it was just a statue. Bill was gone..if he had been able to come back he would have by now. There was no point in him wasting all this time when he could have returned and gotten back at all of them. No it was...just a statue. 

Against his better judgment the brunette turned back towards the statue and nervously extended his hand towards the outstretched palm. He swallowed heavily, his mind asking if this was a good idea. His curiosity had won..and his craving for something abnormal to happen again. 

And that one choice was what would change everything…

Dipper clutched the hand tightly not attempting to actually shake it for fear of it breaking off. Nothing had happened just as he suspected. And the disappointment had settled in….

But as he attempted to pull his hand away he found it stuck there….Did someone seriously put glue on it? Dipper tried to pull it again but to no avail he had even stationed his foot on Bill’s face and tried again. Nothing. His hand was really on there and it wasn’t budging. 

His heart raced, maybe he should call grunkle Stan--

Before he could do that a bright blue light emitted from their joined hands. It was the first thing to happen in years and it outweighed Dippers vision. Only a hot feeling engulfing his hand..but it didn’t feel like it was burning. Just warm.

When the light had cleared, Dipper gave one last pull and fell onto the ground. He groaned, rubbing his behind and sat up. The statue was still there...the blue light fading. Without thinking Dipper got to his feet all too quickly. “Bill!?” The words escaped his mouth, in desperation or fear, he wasn’t sure. 

No response. 

He didn’t understand what happened…..that was, until his right arm began to burn. He winced, quickly pulling up the sleeve and there, he saw it. 

The markings...covering his entire right arm from his bicep down to his wrist. Marks of all kinds and at the center was Bill. The marks were glowing a soft blue until they faded into a black looking like a normal tattoo. 

Dipper looked back at that statue, his mouth agape and eyes wide. 

“What have I done..” 

[atemgirl94]

Pharaoh and Reincarnated Queen adventure pt. 4

The night that started duelist Kingdom was going to be the start of it all. Britt, Hathor, Bre and Nana were preparing their decks and getting their selves ready as they headed out with Yugi to the boat. Britt had put on some sun glasses to keep people from possibly recognizing her.

"Sunglasses?" Hathor asked

"I don't like the attention. I'm not my brother." Britt said

While they were in line they started to hear commotion at the beginning of the line. Britt and the others were listening and Yugi recognized the voice as his pal Joey. It seemed Joey had been trying to figure out a way to stow away on the ship. The girls all watched as Yugi gave Joey one of his star chips so he could go on the boat with them. Once on the boat they all went over to the part of the boat where they could look out at the water.

"Thanks Yug. You didn't have to do that." Joey said

"Of course, I did Joey, I need your help." Yugi said

Britt was leaning her back against the rail as they talked, she was thinking about a few things. Her thoughts were interrupt when a female voice was heard close by.

"Well what do we have here." The female said

The group looked at her, the other Petrova's were staying close by so they noticed her too. She had blonde hair and what looked like a corset style top. The woman walked over to them and went over to Yugi.

"So, you're the Yugi kid everyone's been talking about." She said

"Hi I'm the best friend of the famous Yugi." Joey said

Mai didn't seem pleased but then he noticed the girls nearby. She didn't say anything yet to them as she looked at Yugi.

"Look either you're a champ or a chump. Cut this guy loose he's fashion challenged and deserves to be crushed in the games." She said

That was the last straw Britt couldn't take it anymore as she took off her sunglasses that hid her eyes. She wasn't going to let anyone talk down about a friend of hers.

"Hey, leave my friends alone." Britt said

Mai looked over at her seeing she'd revealed herself. She was a bit surprised to see a female champion on the boat. No one had known Britt Petrova had been in Domino City except her classmates.

"Well I didn't expect a big champ like yourself to be on this boat. Britt Petrova, Nile Duelist of Egypt and the tournament champion of Egypt. I figured you would be on another boat." Mai said

"I'm in an exchange student program right now, so I'm in Domino City. Miss..uh we never got your name." Britt said

Mai was impressed with how Britt stood up for them as she got her things and started walking away.

"The names Mai, we'll meet again in the games. I look forward to a duel with you Miss Petrova." Mai said to her as she got lost in the crowd.

Relaxing Britt put her sunglasses on and looked out at the water. She always felt a sense of comfort when it came to the way things were. The water was always calm unless someone disturbed it.

"Wow, she seemed to be a bit about herself." Hathor said

Britt shrugged it off as she went to figure out where they were staying. The trip had seemed long but who could really complain. Britt hanged with her family for a bit that is until she heard Yugi say something about cards. She ran out then towards where he was seeing that his Exodia cards had been cast over and Joey was down there getting the cards.

"This is bad, the current is strong." Britt said just as she noticed Yugi jump down to save him.

"Yugi!" Britt said but then she noticed someone threw a life raft down there. She looked over seeing Tea and Tristan and she almost wondered how they got on the boat but it wasn't important.

Once Tea and Tristan got them up, Britt found blankets and put them around the two. It wasn't much longer after that the boat was closing in on Duelist Kingdom. She felt she needed to go there but she never understood why, but she knew she didn't join this tournament for herself. When the boat stopped she got off with Yugi and the others as they were heading towards the castle. Britt didn't care at this point what happened but she knew one thing she was following her own path.

'This is it, no matter what I know what I am doing.' Britt thought

As they made it to the castle it wasn't long before they seen that Pegasus. Britt and Yugi both watched intently seeing him up there.

"Greetings Duelists! It is my Great honor to welcome you all to the Duelist Kingdom!" Pegasus said

Britt paid attention but since he didn't explain the rules and was letting everyone figure them out for themselves she figured it was best to watch the duels as they were happening.

After that was taken care of it seemed like everyone was scattering. Yugi led the group to where he was planning to duel first which was going to be up against Weevil.

Britt stayed in the background ready to leave when the duel was over as she wanted to get some duels of her own in but she stopped noticing that the person dueling looked different...his eyes caught her attention and his voice was deeper then Yugi's.

'who is he?' she thought

He was defiantly keeping up the act of being Yugi but she knew too well her friend wasn't that tall or even that deep voiced. It was that voice that made her stay and she waited listening to every turn. She pretty much blocked out the entire thing. The only thing she n oticed was how good his dueling was and that when he'd beat Weevil she smiled.

Joey noticed her starting to walk away and he put a hand on her shoulder. "Where are you going?" He asked

Britt turned around "I'm gonna find a duel, my deck type is water so I'm heading over there. Seeing Yugi's duel I get that we each have our type in our decks." She said

After that she walked away getting free from Joey, she had a few duels that she had come across. Duelists who'd thought she was some weak duelist. When she met up with Yugi again she smiled seeing he had five and Joey had three.

"Well look at you two." She said

"Hey Britt!" Joey said then looked at her duel disk and he freaked out. "Seven?! Seven stars?! How'd you end up so lucky?" He asked her

Britt looked at her glove and then at Joey "By boys who thought girls can't duel. Clearly I showed them a thing or two. I started out with two, then someone had three and the last one had two." Britt told him.

"ok, remind me never pick a duel with you." Joey said as they made their way out. They were making a fire out in the woods when they heard rustling. When they looked they seen Mai.

"Hey you guys are out here alone? I have some snacks out by my fire and a make shift shower. You girls should take the opportunity to use it before I tear it down just because you hang with boys doesn't mean you have to smell like them." Mai said

They all moved and went to Mai's fire. Tea took a shower first and everything seemed fine. They were each having their fill of snacks. When it was Britt's turn for a shower she made sure she was alone as she got herself ready to take a shower and inside the shower. She relaxed in the shower and closed her eyes.

'I see you my Queen, you are not far from me.' She heard the voice she knew too well.

Britt welcomed hearing that voice she didn't fear it as she finished her shower. Curiously she wondered how they'd be together if she so choose to. Mai was standing guard to keep the boys away from the shower.

When it was later and they split ways with Mai, she thanks her for the shower. It was still dark and they were making their way out when they heard rustling. The group turned around seeing Ryo.

"Well Look it's Bakura." Joey said

"What are you doing here?" Britt asked

Ryo gave them a story about him being there and they had some left over snacks so they shared it with him.

"Hey why don't we play a game of duel monsters for fun?" Ryo said, "All of you could put your favorite cards in Yugi's deck."

"Sounds like fun, no stars at risk." Britt said to him

As they all got ready and chose a duel monster that was their favorite putting it in the deck of Yugi's. Britt was a bit hesitant since her favorite card was her ace and she wondered about it. Then again she trusted Yugi so she did and once they were ready Bakura laughed.

"There's something I'd like to show you all." Bakura said

As they watched the M. Ring appeared around his neck. Each of them were shocked to see he had an item but nothing prepared them for what was to come as each of their souls was taken from their bodies and put in their cards. Their bodies fell as they closed their eyes.

"Now, I can take what I need." He said as he reached for the puzzle and the bracelet. Only he couldn't touch them as they both glowed and the spirits locked within each item took over rising to stand against him.

[aboveallarescuer]

How Dany assesses the counsel she receives and makes her own choices - The way from the Red Waste to Vaes Tolorro

This will be a series of posts meant to show that Dany is open to receiving advice and criticism, but that she doesn’t act solely based on what other people tell her to do. On the opposite, GRRM makes great effort to write a Dany who most often merges different viewpoints and/or finds her own solutions to the problems she’s facing. I won’t include every single decision she ever made (e.g. her decisions at court are often made without counsel and her execution of the ritual to hatch the dragon eggs was already exhaustively and deftly analyzed by other people), but there will be plenty of instances in this series that will prove my point nonetheless. The metas will always have four items: in which chapters the events mentioned take place; what advice she receives and from whom; what were her actions; the verdict (whether she followed other people’s advice, ignored/rejected them or did both at the same time).

Chapter (s):

ACOK Daenerys I

The advice Dany receives:

Jorah and Rakharo advise Dany to avoid any route that any other khal took.

Jorah says that, while it's uncertain that they will survive by moving forward through the Red Waste, it's certain that they will die if they try to go back.

Jhiqui and Irri advise Dany to not enter the city because of the evil ghosts that inhabit it.

 Dany's actions:

As I said in my meta about the relationship between Dany and the prophecies, Dany thinks it's best to follow the comet both because it's her only viable alternative and because there would only be despair left if she didn't believe that it meant something. As she lays out, all the other paths would compromise her small group:

She dare not turn north onto the vast ocean of grass they called the Dothraki sea. The first khalasar they met would swallow up her ragged band, slaying the warriors and slaving the rest. The lands of the Lamb Men south of the river were likewise closed to them. They were too few to defend themselves even against that unwarlike folk, and the Lhazareen had small reason to love them. (ACOK Daenerys I)

By the way, it's noteworthy that Dany was able to assess her situation and think of all these implications on her own. And I do believe she did it on her own, considering that the author explicitly recognizes when the ideas come from other people:

She might have struck downriver for the ports at Meereen and Yunkai and Astapor, but Rakharo warned her that Pono’s khalasar had ridden that way, driving thousands of captives before them to sell in the flesh marts that festered like open sores on the shores of Slaver’s Bay.

“Why should I fear Pono?” Dany objected. “He was Drogo’s ko, and always spoke me gently.” 

“Ko Pono spoke you gently,” Ser Jorah Mormont said. “Khal Pono will kill you.[”] (ACOK Daenerys I)

And this leads us to an interesting exchange between Dany and Jorah. As I said before, there are lots of instances to infer that she says things she does not necessarily believe in to obtain his respect, and this is one of them. First, he says that she and her hundred warriors won't stand a chance against Pono's ten thousand warriors. In her mind, Dany is quite conscious of her vulnerabilities, for she knows she doesn't even have a hundred warriors:

No, Dany thought. I have four. The rest are women, old sick men and boys whose hair has never been braided.

But instead of revealing these insecurities, Dany declares:

“I have the dragons,” she pointed out.

Which then leads Jorah to reply that they won't help her that much, since they are still hatchlings; in fact, they may be liabilities at this point since everyone will want to possess them. Dany fiercely says that they are hers and no one will take them from her while she lives. She is putting on a facade here, and admirably so. As the last Targaryen, khaleesi and now Mother of Dragons (as they started to call her), she is their leader and the one who must organize them to work towards a single purpose. To be in that position means being firm and reliable when no one else could be:

“We follow the comet,” Dany told her khalasar. Once it was said, no word was raised against it. They had been Drogo’s people, but they were hers now. The Unburnt, they called her, and Mother of Dragons. Her word was their law.

