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amphtaminedreams · 4 years ago

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Sitting Front Row at...(On a Budget Obvs): Lookbook no.15

Hey to anyone reading!

And welcome to my fave lookbook I’ve done in a longggg ass time! Yes, that’s partially because it involved making collages and doing the low effort work of scouring Vogue Runway for “research purposes”, but I promise, that statement wasn’t made out of COMPLETE laziness-I am super happy with it too. It’s been a good use of pre-part-lockdown-lift time in the interim between that brief period of Christmas celebrations and eateries finally fucking opening again because let’s be honest, I always knew I was gonna get distracted by oat milk vanilla lattes and veggie all day breakfasts once I could actually sit down with them at my fave local cafe. You could say I was very much operating on a self-imposed deadline.

The “what I would wear to sit front row at...[insert designer here]” TikTok/Instagram reel trend was something I wanted to get on board with ever since I first saw one and whilst the option of doing my own live action take-I really cannot bear the thought of having to edit footage of myself awkwardly attempting to sit nonchalantly in front of a camera for hours on end-was off the cards considering my complete lack of screen presence, I decided a Tumblr text post would work just as well, and if not even better in a way. Given the absence of the time limitations you face when you’re making a reel or a TikTok I thought it’d be cool to present the looks as part of a mini moodboard for each designer which adds a bit of context to each look even if you aren’t familiar with their past collections and establishes the general vibe of the brand I’m attempting to replicate. Not to sound snotty or as if I am the font of all knowledge on anything high fashion related but even with my amateur knowledge I noticed that as the video trend took off and was adopted by big name influencers, it became less about the average person putting their own personal spin on the aesthetic of the labels we can’t ordinarily afford and more about them building outfits that only vaguely resemble the general public perception of the brand around the real corresponding (and often gifted and thus inaccessible to someone who doesn’t makes thousands for a sponsored post) pieces they own SO I thought I’d take the trend back to its roots and get a bit resourceful. All that being said, in no particular order, here are the outfits I would wear to sit front row at Gucci, Vera Wang, Miu-Miu, Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, Brock Collection, Alexander McQueen, Etro, Burberry aaaand Saint Laurent based on their past collections and guess what? They didn’t cost a shit tonne of money :-)

-disclaimer: will include an asterisk before any new purchases if from a high street store though to be honest, I don’t think there are any, we shall see! I do include where I got old purchases from in case anyone wants to search anything on Depop/Ebay-

1. Saint Laurent (formerly Yves Saint Laurent)

-blazer from identityparty on Depop, pleather trousers from Zara, jewellery from Dolls Kill-

I know technically abbreviating Saint Laurent to YSL doesn’t really make much sense anymore given the brand’s name change in 2012, but I’ll always think of it as that in the same way I’ll always associate it with the slightly dishevelled yet simultaneously glitzy rock n’ roll aesthetic. The thing is, whilst YSL hasn’t done anything wildly out of the box for a long time, it’s rare they put a look on the runway that I wouldn’t wear; they never end up being a fashion week standout but the Parisienne take on grunge we’ve seen Anthony Vaccarello establish as his go-to will always have a place in my heart.

2. Alexander McQueen

-embroidered leather jacket from Ebay (originally Topshop), harness from Amazon, dress from ASOS, boots from Koi Vegan Footwear-

Alexander McQueen is a brand that is pretty much universally liked, from the historically extravagant and groundbreaking shows the man himself put together to Sarah Burton’s more toned down but still beautiful collections. Obviously I didn’t attempt to do justice to the former, so I tried my hand at putting together a look inspired by Sarah’s blend of delicate femininity and nomadic edge, and it went...okay? Like it’s definitely not my favourite of all the looks because it does give off slightly cheap copycat vibes buuut outside of the context of this lookbook it’s cute.

3. Brock Collection

-boater hat from Ebay, midi skirt from morganogle on Depop, corset top from ownmode_, heels from amybeckett1, bag from Primark-

Brock isn’t as well known a brand as most of the others in this list but I adore everything Laura Vassar Brock does and I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to try and channel the vision of one of the OG pioneers of the cottagecore vibe through my own wardrobe. I mean fr, this woman’s work as a steady provider of meadow photoshoot worthy dresses and corsets and skirts is v slept on and I will not stand for it. I will sit in front of a camera and then write a paragraph in my blog post begging anybody who reads to give LVB (an abbreviation I acknowledge is unlikely to catch on because Lisa Vanderpump anybody?) some form of acknowledgement for her services to period romance novel inspired moodboards everywhere.

4. Marc Jacobs

-coat from House of Sunny, white shirt from Retro World Camden, co-ord from Sugar Thrillz, bag from Poppy Lissiman-

If there’s one thing Marc Jacobs always does, it’s COMMITS. TO. HIS. THEME. I just KNOW he has a secret Pinterest with separate boards for every fashion era of the 20th century and he is putting those boards to good use providing us with collections that are as immersive as they are eclectic year in year out.