~

They are not strong, she told herself, so I must be their strength. I must show no fear, no weakness, no doubt. However frightened my heart, when they look upon my face they must see only Drogo’s queen. She felt older than her fourteen years. If ever she had truly been a girl, that time was done. 

~

Dany kissed him lightly on the cheek. It heartened her to see him smile. I must be strong for him as well, she thought grimly. A knight he may be, but I am the blood of the dragon. 

Like I said before, while Viserys used the expression "the blood of the dragon" to be ostentatious and coerce others into doing whatever he wanted, Dany reclaims it to restrain her emotions so she can be the kind of leader who "belongs to her people, not herself". The use of that phrase is also reminiscent of her duty not being only towards the living, but also the dead, whom she doesn't fail to mention:

Her father had been slain before she was born, and her splendid brother Rhaegar as well. Her mother had died bringing her into the world while the storm screamed outside. Gentle Ser Willem Darry, who must have loved her after a fashion, had been taken by a wasting sickness when she was very young. Her brother Viserys, Khal Drogo who was her sun-and-stars, even her unborn son, the gods had claimed them all. They will not have my dragons, Dany vowed. They will not. (ACOK Daenerys II)

Dany is being very protective of her dragons for two reasons:

She loves them as she would love her human children and considers them family.

They are also the means for her to successfully claim her father's throne. Only then she will honor all of these people that the gods claimed. That is also why she won't admit defeat in Qarth when all hope seems lost - she has the dragons and a shot at doing justice for her ancestors and carrying out their legacy, so she will not look back and be lost.

Because Dany's leadership style is rooted in empathy and accountability, she never takes advantage of her position:

Dany hungered and thirsted with the rest of them. The milk in her breasts dried up, her nipples cracked and bled, and the flesh fell away from her day by day until she was lean and hard as a stick[.]

Another leader might have taken most of the food or water for themselves, but that's not what Dany chooses to do. She "must know the sufferings of her people", after all, even more so when she is unable to help them the way she wished she could. The trauma of seeing so many of her people perish will later inform her attempts to bring peace (untenable as it was) as quickly as possible to Meereen in ASOS and ADWD.

Wine gave out first, and soon thereafter the clotted mare’s milk the horselords loved better than mead. Then their stores of flatbread and dried meat were exhausted as well. Their hunters found no game, and only the flesh of their dead horses filled their bellies. Death followed death. Weak children, wrinkled old women, the sick and the stupid and the heedless, the cruel land claimed them all. Doreah grew gaunt and hollow-eyed, and her soft golden hair turned brittle as straw.

~

[H]er khalasar withered and died. Around them the land turned ever more desolate. Even devilgrass grew scant; horses dropped in their tracks, leaving so few that some of her people must trudge along on foot.

~

Dany looked at the horizon with despair. They had lost a third of their number, and still the waste stretched before them, bleak and red and endless.

Even here, Dany does the best she can to alleviate their pain. She respects and follows their customs:

Three days into the march, the first man died. A toothless oldster with cloudy blue eyes, he fell exhausted from his saddle and could not rise again. An hour later he was done. [...] Dany bid them kill the weakest of their dying horses, so the dead man might go mounted into the night lands.

~

Two nights later, it was an infant girl who perished. Her mother’s anguished wailing lasted all day, but there was nothing to be done. The child had been too young to ride, poor thing. Not for her the endless black grasses of the night lands; she must be born again. 

She also feels a lot of gratitude for Doreah and strives to make her death a little less agonizing:

Doreah took a fever and grew worse with every league they crossed. Her lips and hands broke with blood blisters, her hair came out in clumps, and one evenfall she lacked the strength to mount her horse. Jhogo said they must leave her or bind her to her saddle, but Dany remembered a night on the Dothraki sea, when the Lysene girl had taught her secrets so that Drogo might love her more. She gave Doreah water from her own skin, cooled her brow with a damp cloth, and held her hand until she died, shivering. Only then would she permit the khalasar to press on. 

Later in ADWD, during a feast where people start bringing up the names of the combatants in the upcoming duels at Daznak's Pit, Dany feels complicit in their imminent deaths. She remembers Doreah as an example of someone who died under her protection. More than that: in Dany's mind, Doreah is proof that "[n]o queen has clean hands" because that's how guilty Dany feels about what happened:

Much of the talk about the table was of the matches to be fought upon the morrow. Barsena Blackhair was going to face a boar, his tusks against her dagger. Khrazz was fighting, as was the Spotted Cat. And in the day's final pairing, Goghor the Giant would go against Belaquo Bonebreaker. One would be dead before the sun went down. No queen has clean hands, Dany told herself. She thought of Doreah, of Quaro, of Eroeh … of a little girl she had never met, whose name had been Hazzea. (ADWD Daenerys VIII)

I want to cry.

Also, even if in vain, Dany's proactive (though failed) efforts to find resources in the Red Waste should not be overlooked, for it's still admirable that she took them without anyone even suggesting:

Dany sent outriders ranging ahead of the column, but they found neither wells nor springs, only bitter pools, shallow and stagnant, shrinking in the hot sun.

And neither should Dany's discovery of how to feed the dragons. While Viserys gave her the knowledge, she was the one who retained it in her memory, guessed that it might work and applied it:

Such little things, she thought as she fed them by hand, or rather, tried to feed them, for the dragons would not eat. They would hiss and spit at each bloody morsel of horsemeat, steam rising from their nostrils, yet they would not take the food ... until Dany recalled something Viserys had told her when they were children. 

Only dragons and men eat cooked meat, he had said.

When she had her handmaids char the horsemeat black, the dragons ripped at it eagerly, their heads striking like snakes. 

Eventually, Dany and her khalasar arrive at the abandoned city that would later be named Vaes Tolorro. She is the one who takes precautions at first:

They made camp before the remnants of a gutted palace, on a windswept plaza where devilgrass grew between the paving stones. Dany sent out men to search the ruins. Some went reluctantly, yet they went ...

But then, after finding out that the place has figs, fruit trees, vines and water, she decides to enter it, stay, rest and be practical rather than leave it because of superstitions:

... and one scarred old man returned a brief time later, hopping and grinning, his hands overflowing with figs. Other searchers returned with tales of other fruit trees, hidden behind closed doors in secret gardens. Aggo showed her a courtyard overgrown with twisting vines and tiny green grapes, and Jhogo discovered a well where the water was pure and cold. Yet they found bones too, the skulls of the unburied dead, bleached and broken. “Ghosts,” Irri muttered. “Terrible ghosts. We must not stay here, Khaleesi, this is their place.”

“I fear no ghosts. Dragons are more powerful than ghosts.” And figs are more important.

She takes note of the resources available to her ("food and water here to sustain them, and enough grass for the horses to regain their strength") and gets her people to work on the different tasks she finds for them:

Dany gave him charge of a dozen of her strongest men, and set them to pulling up the plaza to get to the earth beneath. If devilgrass could grow between the paving stones, other grasses would grow when the stones were gone. They had wells enough, no lack of water. Given seed, they could make the plaza bloom.

~

Dany thanked him and told him to see to the repair of the gates. If enemies had crossed the waste to destroy these cities in ancient days, they might well come again. “If so, we must be ready,” she declared.

In these two cases, we have explicit cases of Dany concocting ideas to improve Vaes Tolorro's facility, namely by improving its lawn and fortifying it. Not only that, but we also find out that, under Dany's leadership, her whole khalasar is now taking action and making the place better in the ways they can help:

Women harvested fruit from the gardens of the dead. Men groomed their mounts and mended saddles, stirrups, and shoes. Children wandered the twisty alleys and found old bronze coins and bits of purple glass and stone flagons with handles carved like snakes. One woman was stung by a red scorpion, but hers was the only death. The horses began to put on some flesh. Dany tended Ser Jorah’s wound herself, and it began to heal.

This is all great setup for when Dany becomes Queen of Meereen and handles large-scale projects to improve the city's economy and infrastructure.

However, even though Dany thinks it "pleasant" to stay in Vaes Tolorro, she's aware that she must eventually leave, and she doesn't want to do so without being fairly sure of where she's going. With that in mind, she makes the clever decision to send her bloodriders in different directions so that, hopefully, one might find a path that's not as arduous as the one they had to face:

The next morn, she summoned her bloodriders. “Blood of my blood,” she told the three of them, “I have need of you. Each of you is to choose three horses, the hardiest and healthiest that remain to us. Load as much water and food as your mounts can bear, and ride forth for me. Aggo shall strike southwest, Rakharo due south. Jhogo, you are to follow shierak qiya on southeast.”

“What shall we seek, Khaleesi?” asked Jhogo.

“Whatever there is,” Dany answered. “Seek for other cities, living and dead. Seek for caravans and people. Seek for rivers and lakes and the great salt sea. Find how far this waste extends before us, and what lies on the other side. When I leave this place, I do not mean to strike out blind again. I will know where I am bound, and how best to get there.”

And this decision pays off when Jhogo returns with the three strangers who will guide Dany to Qarth.

Aside from the beginning when Dany ponders which direction to take, neither Ser Jorah nor her bloodriders are ever mentioned as part of Dany's decisionmaking. Instead, GRRM takes pain to make Dany's reasoning and actions her own, while also showcasing her selfless nature. ACOK Daenerys I is a chapter that highlights the authorial intent to portray Daenerys Targaryen as an intelligent, capable and principled leader.

 Verdict:

From the Red Waste to Vaes Tolorro, Jorah and Rakharo advise Dany about where not to go (though it must be said that she had already made most of the assessment on her own). Besides that, every single action that Dany takes is of her own volition and without the influence of anyone's help. She:

Exhibits emotional intelligence by acting as a leader who drives her group.

Tries to find resources in the Red Waste. 

Attempts to ease the khalasar's pain by taking part in their customs and giving Doreah a less painful death.

Decides to remain in Vaes Tolorro despite superstitions.

Takes note of the resources that she has in her disposal.

Gives her people several different tasks to improve the city; thanks to her guidance, some possibly started to do different activities on their own.

Sends her bloodriders in different directions to find one that isn't as taxing as the previous one.

[jo-kuron]

( LANA CONDOR, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER, VIRGO, 25 ) I just spotted JOSEPHINE KURON at the beach today. Don’t you know them? They live down by the TOWERS and usually hang out with the RICH KIDS cliques. From what I’ve heard, they can be CONTROLLING, but they’re also DETERMINED. I always think of them when i hear JUST LIKE MAGIC by ARIANA GRANDE and tend to associate them with parchment paper on a cookie sheet at 3AM, a worn copy of wuthering heights for annotations, sunglasses covering bags under sleep deprived eyes . ( bree, she.her, 21, est )

HI EVERYONE! So, this is one of my fave muses, Jo. She is an amazing and complex female who will constantly amaze, I PROMISE. This is mostly her backbone, there’s more headcanons to follow!

BASIC CHARACTER QUESTIONS

Full Name: Josephine Avila Kuron

nicknames: Josie, Jojo, Jo, Superstar, Dreamer

date of birth: September 20, 1995

age: Twenty Five

Star Sign: Virgo

Chinese Zodiac: Rat

PHYSICAL / APPEARANCE

hair style? Typically seen with a half-up do.

glasses or contact lenses? Black Tortoise shelled frames from time to time.

scars or birthmarks? a birthmark of a crown sits on the front of her right ankle.

tattoos? A small silhouette of her ex dancing, specifically a jump mid-air.  

physical or mental handicaps? Dyslexia.

type of clothes? Typically in Alternative clothing. Lots of ripped jeans and pleated skirts.

mannerisms? When nervous, Jo will tug at her sleeves or excessively push her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

PERSONALITY

are they more optimistic or pessimistic? Pessimistic now, the past self was optimistic.

are they introverted or extroverted? Introverted Extrovert.

do they ever put on airs? Sometimes, if she feels intimidated.

what bad habits do they have? Nail biting, and joint cracking.

what makes them laugh out loud? Silly dad jokes and situational humor.

how do they display affection? Gifting small items.

how do they want to be seen by others? Strong and put together.

how do they see themselves? Weak and a mess, irredeemable.

strongest character trait? Trusting

weakest character trait? Controlling

how competitive are they? Very, she loves a challenge.

do they make snap judgements or take time to consider? She takes time to consider the majority of the time, but she will make a quick decision from time to time.

PAST AND FUTURE

Jo was a miracle baby, she was her parents fifth time trying for a child. It wasn’t for lack of pregnancy, her mother couldn’t carry all the way through term. After Josephine took her first breath, nearly every breath after that  was in the vicinity of her mother. Although most kid would’ve hated that, Jo found it comforting. She was very nurtured. After her birth, Jo’s mother became a stay at home mom. This often led to her feeling like it would teeter on the side of helicopter parenting from time to time. However, the extra time with her mother led her to find her love of reading and writing.As a child Jo was a huge teacher's pet.  She always loved the idea of learning, no matter who or what was teaching her. Even when she hit the age of nine and learning became hard for her, she still enjoyed someone looking out for her and trying to help her be her best self.

Even though she overcame her disability, she shies away from compliments. She finds herself undeserving of them, and openly welcomes criticism. She knows that she isn’t perfect, but she wants to work on being the best version of herself she could be.

She grew up thinking she was poor, but her parents were actually well off because they never wanted her to grow up thinking that money made anyone better than anyone else.

All she wanted was to get into college to make her parents proud of her. Yes, she could’ve done anything and got their approval, but she wanted their approval to mean something. So she worked as hard as she could to get into the top education program in the nation. She wanted to pay the experience she had in school forward. She was on her way home to tell her parents that she had did something that would actually make them proud, her mother called her and told her the terrible news. Her father had a heart attack and didn’t make it to the hospital. She was ready to drop all of her plans to be with her mother and just do school at a local college. However, once her mother found out that she had gotten the scholarship she worked so hard for, her mother demanded that she went to Yates. That’s how she ended up on the green slopes of campus her freshman year of college.

TL;DR: JO WAS A MIRACLE BABY THAT WANTED TO BE A TEACHER HER WHOLE LIFE. SHE ALMOST DIDN’T GO TO COLLEGE BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO TAKE CARE OF HER MOTHER AFTER HER FATHER’S DEATH BUT HER MOM WOULDN’T LET HER GIVE UP ON ONE OF HER DREAMS.

LOVE

do they believe in love at first sight? Yes.

are they in a relationship? No.

how do they behave in a relationship? She likes to keep everyone at a distance except her significant other. She treats them like her best friend, and more often than not they are. She loves to have a friendly relationship so she doesn’t feel like she’s a totally different person in love.

has your character ever been in love? Yes.

have they ever had their heart broken? Yes.

what is their sexual orientation? Bisexual.

FAVOURITES

what is their favourite animal? Koala

what place would they most like to visit? Pasadena, California

what is the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen? The sunset in New York City. Her ex-boyfriend

what is their favourite song? Heebiejeebies by Amine

music, art, reading preferred? She prefers YA novels, loves Musicals, and isn’t the biggest fan of literal art. She just likes to look at pretty things.

what is their favourite color? She loved the color black for the longest, but now her favorite color is a sky blue.

favourite food: She loves all types of Italian food.

what is their favourite day of the week? Tuesday.

POSSESSIONS

what is in their fridge: She always keeps Apple juice and water bottles in her fridge to drink and enough random snacks to make it look healthy even though she has a stash of chips in the pantry

what is on their bedside table? She keeps a candle and wireless phone charger that looks like a glowing rune when her phone is charging.

what is in their car? She always keeps back ups to all of her bathroom items in her trunk. If you think about it, she has it in there. In her center console she keeps napkins, a reusable straw set, and a few pairs of chopsticks. In her glove compartment she has an extensive rotating collection of cds. She likes the nostalgic feeling.

what is in their purse? She keeps her debit cards, an old photo of her ex, a packet of tissues, headphones, an emergency twenty dollar bill, and a few packs of salt and pepper in a small pouch.

what is in their pockets? Her phone or her headphones

what is their most treasured possession? Her locket.

DAILY LIFE

what are their eating habits? Typically whatever is easily accessed. If it takes longer than an hour to cook, she probably won’t make it.

are they minimalist or a clutter hoarder? She would like to believe she’s a minimalist, but her closet would say otherwise.

what do they do first thing on a weekday morning? Make a cup of coffee and read a book on her kindle.

what do they do on a sunday afternoon? Yoga while their roommate watches.

what do they do on a friday night? Either hangout with her friends or play board games while getting drunk with her roommate.

what is the soft drink of choice? Dr. Pepper

what is their alcoholic drink of choice? Tito’s and crystal light. Old Fashioned

what does she do for work? An English Teacher to GED students. A Cam Girl.

[221brownstone]

Vulture: Elementary’s Joan Watson Is the Best-Dressed Detective on TV

In the seventh and final season of Elementary, Joan Watson is blonde. The character’s style has constantly evolved alongside her detective career and partnership with Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller), but in all her years on the show, there has been very little change to Lucy Liu’s locks. With just 13 episodes left, though, Joan has drastically altered her hair, which in turn means one last style shake-up for the best-dressed detective on TV.

Credit for that goes to costume designer Rebecca Hofherr, who has worked on the CBS procedural since its second episode in 2012, and who has guided Joan’s transformation from predominantly casual-leaning clothing to more structured menswear-inspired pieces. Hofherr spoke to Vulture about the narrative and fashion influences behind Joan’s costume evolution, including how they put their own stamp on an iconic duo and the sartorial challenges of shooting a 20-plus-episode season in New York City.

Joan’s styling was much more relaxed in the first year of Elementary. As his sober companion, her relationship with Sherlock was initially a professional commitment. She was not yet a detective and she was very much in the background of the investigation scenes. “Her clothing was very casual because that’s what the job called for,” Hofherr says. As Joan got more versed in the crime-solving world, her role shifted from sober companion to Sherlock’s protégée. By the second season, her costuming moved toward a slightly more sophisticated and buttoned-up approach. “As cheesy as it might sound, you need to put on a little more armor when dealing with the NYPD and all these criminals,” says Hofherr.

Joan’s wardrobe isn’t an either/or between suits and dresses, or even casual and business attire. She didn’t become a detective and suddenly stop wearing comfortable clothing. The suits reflect a change in Joan’s status and independence as an investigator, but dresses and sandals are still a vital style ingredient. During one Hofherr’s first conversations with Liu, they agreed Joan should “feel like a real New Yorker.” Expanding on this, Hofherr included staple items such as blazers or sandals, which most women have in their closets to dress an outfit up or down. “It was really nice to be able to incorporate them into a professional world for Joan,” she says.

Discovering the true cost of a TV character’s wardrobe is an eye-opening experience. Joan’s closet is definitely packed with high-end items — Hofherr’s go-to favored designers for Joan include Victoria Beckham, Saint Laurent, Isabel Marant, and Stella McCartney, with Rag & Bone as her signature bootee choice — but to ensure her clothing reflected that New Yorker aspect, Hofherr also shopped at Zara and H&M. “It was really important to do a mix,” she says. “I think that’s pretty much how everyone shops. I don’t think it’s realistic to only shop at high-end stores.”

Noticeable costume repeats tend to be outerwear, but Hofherr also uses staple investment pieces such as high-waisted black pencil Victoria Beckham pants. (Dressing them with an inexpensive top, she adds, is “a great way to get a lot of outfits out of a really expensive pair of pants.”) There is an aspirational element to Joan’s garments, but the high-low mixing reflects how a lot of people shop. Hofherr also notes with a laugh that “pretty much everything Lucy wore from Zara, I also own. I was like, Oh, I can afford that.”

The one item that has appeared in all seven seasons? Joan’s red men’s Elder Statesman “house sweater.” Most people have a cozy garment that they only wear in the comfort of their own home, Hofherr explains, and Joan is no different. Sherlock and Joan’s brownstone home doubles as their office, but she wouldn’t be wearing suits at all hours of the day and night while solving a case. As Liu has worn this sweater so many times on the show, Hofherr says that not only has it molded to her body but it also has the pulls of a well-loved garment. It is also a color Joan doesn’t typically wear, which visually makes it a “nice change.”

Joan doesn’t eschew color, but a black-and-white motif runs through the first season to the last. Regardless of whether it is a suit, skirt, or a more casual outfit, sticking with the same color tone allows for experimentation with pattern. In the above outfit from season four’s “The Games Underfoot,” she wears a Saint Laurent polka-dotted tie with a checkered J.O.A. skirt and polka-dotted Ji Oh blouse. Sometimes the costume choice reflects Joan’s career, but on occasions like this one, it shows that Joan has a “fashionable side” too. “She can throw these things together and look really cute,” Hofherr says.

Two big style turning points emphasize Joan’s drive for equal footing with Sherlock as a detective. First came the ties, introduced at the end of season three. Suits followed, making their initial sartorial stamp in season five. The message is clear: Long gone are the days when Joan was Sherlock’s student. As with a lot of Joan’s costuming, she doesn’t stick to one specific suit-and-tie combo. In fact, the Marc Jacobs shirt above (which Hofherr got from one of her go-to sites, Shopbop) is a bit of an optical illusion, as it doesn’t even include a tie. Vests were thrown into the mix after Hofherr made the decision to stick with suits. It is also a nod to her relationship with Sherlock: Up to this point, Hofherr points out, vests have been Sherlock’s thing, so this costume mirroring is “a little nod to her respecting him so much.”

“I went to all ends of the Earth!” Hofherr laughs when talking about the many ties Joan has worn on Elementary. Men’s offerings were out of the question for someone of Liu’s stature, as they are just too wide and long. She snapped up everything Saint Laurent and Gucci had on offer, but she also shopped at uniform companies, bought a few kids’ ties, and even made them in-house. Maybe a Joan Watson tie line should be next? “If all these designers are going to sell women’s suits, I would love for them to start making women’s ties,” Hofherr suggests.

Another later costume addition was the Victorian-style Isabel Marant blouse. In part, this outfit was a hat tip to the original Holmes and Watson, but it also added another variation on the suit theme. One of the biggest challenges when doing a show with a full 20-plus-episode order is obtaining enough clothing, particularly for a fashion-forward character like Joan. Hofherr says that she needs 50 outfits a month — on average, Joan has five changes per episode — and costuming was made trickier because designers don’t typically replenish their collections between seasons. “We end up making a lot of clothes based on designs we love and change a few things because I can’t find 20 Victorian-style blouses or 20 men’s-style blouses,” Hofherr laments. “I can find five, but then that’s it for four months.”

Fashion seasons are not the only Elementary costume challenge, as shooting outside in New York City from July to May means having to find clothing that fits all weather cycles. (The 13-episode final season was a bit easier, though, because they only shot until December.) Sherlock sticks to the same styles — “This guy would buy 20 of the same shirts, the same sport coat, and the same pants,” Hofherr says — and he has also worn the same Tom Ford winter peacoat for seven years. On the flip side, Joan has many changes, but she isn’t going to have a different coat for each outfit, as that is neither practical or realistic for either the character or the designer. Hofherr’s preference was to have between five and ten on hand: “If we got the coats fitted and ready to go we could just recycle them episode after episode.” Outerwear is something that is repeated across various seasons — including the Alice + Olivia coat above — but accessories like hats, gloves, and scarves are switched out to keep things fresh.

Sometimes the weather also dictates the type of hat required: “I originally got that hat because we were shooting outside one day in the rain and they didn’t want to have umbrellas,” Hofherr says. The wider brim of this Barneys-brand men’s hat has since been worn on a number of occasions, as has the tie-waist Marissa Webb windowpane check coat (which will reappear in the final season).

Of course, the story also dictates what Hofherr chooses for Joan. At the end of season six, creator Rob Doherty didn’t know if they were going to get renewed, so they shot two different endings. This particular Diane von Furstenberg dress fit both the ending we saw and the alternative they filmed — though Hofherr couldn’t provide any other details without spoiling the end of season seven as well. “I wanted it to be timeless, as I didn’t know if it was the last time we were ever going to see Joan Watson,” she says. “It was a little bit of an ode to all the Joans we have seen throughout the seasons. I felt a suit would have been a different look for that final scene.” No surprise, then, that it is also one of Hofherr’s costume highlights.

Hofherr couldn’t pick a single favorite outfit, but this one she considers to be the most significant. At the end of season three, Sherlock has almost killed a man and relapsed, but Joan’s loyalty doesn’t waver. “This is where we start to see the Joan that we will forever know,” says Hofherr. “And I think this is the best version of Joan too.” The pink skirt is by Roland Mouret and the shirt is Uniqlo, which is another high-low outfit mix. It also happens to be the first time Joan wears a tie, which is a huge style turning point.

Hofherr also spoke in depth about working with Liu, not only as an actress but in her role as a director. (She has stepped behind the camera six times on Elementary.) Referring to Liu as “one of the most inspirational women I’ve had in my life” — she also did the costume design on the Liu-starring Netflix rom-com Set It Up — she says Liu is “willing to take risks, but she knows exactly when to take them.”

Which brings us back to the blonde mystery. Hofherr had already FaceTimed with Liu sporting her new hair color, but the styling was a task of its own. “She walked in for her first fitting of the final season and I didn’t recognize her,” said Hofherr laughing. They did plan fewer outfits than previous seasons’ fittings, she adds, “because we were figuring out what works with the blonde hair and what doesn’t.” Don’t worry: There are still plenty of outfits to come, particularly in the last two episodes. (Hofherr teased that Joan will have ten-plus changes.)

The signature black-and-white motif remains, including these fabulous Stella McCartney palazzo pants. “I always know it’s a really good outfit when all the crew members ask me what it is,” Hofherr says. That is the exact reaction Liu got when she stepped on set in this particular costume.

[kumkaniudaku]

BROWN SKIN GIRL: TWO

A/N: Read part one. Thank you for your support. You da best. Yes, you. And you. You too with your cute self. 

With extra TLC, Micah progressed through the week with no issues. By Friday, she was back to her normal, giddy self, partially due to the news that she would still be able to dance. When the time came to enter the Debbie Allen Dance Academy for her first day of classes, CoCo could feel the excitement radiating from her tiny body. 

“I wish Daddy could come,” she spoke from the backseat. “But it’s okay. I’ll tell him all about it when we home.” 

“That’s the spirit baby girl.”

Tearing her attention away from the happenings outside the window, Micah looked up at her mother in the rearview mirror. “Mommy, will they like me this time?” 

“I know they will, sweetheart.” 

“Pinky promise?”

Tasha made sure to focus on the road as she extended her arm into the backseat and presented her finger for Micah to grab, “Pinky times two.” 

Their small display of unity was enough to calm both mother and daughter during the remaining ride to the dance studio. 

From the moment they entered the building, Tasha was in awe of the sheer majesty of the environment. Brown bodies of varying ages trickled in and out of studio spaces for instruction, everyone laughing and smiling in small pockets of conversation. Micah walked down the hallway in wonder as she took special interest in the music seeping underneath the doors that were shut for classes. At her previous studio, she was forced to dance to boring classical music in monotonous repetitive motions, a far cry from the bass-heavy tunes shaking some of the classroom doors.

“Well, hello there!” A sweet voice nearby caused both ladies to snap out of their trances and follow the sound to a woman standing in the doorway for one of the buildings many classrooms. She waved them over excitedly, paying special attention to Micah as she approached. 

“I like your clothes,” Micah complimented with a smile.

“And I love your hair. What’s your name?” 

“Micah Noelle Boseman. This is my mommy and my daddy is famous.” 

Tasha laughed and use her hands to smooth her daughter's jacket, “Good thing you don’t have any warrants with the way you just give out information. Hi, I’m Tasha. I think we spoke over the phone.”

“Ah, yes, Tasha! We’re happy to have you all join the Debbie Allen family. I know that being in a new environment can be scary, but-” Before the young instructor could finish her sentence, Micah gently tugged her arm away from her mother and rushed inside the classroom to join the other children. 

Tasha looked on with a smile and a small laugh, “Yeah, she gets that from me. Sorry.” 

“No, don’t apologize! We love that type of enthusiasm. My speech still applies to you, though. A new space is scary, but please know that she’s in good hands. We’re looking after her.” 

Her eyes carried the type of warm reassurance that instantly made Tasha relax her shoulders while releasing the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. A final look inside the classroom calmed her nerves as she watched her baby girl interact with her fellow dancers. 

The instructor, who later became known as Ms. Vikkie around the Boseman household, couldn’t have been more right from that day forward. In just under six weeks, Micah was thriving and enjoying her time in the studio more than her parents had ever seen. Each day she would gather everyone in the living room to show off a new combination or rave about a friend she’d made in class. 

By week eight, CoCo couldn’t hide her smile as she practically floated into the bedroom and flopped onto the bed next to her husband and son. 

“They said she’s advanced for her age, baby. She’s six and they want to put her with the Red Bird group. That means she was hand-picked by Debbie Allen!” 

Chadwick’s smile stretched across his entire face to match the twinkle in his eye. “My baby the dancer, huh? I can’t wait to see her in action.” 

“Your time is coming, my sweet. Our girl has her first recital next month to celebrate Juneteenth!” 

“I like it already. Am I invited? I don’t wanna take the attention from her.” 

“Funny you think you can take the attention away from the real star in this family,” CoCo scoffed, earning a laugh from her husband. “They know already. She told them on the first day. You may have to take a group picture or twelve, but things are under control. We need you there. Tell ‘em, Noah. Say pleaaaaase.” 

Clasping his hands together the way he was taught, Noah fixed his mouth to find the right syllables. “Peeaaaaas!” 

Chadwick and Tasha fell into a fit of laughter at their son’s plea before finally calming down to continue the conversation. 

“You know, you two drive a hard bargain,” he smiled as he used his thumb to brush debris from Noah’s face. His attention soon traveled to CoCo’s smile which he returned before grabbing her hand to plant a kiss on her knuckles. “I’m in there with bells on, girl. One month from now it’s gonna you, me, a baby, and Juneteeth.” 

“That’s what I like to hear. I also like to hear pots and pans sizzling on the stove. Get to it, Dad of the Year. Mama’s hungry.” 

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

“Welcome to the Debbie Allen Dance Academy’s Summer Showcase, The Gift: Embracing the Culture. The production will begin in five minutes. Please, take your seats, silence your cell phones and enjoy the show.” 

Noah became a human hot potato as he was passed down the long row of velvet seats that held various members of the Boseman-Greene extended family. Had Tasha been able to secure more tickets, she would have made it her personal mission to fill the entire theatre with familiar faces, but one row was all that she could squeeze out of the program directors. 

“She’s opening the show, right? My grandbaby should be opening the show!” 

“Mama, she’s in the opening number just like everyone else,” Tasha answered while cleaning the lid of Noah’s cup and passing the item along with his headphones down the line of people beside her. 

Mrs. Greene continued to flip through the recital program, peering at the words and photos over her cat-eye glasses.“She better have a solo.” 

“Ma, sh-” 

Tasha’s second attempt at correcting her mother was halted when she felt a familiar hand cover hers. Looking over, Chadwick flashed a bright smile. “Hey, hey. Let it go and enjoy the moment. Look around.” 

Chadwick smoothly gestured to all of the family friends to left and right of them to refocus his wife’s energy. 

CoCo took a look at each face that her eyes fell on as a smile slowly graced her face. Her natural inclination to control every situation wanted to rob her of the beauty around the room, and if not for the man beside her, the desire would have succeeded in stealing her joy. 

Noah’s giggle at the hands of one of his many unofficial aunties made Tasha laugh before she turned back to Chadwick. “Thank you for always helping me see the bigger picture and knowing what to do.” 

Dimming lights in the theater forced Chadwick to save his comments for later and. Instead, he showed his appreciation with a light kiss on the cheek as darkness slowly consumed the room. 

Seconds later, the loud thump of drums commanded the attention of all within earshot. As the percussion continued to build, dancers populated the stage and aisles. Their bodies moved in perfect sync to the rhythm in vibrant costumes that matched specific age groups. 

Though no one would dare speak during the opening, everyone associated with Micah silently scanned the various bodies moving as a unit. A small shift in the music reflected a contemporary take on traditional West African rhythms to introduce the Red Bird groups with Micah standing out in the mix. 

“Look at her,” Tasha whispered. 

She could feel the excitement and pride coursing through Chadwick though he chose to keep his comments to himself. Micah moved like a seasoned dancer in the warm lights brightening the stage, effortlessly keeping up with an age group that featured students almost two years her senior. 

After the groups came together to conclude the opening number, the mistress of ceremonies began her formal introduction. She quickly explained the purpose of the showcase and what the audience could expect from what she called the academy’s “most talented group yet.” 

As the night progressed, spectators were left in awe of the talent that graced the stage. Each performance featured expert mixes of modern and classical music and dance styles. The ensemble company carried many of the performances, periodically broken up by the younger dancers. 

Though part of a group, Micah’s performances had amassed a fanbase that stretched beyond the row of familiar supporters. Her hip hop routine to original music from one of the academy’s alumni got people to notice her spunky attitude, but her star power during a short ballet number won over their hearts. Noticeably smaller than the girls around her, she managed to stand out for her agility and the emotion she brought to the routine. 

In true grandparent fashion, both couples took grainy pictures of Micah at every possible moment despite the cell phone warnings at the beginning of the show and during intermission. Chadwick’s promise to purchase the official performance DVD quelled their urges for a moment, but seeing Micah positioned in the center of her classmates at the start of the final performance sent their phones shooting into the air. 

Brown skin girl, your skin just like pearls. The best thing in the world. I’ll never trade you for anybody else, singin…

“Oh my God.” 

All eyes fell to Micah as she danced at center stage, serving as her age group’s representative and executing perfectly timed turns and poses. Older dancers sported proud smiles while they watched, waiting for their chance to join the number. 

“That’s right, Nugget! You better dance.” 

Light chuckling rumbled through Tiana’s outburst which would have received a reprimand from Tasha had she not been stuck with one hand clutching her chest and the other gripping the armrest to keep her from sliding out of her seat. 

Chuckling at her animated shock, Chadwick extended his arm to wrap her around her shoulders and bring her closer for a kiss on the forehead. “There she is. Our little star snagged a solo.” 

“I think I’m crying. I’m totally crying right now!” 

Memories of playing Beyonce’s song for Micah after all that had led to this moment became the source of the tears welling in Tasha’s eyes. The only thing she ever wanted was for her daughter to understand how beautiful she was no matter who attempted to pierce her self-esteem. To see her dazzling to the song that was introduced to her in a period of pain was enough to create a lump in CoCo’s throat. 

The climax of the song featured beautiful brown girls commanding the stage like royalty. Even when the moves different from group to group, they still moved in perfect harmony. It was easy to get lost in the majesty of the live work of art. 

As the performance neared its end, Tasha’s tears blurred her vision and morphed the dancers into cloudy blobs moving around a bright space. But nothing could stop her from noticing Micah take centerstage alone to close the show to Blue Ivy’s solo. 

Her tall frame gracefully moved about on her toes, turning like an antique ballerina in a music box. The small demonstration kept the audience captivated until her final turn signaled the end of the dance. 

When the crowd stood for a standing ovation, CoCo and Chadwick remained seated to observe Micah. Her naturally bright smile was magnified in the midst of raucous applause. Surveying the crowd, Micah’s eyes landed on her parents and she waved in their direction seeking approval for her performance. Instantly they showered her with praise, blowing kisses and returning her excited smile. 

“We made the right decision, babe. I can feel it,” Tasha spoke to Chadwick as they stood to their feet to join the audience. 

“I think we’re doin’ alright at the raising kids thing.” 

There wasn’t much time to revel in their parenting success once the showcase concluded. All of the attention and positive affirmations were poured into Micah until she physically couldn’t keep up. 

Sliding into her room, Chadwick and CoCo found Micah partially draped across her bed, completely oblivious to the party happening downstairs. CoCo quickly undressed her sleeping body with no fuss as Chadwick set up her pillows and flipped on her night light the way they did for every bedtime routine. As they attempted to slide her body into bed, Micah stirred awake. 

“Hey, Princess,” Chadwick whispered before bending to kiss her forehead. “You were so good tonight. I’m proud of you.” 

“Did you see my turn? The big girls taught me how to do it like them.” 

“We saw it. Mommy even cried because you did such a great job.” 

“Really,” she yawned, her eyes still closed. “You were sad?”

“No, baby. They were tears of joy. How did you feel up there, superstar?” 

Micah took a second to turn over on her side and open her drowsy eyes, “Pretty, like the song! Can I stay at my new studio forever? I wanna be a ballerina doctor when I grow up.” 

“You can stay as long as you want my little drunk girl,” Chadwick chuckled. “Good night, sweetheart.” 

“Mommy...I’m happy to be brown again.” 

Using the tips of her fingers, Tasha dabbed away tears before responding. “We’re happy you’re brown too, baby. We love you so much.” 

“I love...I...Iloveyout...” 

A final kiss sent Micah into a happy slumber and her proud parents into the hallway to join the festivities. They didn’t need to exchange words to acknowledge their shared triumph. A mutual understanding that they had survived their first major parenting battle was conveyed through a single fist bump before starting toward the living room to celebrate success.

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[odderancyart]

Being Pretty

For @kyuko-chan. I hope I managed to at least fit your prompt a little.

HSAU

”And you remember what you’re supposed to do?”

With an eyeroll, Razz glared down at her mother. Although Mrs Valkyria was slightly shorter than her, she met her gaze without an ounce of hesitance, and her strict expression – the pursed lips, the light frown – didn’t as much as twitch. Her mother’s honey-blonde hair was in an elegant braided bun on top of her head, a style as old as their country.

Mrs Valkyria stared at her until she nodded shortly, resisting the urge to take a step backwards. “Smile. Don’t say shit.”

Giving her a smile, Mrs Valkyria stroked her cheek, and Razz flinched away. Who did she think she was, what gave her the right to be affectionate after just telling her she wasn’t fit to even speak in polite society anymore? That she didn’t behave like a Valkyria should.

So she simply shouldn’t speak.

“Good, darling.” A look of displeasure washed over her face. “And if you absolutely have to bring that boyfriend of yours, or your friends, make sure they follow the same rule, or I will not hesitate to throw them out. I doubt they know how to behave in polite society.”

The implications were all there. Because Blue was middle class and of common blood, and Fell and Red were immigrants, they shouldn’t be allowed among the cream of society – the noble, the politicians, the blue-blooded like them.

Clenching her fists, Razz resisted the urge to spit out the words on her tongue: how her friends were better people than Mr and Mrs Valkyria, despite their royal ancestry, would ever be. And it wasn’t like they were even royalty anymore anyway. The monarchy had been abolished. The only reason their dynasty even was left was because her great grandfather been too cowardly to die standing and instead had signed all the letters of abdication. No one had any right to the throne anymore.

Mrs Valkyria stared her down before nodding. “Go get changed then, darling. The guests will start arriving in three hours.”

With a last glare at her mother, Razz twisted around and ran upstairs, her boots thundering against the marble staircases of the old manor. She threw the door to her room open, and Blue jumped in alarm where she was sitting on her pink and white bed covers.

Unbeknownst to her parents, her friends had already arrived a good while before. Fell, who was lounging in the armchair in the corner of the bedroom, looked up, frowning. “You okay?”

Slamming the door closed behind her, Razz shook her head, dropping down on the bed. “No. Fuck. I hate them.” She put her arms over her face, turning everything dark. “You know what she said? You’re unfit to even speak. Just stand around looking pretty. I hate them.” The parents that had spent most of her and her brother’s childhood away, leaving them to be raised by staff. The parents who still thought they had any fucking right to tell them what to do and how to do it. “Can you even believe her nerve?!”

Blue ran her fingers through Razz’s ash-blonde hair, her own black, coiled locks falling in her face as she leaned forward, those and her dark skin a stark contrast to her ice-blue eyes. “I’m so sorry. You deserve better.”

“I know. I do.” It was soothing, Blue’s fingers in her hair. Sighing, Razz dropped her arms and stared up at the ceiling before turning her gaze to Fell.

Just like Blue, Fell had black hair, though hers was straight. Her dark brown eyes shone with hidden anger. “I still think you should just leave,” she said.

Razz let out a sardonic laugh. “Like they’d let me. I’m still a minor. They’d just send the Police to get me back.” She sat up. “Better just get ready. Get pretty.”

Sure, she enjoyed being beautiful, most of the time. She enjoyed seeing people in awe over her elegance, even when she was wearing combat boots and ripped jeans. But right now, she was so tired of it. It wasn’t fun anymore. It hadn’t been ever since her parents came home, ever since they started demanding nothing less than perfection.

Her friends followed her over to the two white doors leading into her walk-in closet. The closet was a room all for itself, a utility room rebuilt for this purpose. There was no way she’d fit everything otherwise. She did have a wardrobe on the other side of the room in which she kept her most commonly used items, but she also had to have somewhere to store the fashion her parents threw on her constantly. Like the ball-gowns.

There was a whole rack filled with gowns in their bags, protecting them from dust and any mice that might get in here. In a house as old as this, they were unavoidable. With a practiced hand, she ran her fingers over the bags until she found a dress fit for a dinner party like the one tonight. A sleeve-less midnight-blue gown with a high neck. A small rebellion no one but her mother would pick up on. Midnight-blue was the mourning colour, but the past hundred years or so it had become much more acceptable to wear it to every-day business.

Which was great, because her parents still kept to the belief it was only a colour to be worn when someone had died.

She pulled it out, before gesturing for her friends to follow her to the other side of the closet. “And here’s your clothes.”

A sleek, wine-red long-sleeved dress with black details for Fell and an orchid-pink suit for Blue.

“Ooooh.” Blue grabbed her suit, holding it up. It would fit her perfectly, of course. Razz had had it tailored specifically for her. “It turned out amazing.” Excitement glittered in her eyes as she turned to Razz. “Sometimes I love that you’re rich.”

A surprised laugh escaped Razz, and despite her anger she couldn’t help but smile at her friend. Great Mother, Blue always could cheer her up. It was difficult not to be enchanted with the way she radiated positive energy.

Fell took her own dress, smiling to herself. She wouldn’t ever admit it, of course, but Razz knew she appreciated it. It was the expensive kind of dress that her family couldn’t have bought themselves, so Razz was happy to do it for her. Both because she loved her friends and wanted to make them happy, and because her parents undoubtedly hated that she spent family money on them.

“Will you do my hair?” she asked her instead. Of course she could do it herself, but she enjoyed the feeling of them doing it for her. It was soothing in the best of ways.

“Obviously,” Fell replied, and she grinned.

At least right here, it felt alright. She left the closet behind and sat down into the armchair, Fell coming up after her and putting both their dresses on the bed. Then she grabbed a hairbrush and gently pulled it through Razz’s hair, and Razz sighed in relief as she dropped her head back.

“Sometimes I get so tired of being pretty,” she mumbled. “I know it’s my own fault for doing everything my parents hate, but I’m so sick of that being my only good quality.”

“Bullshit,” Blue said, grabbing her hand. “You’ve got so many good qualities. That you’re beautiful isn’t even in the top fifty.” She quieted. “But I know what you mean. Even though I’m the school’s football star, I know people expect that I’ll be nice to look at. It makes me very self-conscious when I’m not. Even though it’s directly after practice.”

“Yeah.” Fell had been quiet until now, but she nodded. “It’s suffocating, sometimes. My mum would kill me – and Red, of course – if we left the apartment with messy hair, even if we’re just going down the street to buy some flour to make bread.” She put the brush aside, grabbing some hairpins and ties, and started braiding.

Blue grinned, hesitance and determination mixing in her eyes. “You know what. Fuck everyone. On Monday, I think we all just go to school without giving a damn. All three of us. What’re they gonna do?”

After a moment of silence as she considered what that’d mean – going to school, going into public, after only doing hygiene and no beauty, with all its staring, judgemental people around – Razz chuckled quietly, a smirk on her face. “Oh, mother is gonna hate that. Let’s do it.”

As she pulled at Razz’s hair, Fell’s mouth curled into a grin. “Why the fuck not. I’ll take a page out of my brother’s book, then. Let’s not give a fuck.”

“So we’re doing it?” Blue asked, and when they nodded, she grinned as well. “Let’s give everyone a shock.”

Razz laughed. “Yeah. Yeah that’ll be fun. After tonight. I’m still definitely not showing up as anything less than perfect before the less than perfect before the mayor.”

“Fair, fair.” Blue hummed, hopping over to the other side of the armchair to sit next to Fell. “But then?”

“Definitely. Perfection is boring anyway.”

“Otherwise you wouldn’t be dating my brother,” Fell added dryly, and Razz turned around in the armchair, flicking her finger against her arm.

“Hey, that’s my boyfriend!” she protested, trying to hide her smile.

“I know. You have very questionable taste.”

With a giggle, Blue threw her arms over both their shoulders. “And on Monday we’re gonna prove it.”

[okaywowcool]

 hey guys! back again for another monthly favorites post, this time for july! read below the cut to hear some of my favorite clothing pieces, new shops, trends, and makeup and skincare items that i’ve used in this past month! 

you can also check out this link to read through my past faves! 

CURRENT FAVE PERSONAL PIECES

Plus Size Grid Print Overall Mini Dress - $24.90, available in 0X - 3XL

Not too long ago I picked up a few pieces from F21 (mostly out of a Strong fear that they would be going out of stock in the near future, lol) and this was one of them. The zipper feels sturdy with the metal they used (I was worried, since this runs slightly bodycon on a non-padded, average curvy body (if you’ve not read about how plus-sized models are commonly padded out to get the “ideal” shape or “ideal” fat distribution, check out this article here by Refinery29.) and the zipper is the functional closure of the dress. The dress has zero stretch, so I was a little concerned about something flimsy that I felt like would break eventually, but so far so good. I’ve worn it with a super cute beatnik type get up out to lunch and errands with my girlfriend (black turtleneck sweater, beret, and chunky black sandals) and felt super cute, but still a little self conscious just since the more bodycon silhouette is something I’m still not super confident in wearing, which is something I’m trying to get better about. So a big recommend! I’m a size 22/24 and got a size 3XL and thought that was perfect, not too tight, but still hugging my curves in a cute way. 

Plus Size Grid Print Tie-front Shirt - $19.90, available in 0X - 3XL

I have a serious problem finding button ups that are cute on me...I have a fairly large bust but smaller shoulders and it’s hard to find something plus-sized that isn’t either totally oversized and weird looking on me fit wise, or so tight there’s massive gapping between the buttons at the biggest part of my bust. But this button up really works for me. I’m not sure if it’s the slightly relaxed cut or the fact that it’s a crop, but it’s absolutely perfect...it’s rare you buy something online and it fits exactly the same on you as it does on the model, but this did and I was so impressed! This is definitely going to be a new staple in my wardrobe, as soon as it’s not too hot to commit to long sleeves.

I ordered a few more things that I haven’t had much of a chance to style/wear yet, but everything worked this go round which is pretty rare...this was very much me that day:

Surgeon General’s Dress - $35, available in XS - 5XL

I’ve been wearing a lot of my own stuff here lately, mainly because it’s so easy to throw on and and still be bold enough for it to feel like a Look, while totally keeping me cool. This dress’s print looks super bold from a distance, but y’all would be surprised to see how long it takes people in an office setting to actually find out what the print is of, since it’s so blown up it can read as abstract. The fabrication is also really good at keeping you out of the hot hot hot hell zone, and is super cute with a breezy sheer cardigan thrown on over it! 

FAVE NEW SHOPS

Avocado Bag, $40

I want to own pretty much everything in this entire store since I found out it existed just a few weeks ago, and if I didn’t have some self restraint I would have preordered at least 3 bags from here so far. Miju Miju is a cute shop full of bags that were originally intended for use as cute, unique ita bags, but they’re also totally cute to use to display your pin collection, or even just leave plain with the empty clear window showing the cute pop of lining color. The fact that they’re convertible from a crossbody purse to a backpack also makes them a literal dream for me, since that’s pretty much the only kind of bag I like to carry. They also have a discount code running right now for the preorder, you can use BOW7 to get $7 off one of these bad boys! I know I want the avocado, egg, and pink coffin ones all sooooo bad. 

Pastel Rainbow Shooting Star Necklace - $60

Petey Hana is an etsy shop with a lot of super cute hand painted jewelry, perfect for all kinds of kawaii fashion styles and also just bold statement pieces. I’m so in love with the obviously hand made look, especially with ceramic and polymer clay jewelry, because it just feels like there’s extra love put into it. Combine that with all the bright colors and I’m just in love with this whole shop! 

Strawberry Milk Cocktail Knit Sweater - $31

I’m not sure why it took me so long to realize that the Ester Loves You collab “Ester loves Chuu” was referring to a shop’s name and not just the cute Japanese kissing sound effect....but it took me until doing that cute request for rabbit purses recently for me to figure out that Chuu was indeed, a store. This shop is adorable and has lots of unique styles in it for super affordable prices. I can’t fit into any of it myself really BUT it’s still been a big inspiration to look at their photography and see how they’re styling their pieces! 

Walk the Line Striped Dress - $78, available in US size 10 - 30

I wanted to use this cute image from Fat Girl Flow, since it was Corissa’s IG where I first saw this shop as well AND because it’s so helpful to see products on non-models. Soncy is a really cute really incredible shop. Y’all know I’m not the biggest fan of the whole Fashion Nova curve look, it just never has felt very “me,” even though it’s a staple for many other plus-sized bloggers/influencers. Soncy feels like Fashion Nova’s classy older sister who has her own very successful etsy business selling fancy leather goods--which is not at all a bad vibe...one part hippie, one part mature, and one part sexy. Still a similar style, but there’s not as much emphasis on the whole Kylie Jenner booty body-con everywhere look, and things just look higher quality...they’re more expensive, but everything in the shop is available in sizes 10 - 30 and everything is miraculously under $100, which is just awesome. 

FAVE JULY SILHOUETTES

Pier Pursuits Cropped Jumpsuit - $64.99, available in XXS - 4XL

Right now, one of the silhouettes I’m obsessed with is super wide leg jumpsuits. This one was really the first one that sparked the intense love for me, the proportions are so unique and perfect and I love that these jumpsuits are starting to show more traditional dress like necklines...this one from ASOS curve does a similar thing which I really adore. 

Front Twist Flutter Sleeve Tee - $9, 0X - 3XL

Twist front crop tees (even the ones that are just from twisting a not in a normal tee!) are just such a look for me right now. There’s something very nostalgic about them, almost like how when tying jackets around the waist was coming back as a styling choice when 90s nostalgia started going strong, that makes me just super happy and it’s a natural type of ruching that is really attractive without looking kind of dated and old. It just looks good on everyone, truly. 

PRINTS & COLORS

Fluted Sleeve Mini Dress in Ditsy Floral - $51 // Infusion Cut Out Bralette in Vintage Floral - $52 // Ditsy Floral Ruffle Jumpsuit - $40

There’s something so nice and vintage feeling about a ditsy floral print, and I’ve been wanting to create some of my own patterns that mimic this feel for a while but still haven’t quite gotten around to it. It’s just such a nice subtle way to wear florals, a print that I tend to be really picky about since they can go ugly fairly easily or run the risk of looking dated or matronly depending (and I mean dated like...2008 versus a nice vintage feel) but ditsy florals just always look so cute and nice, too subtle to ever really be offensive and easy to transition from season to season. 

Daisy Street Cami with Peplum - $24 // True Stripes A-Line Skirt - $38 // Miss Selfridge Pinafore Dress - $56

i’m also just really feeling chambray this month, especially with a subtle white pinstripe. aside from chambray just feeling really lovely to the touch (bc i’m all about those textures y’all) it’s such a lovely soft approach to denim that feels so airy and perfect for summer. 

MAKEUP/SKINCARE

LIPHOP Ombre Lip Balm - $2.59 

I bought this little lip balm for real cheap off of aliexpress a while ago, in quite a few shades since it was so cheap. I’ve found that the darker shades are by far my favorite, though they don’t look quite as dark on me as they do in the photos. It’s very similar to just putting on a little chapstick--these just add a natural little pop of color for a fresh bitten look to the center of your lips while hydrating them overall. I like that it gives that popsicle stain look without the matte feel of some similar products, like Glossier’s Generation G and Colourpop’s Blotted Lip, or the actual commitment of doing a proper ombre lip look. 

Bliss Makeup Melt Jelly Cleanser - $12

This one is actually not one I’ve gotten to try yet (it’s sitting in my cart to be purchased as soon as my current cleanser runs out) but I wanted to include it on this list anyway because I’ve been wanting to try it for a while now. It’s supposed to be a really good dupe for Glossier’s Milky Jelly Cleanser, but has a smaller price tag ($12, vs Glossier’s $18) as well as coming with more product (6.4oz vs Glossier’s 6oz). Last winter I was looking for a good cleanser that wouldn’t dry me out quite as much as my current one does. I’m currently using Tony Moly’s Peach Foam Cleanser, which I think is really lovely in a lot of ways--the foaming is fun, the smell is amazing, and it does really make you feel clean, but it dries my skin out sooooo much right now, even in the summer where I have a little more oil. It claimed to be moisturizing and gentle but I guess my skin is still just too wimpy to take it, and I’ve been looking for a change. This dupe is also rose scented, which I’m super excited about--I’ll be sure to tell you all how it is! 

so that’s it for july! look forward to seeing some of my highlights for august next month and feel free to let me know if there are any other categories you’d like me to add each month! <3 

[cherry-interlude]

Summertime Sadness - Lana Del Rey Lyric Breakdown

There are mentions of suicide in this; this is just my interpretation

Kiss me hard before you go

Lana sings of not just a lover but a friend or someone she loves greatly, as people who are close yet not romantically involved still may “kiss” one another; Lana saying that they are ‘going’ makes it possible that they could be committing suicide, which is a theory that links to the music video too; Lana has used the lyric “kiss me hard” in several songs, including Born To Die, which may link them

Summertime sadness

Though it is deemed the happiest time of year, Lana still feels “sadness” because it reminds her of this person she lost before

I just wanted you to know

That, baby, you're the best

Though Lana is enduring “summertime sadness” she doesn’t blame this person and still thinks they’re “the best”, showing she has no hard feelings towards the way they have made her depressed; if the theory that it is a song about suicide is true, Lana may be trying to reach out to this person and tell them they are “the best” even if they don’t feel so, since they may decided to leave Lana due to depression

I got my red dress on tonight

Lana frequently uses the lyric “red dress” which may link the songs or just be an item of clothing that symbolises good times as it is bright, attention she, who sings of being ‘beautiful’, seeks (since red is a striking colour) but also is the colour associated with ‘love’ (Summertime Sadness) or ‘anger’ (songs such as Cruel World), showing Lana is in a good way of thinking in this part of the song

Dancin' in the dark in the pale moonlight

Done my hair up real big, beauty queen style

Lana favours the mid-20th century fashion and the beauty queen persona she has sung of in her music before, which shows she is in her youth and emotional prime

High heels off, I'm feelin' alive

Lana saying that she is “feelin’ alive” indicates she is not depressed at this moment of the song, as she feels herself and doesn’t feel like she is depressed and ‘dead’, which further may mean that Lana is remembering this person and the summers they spent with one another or she may be trying to replicate those memories to get the good feelings again, thus she represses this person’s disappearance on purpose

Oh, my God, I feel it in the air

Lana feels that there are things that will happen and senses it as she is getting the good feeling back by replicating her past through the song

Telephone wires above are sizzlin' like a snare

Lana sings of the “telephone wires” “sizzlin’ like a snare”, which indicates rainfall and how Lana may be feeling sad (represented by the rain, which is unusual for summer) despite the supposed happiness of summer; Lana is referencing rain making a sizzling sound when it hits the wires, and compares it to a snare drum; the sound of the snare drum starts when Lana says this lyric

Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere

Lana may be referencing her own depression and how she is “on fire”, showing she is burning and it is going to destroy (she will die) in a spectacular way; Lana is very aware of her feelings as she not only feels her emotions (the burning that is her sadness) but also the emotional impact of this person and she cannot forget her feelings

Nothin' scares me anymore

Lana’s depression makes her prioritise her own safety less, so she is not scared by anything “anymore” after losing this person, so she does anything whether it’s dangerous or not, perhaps to feel something as depression can be numbing for some people

One, two, three, four

This lyric echoes the way Lana sings “dead like you” in Dark Paradise, so their may be a link to how Lana feels depressed and suicidal at the loss of someone she loves from that song to this song

Kiss me hard before you go

Summertime sadness

I just wanted you to know

That, baby, you're the best

I got that summertime, summertime sadness

S-s-summertime, summertime sadness

Got that summertime, summertime sadness

Oh, oh oh oh oh

I'm feelin' electric tonight

Lana feels, like how she is “on fire”, something that is ultimately damaging, showing she has these strong emotions that she physically feels but they are difficult for her to deal with and may be making her worse (as electricity and fire can both kill), though Lana may be reflecting how she felt “electric” in the sense of modern and cool as she did with this person before

Cruisin' down the coast goin' 'bout 99

Lana used to go cruising down the coast with this person, so she is trying to replicate it to feel as if they are with her rather than gone; Lana is going quickly which shows she isn’t ‘scared’ or worried about harming herself, but also like she is trying to drive away from the memories that follow her around now

Got my bad baby by my heavenly side

Lana feels as if this person is with her as she is doing what they used to and it’s making her remember them clearly; Lana using the phrase “heavenly” indicates she is close to dying or wants to die (especially as she is speeding and could kill herself in a car accident); it could also be a link to Bel Air where Lana sung of being heavenly through redemption, so this lyric may show how she wants to be good again rather than “bad” like her “bad baby” and somehow get this person back to Lana

I know if I go, I'll die happy tonight

Lana knows that if she dies she’ll be “happy” in that moment, especially when she is pretending this person is with her on the night of this song, so she is “happy” her “bad baby” is by her “heavenly side” and she almost welcomes death by thinking of herself dying anyway; she is emphasising the way she is close to death by speeding and she knows it’s a possibility for Lana

PRE-CHORUS

CHORUS

Think I'll miss you forever

Lana’s voice goes from lower and almost emotionless to higher and much more emotive, showing how she is no longer thinking about what she is doing (speeding, her hair, wires) but about this person and how she feels about them, which is that she won’t be able to stop missing them now they aren’t with Lana

Like the stars miss the sun in the mornin' sky

Lana shows the way she holds this person in high regard by comparing them to “the sun”, which the earth moves around, and Lana herself as the rest of the stars, so Lana’s life revolves around someone she feels is important like the sun is; Lana also compares herself to night by indicating she is “stars” but this person is the “sun”, which shows how Lana feels she is darker yet this person is like daytime which is often happier and full of life (when most people are awake), so in a way Lana is saying this person is what made her feel good before

Later's better than never

Lana hopes that even though this person is “gone” they’ll somehow come back to her and she is still waiting for them even though she knows they won’t return; though, if this person just left rather than died, there is a possibility they could come back, so Lana remains hopeful for that

Even if you're gone, I'm gonna drive, drive, drive

Lana may be indicating she will keep on speeding physically or imagining that they were in the car together as they were before as she is doing in this song to pretend they are still “cruising”, keeping the good memories, but it could be a metaphor for how Lana will still be alive and still moving forwards but she will never ‘stop the car’ and go where she needs to, so she will constantly be in a state of remembering that one time in her life, which shows how she is stuck in her depression

CHORUSES

I like requests

[orbemnews]

Mardi Gras parades got canceled by Covid-19. So New Orleanians turned their houses into floats Like so many, the mom and insurance manager had known in her gut that the weekslong fête would take 2021 off. Revelers of all ages packed at least three deep along routes that wind for miles seemed the textbook antithesis of social distancing. “So, I kinda made a comment: ‘Well, that’s fine, I’m just going to decorate my house,'” said Boudreaux, who invited her neighbors to turn their homes, too, into stationary versions of the ornately designed floats that populate the four dozen or so parades that roll in the city each year. This way, she figured, partiers could stay 6 feet apart while visiting outdoors and enjoying the artistry of the annual countdown to Lent. The idea, like a splay of bead strands hurled skyward toward an endless carousing crowd, has spread. There’s a home with a sign that beckons, “Welcome to Wakanda.” Another features a Night Tripper theme in homage to funkman Dr. John. One house honors a health care worker alongside giant ivory beads. On a balcony, a cutout of the late chef Leah Chase stands, spoon in hand, at an enormous pot. Just off the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line, a giant model dinosaur in a top hat grazes. Elsewhere, a set-up pays tribute to Alex Trebek with a “Jeopardy!” board, playable using a posted QR code. Human-size Lego figures approximate a float rolling by parade-goers on a front porch. A wooden pelican the width of two men perches at another. All across town, papier-mache or cardboard and foil flowers of every hue, plus bunting of purple, green and gold and strands of beads the size of beach balls, adorn the homes where so many have been in retreat from the coronavirus since just after last Mardi Gras. That’s when 1.5 million people — including international visitors — converged on the city, almost certainly fueling viral spread that made the region an early hot spot. Indeed, the purple-and-white house icons that dot a map on the Krewe of Float Houses website cover the city’s entire main footprint like a sidewalk littered with doubloons, those collectible metallic coins tossed by riders from traditional floats. “In its essence, it’s not much different than when people drive around with the kids in the car and look at the Christmas decorations, holiday lights,” said Doug MacCash, who’s chronicled the house float movement for the local newspaper, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. “Except this year, in 2021, it has such a spirit of triumph, such a spirit of defiance. It’s like, ‘Sorry, ‘rona. We’re not just giving up.'” “Mardi Gras by no means is dead; it’s just different,” said City Councilman Jay Banks, who’s cast his own house — already painted yellow and black — with other trademark representations of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, the city’s preeminent Black Carnival organization, over which he once reigned as king. “And what we’re forced to do this Mardi Gras, with Covid as the No. 1 consideration, … is how this whole house float thing got started,” he said. “And let me tell you, I am just giggly about it.” How to turn your house into a float Do-it-yourselfers — many already armed with hot-glue guns and glitter by the gallon for crafting annual Mardi Gras costumes — have embraced the home-design effort in earnest. Two private Facebook groups with more than 14,000 participants spew inquiries at all hours, most swiftly answered by a hive mind eager to collaborate after months of stay-at-home orders. “Any recommendations on securing this? It’s top heavy,” one poster asked, referring to a photo of a homemade Lysol can prop standing several feet tall. From another: “Has anyone had luck with using cardboard to make house float decorations? I already used some and painted and sealed with mod podge acrylic sealer but am wondering how it will hold up in the elements on a French Quarter balcony! Is there a better way of waterproofing, etc.?” The exchange is not unlike in the bleak months after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when neighbors connected to trade recipes for bleach or baking soda concoctions to remove mold from items soiled by the flood. Others looking now to gild their homes have turned to a regional cottage industry built over decades for precisely this sort of venture. “Part of the consternation about canceling Carnival had to do with, well, there are people (for) who(m) Carnival is their livelihood — a lot of people: float builders, bead- and costume-makers,” MacCash said. “Some of the Carnival artists who find themselves out of work at what would have been a real scrambling sort of time, what they’ve done is they’ve found employment decorating houses.” In a normal year, René Pierre right about now would be finalizing the books on some 75 floats that his company, Crescent City Artists LLC, decorates using lightweight utility canvas, bright house paints, hard coating, wood and Styrofoam, he said. This year, Boudreaux’s house float vision, which Pierre caught on a local news report, proved to be his “ticket out” of a toned-down Carnival — and one that follows his and his young daughter’s recovery from Covid-19. “Oh, man, in about three weeks, we were booked all the way up until today,” Pierre said last week of his house-decorating customers. “My wife and I were trying to sleep one night, and we kept hearing notifications coming from the website. It was like, “Ping ping ping ping ping.’ It was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ It was like instant success. It was incredible.” The couple inked 53 house float contracts ranging from $1,500 to $3,000 apiece, a sum many riders in the city’s biggest parading groups typically would spend on bead strands and other “throws” to toss in a given year. “It has really pumped my business into full steam,” Pierre said, noting he hired his cousin, a recording artist, to help manage the crush. “We have made more money in six weeks … and talk about Mardi Gras spirit.” Of the commissions, Pierre’s favorites are a trio of painted pups fashioned after the homeowner’s own pack, a Buddha-themed display and one highlighting the Grateful Dead dancing bears. Boudreaux, known as “Admiral B” of the house float fleet, aptly did her house in a maritime motif. “I don’t know if I want to know how much I spent,” she said: “definitely more than I meant to, less than a lot of people.” How to lead (or join) a house float krewe Beyond her own decor, helming this nascent krewe (local vernacular for a festival group) has become a second full-time job for Boudreaux. There are exchanges with lawyers over decorating rules in historic districts and weekly logistics meetings with the mayor to game out how to handle homeowners who want to, say, hire a band. There are now 50 captains, 39 subkrewes, a communications team and an effort to gather and edit together dozens of dancers’ at-home videos into a performance masterpiece for the website. Yet another to-do list item got added shortly after the krewe named a New Orleans bounce star as its grand marshal, Boudreaux said. “Now Big Freedia’s house is a traffic jam. The house is so popular that even guerilla photograph-style, it still drew a crowd,” the one thing the Krewe of House Floats wants urgently to prevent. The krewe also has launched a campaign to donate $100,000 toward those facing unemployment and food and housing insecurity largely because of this year’s Carnival limits: artisans, service industry workers, musicians, Mardi Gras Indians and other culture-bearers. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, “this year plants the seed” for what’s already becoming an annual event, to endure long after the coronavirus is vanquished, MacCash said. (At last count, Pierre already had 28 house-decorating contracts set for 2022, and preregistration is open for next year’s Krewe of House Floats.) For now, Chris Volion is looking forward to safely welcoming on Fat Tuesday, February 16, revelers who pass by his New Orleans home, adorned with enormous black birds inspired by local crows and Edgar Allen Poe in his personal Krewe of Nevermore. Volion, an institutional research analyst, and his wife, Janet, are making some themed throws to hand out and plan to join neighbors for king cake-flavored Jell-O shots. “While it feels different, there’s still that excitement going on,” he said. This year, instead of swapping parade plans, “the conversation has shifted to: Have you been to such and such a block, or have you see this house? It’s so beautiful to see that the energy is still there.” For Banks, the city councilman, the house floats offer a glimmer in an especially bleak season. In his own circle, Covid-19 has taken 23 lives and killed 17 members of the Zulu organization, he said, not to mention relatives and friends of the club. It’s stripped New Orleans — and the world — of the chance to socialize in person and to observe customs in the typical way. But as is so often the case, he said, the city’s response in this dark moment offers a message far beyond its borders. “We’re showing the rest of you that there is light at the end of the tunnel,” Banks said. “As screwed-up as Covid is, we will not let it defeat us. … The lesson of New Orleans for the world is: You play the cards that you’re dealt.” Source link Orbem News #Canceled #Covid19 #floats #Gras #houses #Mardi #MardiGrasparadesgotcanceledbyCovid-19.So #NewOrleaniansturnedtheirhousesintofloats-CNN #Orleanians #parades #turned #us

[wardofwinters]

Awakening

Awakening

Marinette coughed, waving her hand to get dust out of her face. It was so dirty in her aunt’s attic, so dirty that it was a good thing they were finally cleaning.

She grabbed a picture and studied the ridiculous dress the person was wearing; the colors didn’t match at all. It was poofy and orange and lime green and she was rather horrified.

“Hey Aunt Huang, who’s this?” she waved the picture at her aunt who groaned upon noticing it.

“Oh, must you find embarrassing pictures of me honey?” Her aunt came over to look, “this was from a dance I went to some years ago,”

“Wow, it’s uh…” Marinette couldn’t think of a polite way to say that the dress was horrible.

Her aunt laughed, “I know, I looked ridiculous! That dress is still here somewhere if you want to re-purpose it though.”

Marinette perked up, “that’d be awesome!” She placed the picture in the box for them and moved to peek at another item.

Marinette dug out a yellow dress with lace on it that did not look like it’d be very flattering. Her aunt quickly stuffed it in a different box

“that’s nothing important dear, no need to worry.

“Awww, Aunt Huuuaang”

“It was a dress for a wedding I attended,” she sniffed, “It was a very popular style at the time.”

Marinette grinned, “If you say so Aunt Huang”

The afternoon passed cheerfully, the two laughing as her aunt told her the stories behind the different items. There were some interesting old pieces of clothing and books that her aunt let her stick into a box to take home.

Marinette rummaged through some boxes, finding a few pretty ones. She picked one up and realized it had something in it. Opening it she saw assorted jewelry pieces in a very pretty jewelry box. There were a few earrings on one side with some rings beneath it. The other side had some bracelets and necklaces.

“Wow” she murmured.

“What’d you find hun?” Her aunt questioned from behind her.

“A jewelry box. The earrings are so pretty, and this necklace is super cute! Oh and that bracelet,” she lifted it from the box to let the green bangle catch the light,” it would look perfect with the skirt I’m working on.”

“Well pick a few pieces. Or all of them if you’d like!” Her aunt chuckled, “I think that was my moms. I’m certainly never going to wear them.”

“Really? Oh that’s wonderful. Thank you Aunt Huang!” Marinette threw her arms around her aunt but then squawked and frantically lunged for the box that was plummeting to it’s demise. “Heh heh, sorry”

Her aunt laughed and ruffled her hair. “It’s fine honey. Though I think we’d better head down now. It’s about time for you to be getting home.”

“Coming,” Marinette quickly put the jewelry box into her crate of stuff and her aunt helped her carry down.

———————————

Marinette plopped into her seat; now that she was home she could look over her findings from her aunt’s.

She dug through the box, pulling out a few dresses and shirts and studying them. Some of the dresses had some pretty lace and one had some beautiful embroidery. ‘And that one shirt would be so pretty with a little bit of embroidery and a fixed seam.’

She pulled out a few books, one on some Chinese myths. Two were in Mandarin but the covers looked interesting so she thought she’d try to translate them. There was one book on constellations and even one on fashion! She was really interested in that one.

Glancing back at the box she pulled out a pretty hair comb and a few hair pins. She was totally going to add that to one of her projects, the hair comb was so pretty with a pattern like flames in elegant red shot through with gold in a fashion that almost made it appear on fire.

Finally, she pulled out the jewelry box. She decided to start with the necklaces. Bringing the box over to her closet she started matching necklaces to the outfits.

‘The red choker with the Chinese symbol on it would look great with that shirt. Oh and the one with cherry blossom charms on it would match her favorite shirt. And this gold one with stars hanging on it gave her a great idea for a dress.’

She pulled out the green bangle and compared it to the skirt she was making, she was happy to see it was the perfect shade. She placed it next to the skirt and pulled out another bracelet. ‘The woven one looked nice’, she thought as she dug through her closet and found a jacket it matched.

‘And this blue one with waves patterned on it would go perfect with that pair of pants, and with that shirt… oh she had a great idea!’

She quickly looked through the rings and found a small pearl one. That would be perfect to tie the design together and she could add some small pearls to the shirt, and change the pants buttons to pearl ones… she loved it.

Looking through the rings she decided she really liked the one with the red and orange stone and the one that looked like a dragon. She’d have to make an outfit based on both. And they both matched the hair comb so it’d be a win-win.

She poked through the earrings and put on the star ones, studying her reflection in the mirror. They were so sparkly. She quickly removed them and put on the silver ones with the pearl, those matched that bracelet and would match the outfit she was making, perfect.

She studied the red ones with black spots, were those ruby? And obsidian maybe? They’re so pretty. She put them on to see and studied her reflection. It looked nice. She reached up to remove them, already thinking about a design she could make to match them, maybe a ladybug theme, when they suddenly lit up.

She shrieked and stumbled back as a burst of light came out of the earrings and solidified into a small bug… rat thing….

“AHHH WHAT IS THA- WHAT!!” Marinette leapt back and scrambled away. “IT’S A BUG RAT! RAT BUG!”

She threw a pillow at it, then another, then a flashlight and a pin cushion and her clock.

“Wait, I’m-“ the thing dodged and Marinette was horrified, it was flying, it was talking, “I’m Tik- hi, I’m not going to hur-please wait-“

Marinette grabbed one of her vases and trapped the- the thing in it.

“Okay miss, if this makes you more comfortable.”

“What are you, you’re- you’re flying and- and talk- talking wha- what the f*ck?” Marinette shook slightly as she stared at the red and black creature

“I’m Tikki,” The bug-rat smiled, “the kwami of the ladybug miraculous. And you are?”

“… I’m- uh- I’m Ma- Marinette… what’s a kwami? And what’s a miraculous? Did you come out of the earrings? How can you talk? And fly? And-“

“Hold on Marinette! I can answer all your questions if you let me.”

Marinette blushed, “sorry”

“That’s alright,” Tikki giggled, “A kwami is basically spirit that embodies a concept. A miraculous is what connects the kwami to the world so that you, and other humans, can interact with us! The earrings are my miraculous, so yes Marinette, I did come out of them. I’ve always been able to talk and fly.”

“Okay, but then… what were you- our earrings doing in my aunt’s attic?” Marinette hesitantly pulled the vase up and the thi- Tikki flew up, yawning.

“I don’t know. I’ve been asleep for a long time,” Tikki looked around the room, suddenly perking up when she saw the lights, “You’re a sorceress! Oh that’s wonderful,” she spun back, “Who’s your master? What’s your specialty? What-“

“Woah, woah, woah,” Marinette waved her hands, “I’m not a sorceress, why- what- how come you- I don’t understand, why would you think that?”

Tikki blinked, “The lights, you obviously used magic to get them, and the air is so cool, it must have a cooling charm on it. Or is a family member a sorcerer?”

Marinette stared for a moment, “that’s… no. The lights use electricity, and so does the air conditioning… Magic is real?”

Tikki looked shocked, “No… no magic. What do you- But- What do you mean it’s not real!? Of course magic is real! I know that they believed it evil when I was last active but for it to no longer exist…” The kwami looked broken for a moment before turning sad eyes to Marinette, “Marinette”

“uh, yes?”

“May I stay with you? Please, I want to see how the world has changed. You won’t have to use my miraculous for anything, just- just please let me stay.”

“Um, stay? What would that mean. And what does ‘use your miraculous’ mean?”

“My miraculous can give you power if you activate it. It’s meant to make heroes. And if I stay all that you would have to do is give me food, I prefer sweets, and wear the earrings.”

Marinette straightened, “But I won’t have to that right? I don’t think I’d be a very good hero.”

Tikki smiled, “You wouldn’t have to use my power at all. I’ll even tell you about the past wielders, tell you the history that’s usually kept hidden, and let their memory live on.”

“Okay, Okay, you can stay…”  Marinette let out a breath, “Oh but now I can’t wear the other earrings.” She slumped; she’d been looking forward to wearing the different earrings.

Tikki squealed, “Oh thank you Marinette! You won’t regret it. But can’t you just wear two earrings at once? That’s what Khepri did.”

Marinette sighed, that would mean I have to get them pierced again, and that would take time to heal completely. But I’m glad you’re happy Tikki, I hope you like it here.”

Tikki zipped up, “I’m sure I will Marinette. You seem very nice… you know, I could pierce your ears, and with my magic they’ll heal immediately.”

Marinette gasped, “Really! That would be amazing!”

“Well pick a pair and I’ll do your ears.”

Marinette dug through the earrings for a moment as Tikki followed her and picked a pair of hanging wings in black metal and sparkling red stone

Tikki beamed and scooped them up, “Okay, give me a second and stay still so I can put them in.”

Marinette sat down and let Tikki flit around her, there was a quick pinch and a flash of pink and Tikki zipped in front of her again.

“There! They look so pretty Marinette, like a phoenix lent you their wings.”

Marinette looked at the mirror in awe, “I love them! Thank you Tikki.”

“Of course, Marinette. I can’t wait to see how the world has changed!”

—————————-

Elsewhere, hidden away in a dark room with no one around, a man found the key to using the brooch he’d retrieved.

While the girl and her kwami laughed and discussed fashion, the man plotted how to use his newfound powers. The world would quake beneath his might.

[evilback-wards]

Top Candidate [Pre-DRV3]

Chapter Nine

Length: 1977*

Rating: 16+ish?

Prefer AO3 format? Click here. Otherwise, below the line lovelies!

*Note: Words in italics come directly from the audition tape mentioned in DRV3. Click here for a link to the auditions! 

I was dressed in my usual school uniform with my red T-shirt underneath.  My feet felt like they were dragging along with the other two people in my cohort. I had no control. I had nothing. This sucks. I started to try and yell out, but another voice spoke in my mind.

“Oh shush! We’re like, totally controlling you to go to the right place! We wouldn’t make you break our own rules, silly,” said an overly feminine voice in my mind, and apparently over some loud speaker too.  I balled my hands into fists, tempted to punch whatever force that was in my body out of it. Why did they think we’d be taken over so easily? Why was it so easy for them to do in the first place?

Jesus fuck. Where am I exactly? I was kept in a dark room for a while, and now, I was being let into a stadium of the sorts. The outside of the stadium had a huge line of lights around it, blinding me from seeing much further detail. I saw thousands of high schoolers being brought in at once. All of them had different facial expressions(a select few appeared delighted to be here). If this was actually a football game as the stadium suggests, I’d be as happy as some of these fucks. But, no, this was our reality. Auditioning for a killing game we never asked to be in. I had no clue of the rules. All I knew was I’d either survive in the game or die here. That’s what MT told me. The green haired cunt had been digitally showing herself as a kid. Apparently it’s a callback from one of the “fictional” characters in Danganronpa. Everyone involved in this was so willing to give me the hour long backstory to this black market mess. For an event like this to happen every four years, it’s no wonder that the police don’t catch these freaks. It wouldn’t shock me if they helped run the show. My hands were in shackles in front of me, my body being moved along by some outer force still. Ever since that day where I had been walking home from school, about to beat the  shitout of my ex’s new boyfriend, everything got blurry. My mind went blank before waking up in a green room with a large rectangular table. I met the person behind and in front of me at that time.

The girl’s name was Maki. Or, what she remembered her name to be at least. She was a fighter, and while I respected her moves, she came from poverty. I couldn’t let dirt like that touch me too deeply. I had to keep my eyes on my affluent ex girlfriend if my dreams of easy fame and riches are to come true. Anyway, Maki started out swinging at the MT kid. Right when I woke up I saw her attacking the green haired brat. MT somehow managed to artfully fight back, pinning Maki on the ground and explaining our fate. Another  person, a guy who was about half my height rocking some serious emo fashion, sat around most days. Whenever I tried small chat he just kept brooding that his life “was a mistake he was constantly trying to fix”. The one good thing around here had to be the chicks. If I was to die soon, at least there were plenty babes for me to gawk at. My neck and other joints turned automatically, but, my eyes could still see babes for miles!

Velvet carpeting along with other high-quality shit lined the hallways. Was this legit black market? Was I going to sell myself to some organ sellers, bulk drug dealers, the big shots in the underground market? The area around me went dark occasionally, my eyes losing sight of Maki. Whoever was the control mastermind behind this, they must be especially trying hard to keep Maki under lock and key. Half the time, in whatever computer sim we’re in, Maki managed to break out of control and constantly kick at the walls. What a weird girl. What the hell would the walls do if they broke, “magically let us out”?

I, personally, am always looking for the time in this place. I hadn’t been able to keep count of the amount of time I spent “crafting” my character, but I know one thing. I won’t let myself die here! I haven’t even gotten the chance to live out my dream!

My eyes began to look over the thousands of students gathered here, wearing a variety of different high school uniforms. We had exited the hallway to a well-lit convention center of the sorts, nice flooring, and even lines of each participating cohort.  How many students did they manage to kidnap? How was this even done without the Amber Alert system going off at least 200 times? I wanted to fight back, but it’s like my body and mind were seperated for now. My legs were beginning to pull away from the others, heading toward another dark hallway. I saw Maki’s body turn briefly toward me, her eyes filled with nothingness. It was always hard to pinpoint what was on her mind. Once my body fully was directed toward the new hallway, I had to cut through a few lines of cute girls.

As I studied the students being shuffled around awkwardly like me, I noticed a familiar face. A blonde, wearing a navy-blue uniform(from Shining Star Academy) with an array of hair clips. Her skirt was shorter than most, likely pulled upward per her usual style. They...they got my ex here too? My free meal ticket, my dream girl, the prodigy I was going to ride the coattails of? I gritted my teeth, wishing I could move more of  my body’s limbs or at least say something. If that chick was here too, then, how was I supposed to return to the easy life after this? I didn’t need to worry about the impossible if it meant I’d go home to a girl like her. As I entered a new hallway, I saw vague shadows of other people I had been following.

“All Kaito Momota’s are on track to be the debut audition! Please line up in accordance to your number. You will only get one chance to sell your character, and then the waiting time begins! Once you see results, well, if you survive...you’re lucky. If not, ta ta!~” A voice screamed out over the loudspeakers. The voice sounded like an annoying preppy student from my high school. Wouldn’t shock me if one of had parents that let them do black market stuff like this.

There were lights every now and then as I proceeded forward. From the brief introductions in light, I noticed something strange. It was as if different copies of me were in a single file line. Sure, they were wearing different high school uniforms but they all appeared similar to me. Their face, weight, stature, among other items were glaringly similar to my own. I know actors often had stunt doubles but this was ridiculous! How was I supposed to differentiate myself from this assholes? Worse, the more we shuffled around, the closer to the top I had been getting. What was my number anyway? I started counting the number of people in front of me, stepping aside toward the walls of the hallway to let me walk through.

There’s at least a hundred of us here...this is crazy. How do so many people in the world exist with my similar body structure? Did they all come from different parts of the world from kidnappers too? There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but, my mouth was sealed tight by whoever was controlling my movements. Was my name anything other than Kaito before coming here? I can’t...even remember that anymore. What a shame.

I could feel my heart race as my body started to move closer to the start of the line. Why, this wasn’t fair, why me…first? Of the others here, I had to be the one to jump head first into this disgusting act of begging for my life. As I got placed in front of  shorter version of myself, I noticed a door in front. It had been wooden, with a metal doorknob. I couldn’t hear a thing from beyond the door. A single light bulb was positioned above it, its bright yellow hue keeping my vision clear. I tried my best, but, my neck couldn’t move to see what all was behind me...the army of freaks who looked just like me. Did they have my same voice? Did they sound different? All of this was overwhelming. All I wanted was an easy life. I just wanted to pick back up and beat the shit out of that green-haired bastard that stole my girlfriend!

If I could only speak, and voice out some strong words, I could have followers...and we could bust out of this place.

“Hello Kaito’s! When you see the light bulb over the door turn purple, please enter! Further instructions will be relayed once you are in the room. Don’t bother closing the door, it’s automatic,” a female voice spoke, again, an annoying preppy voice. And, as foretold, the light bulb at top turned purple. I suddenly felt control snap back in me.

I took a look at those behind me. I grinned, showing my teeth and all the handsomeness I had to sell for myself.

“Good luck,” I said to them, their looks a mixture of confusion and fear. I placed my hand on the doorknob, twisting it as I stepped forward. Psyching out the competition was one way I could give myself an edge.

As I entered the room, it was completely dark. Once my hand had let go of the knob, it felt like I was floating in space.

“Kaito Momota…#1. Your audition will start in 60 seconds. This is your allocated time to pray to any God or Gods you believe in. This is also time to rehearse how you will answer the following question: Winning Danganronpa promises the graduatee(or survivors) fame and fortune for years to come. What are your plans in order to win this near impossible game of Danganronpa?” an automated prompt stated, a large red timer showing up in front of me. My feet felt like they were actually on some sort of ground now! Awesome! Of all the vague bullshit I’ve been fed so far, here’s my actual test! And survivors -- does that mean I could still survive with my ex at the end of this?  But if I still game fame from winning and killing everything, would she even matter? Or could I survive by using her as a meat shield? Either way, from the sounds of it, I could still achieve my dreams with this! Only, I won’t be this Kaito they want. Rather...I’ll be *myself*. Katio Momota, from this point forward, is my identity.

I won’t be fake or any type of character they’ve been forcing me to be. I’m gonna show them that I’m the *real* Kaito, and all of those behind me are fakes.

I could make out my face in the large red timer, purple hair spiked up per usual. I had to practice my award winning smile first. Ok, good. I cleared my throat several times, stretching and smirking as I watched the clock tick down to zero.

The room suddenly became bright, a wooden floor showing itself underneath me as I spoke into a camera on a tripod.

“I’m not just gonna be in Danganronpa, I’m gonna kill everybody and win! Once I’ve got fame and fortune, I don’t gotta worry about what’s impossible, ” I began, giving the camera a thumbs up.