5. Miu Miu

-beret from H&M, hair clips from H&M, jewellery from Primark, coat from mollyyemmaa on Depop, shirt from YesStyle, sweater vest from YesStyle, skirt from Depop, diamanté belt from Brandy Melville, shoes from Koi Vegan Footwear-

We all like to talk about Bratz dolls and Monster High dolls and Barbies as fashion inspo but can we all focus on Cabbage Patch dolls for two secs so as to acknowledge the fact that a Miu Miu collection is basically all their fits grown up? And made boujie as fuck? If I want my fix of Wes Anderson meets Scream Queens (what a combo) inspired outfits, if I want prissy and girlish but also glam, if I want to look like a bratty rich girl whose one redeeming quality is her eye for vintage clothes, I know where to look and that is the Miu Miu section of Vogue Runway.

6. Vera Wang

-blazer as in no.1, velvet bralet from catdegaris on Depop, harness from Amazon, skirt from Ebay, knee high socks from Ebay, lace up boots from Ebay-

Vera Wang’s RTW aesthetic, a blend of the ethereal, ultra-feminine bridal designs she’s known for and British style punk rock influences, is something I feel has only become firmly established in recent years but it is everything I ever wanted and more. I always find myself trying to balance the part of me that loves everything girly and delicate and pretty and the part of me that would love to be in a biker gang and Vera’s collections are always an inspirational reminder of just how well it can be done.

7. Burberry

-coat from charity shop, suit from emmafisher3 on Depop, top from simranindia, shirt underneath from Zara, jewellery from ASOS-

Now I’m not gonna lie, I’m not the biggest fan of Burberry but there have been a few looks over the past few years I’ve really liked and as someone who owns numerous trench coats, high necks and way too much plaid, I thought it’d be an easy one to replicate. Plus, if you can count on Riccardo Tisci for nothing else you at least can rely on him giving you some layering inspo which is very much needed in a country where it literally just snowed in April and where my plans for today have just been cancelled because the iPhone weather app did a Karen Smith and didn’t predict rain for today right up until it started raining so thanks for that one British meteorologists. Your incompetence strikes again.

8. Etro

-corset from Urban Outfitters, vinyl trench coat from Topshop, boots from Ebay, black slip dress from kaoanaoleinik on Depop, fur trim afghan coat from louisemarcella-

Like with Brock Collection, Etro isn’t a hugely well known brand, but it is always one of my favourites-to add a spanner into the works of any attempts to cultivate a firm sense of personal style, I live for the ornate Bohemian look that Etro does so well just as much as I love both grungy and girly pieces, and so I really wanted to include a brand whose collections go down that route. It was a toss-up between this and Zimmerman, the flirtier, free spirit counterpart to the dark romance of Veronica Etro’s designs; her vision really shines through the most when it comes to the brand’s winter collections, imo, and given that I live in a country where winter or some weather state resembling it does seem to take up 70% of the year, I did decide on channelling her work rather than that of the equally talented Nicky and Simone Zimmermann this time round.

9. Dolce & Gabbana

-flower crown from ASOS, tiara from Amazon, earrings from YesStyle, dress from alicealderdice1 on Depop, opera gloves from Ebay, boots from Koi Vegan Footwear-

D&G is a brand I felt really conflicted about doing-I don’t include their current collections in my fashion week reviews based on the actions of designers Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce over the last few years because I don’t want to mitigate the collective effort of fashion critics to push them towards irrelevancy. Though people like to claim the brand has turned a corner since Lucio Di Rosa was brought on board as the manager of celebrity and VIP relations last year (they are as prolific a force on red carpet fashion as ever), we haven’t seen any real meaningful apologies or reparations made by Dolce and Gabbana themselves which once again leaves us in the all too familiar quandary of whether or not we can separate the art from the artist especially when it is far too much of a simplification to only credit the two men for their work given there’s a whole design team behind them. There are a LOT of shitty people working in fashion, the whole industry is a bit of a cesspit if we’re honest, but I don’t think that should stop us from at least being able to appreciate old collections if we make sure we aren’t engaging in any kind of promotion of current works whilst doing so. D&G are a brand of high highs and low lows, with looks that range from hideously ugly to showstoppingly beautiful in a single show-when the looks are good, they are GOOD-and their presence in the fashion world is most definitely felt whether we want it to be or not. It would just be shit to refuse to recognise the existence of some real iconic runway moments, the practical work that went into the ornate detail and opulence that helped cement D&Gs place in sartorial history, the styling that’s made goddesses and fairytale queens out of modern day women as they’ve glided down catwalks, the far more extravagant and, let’s be real, sexier version of our world D&G shows have transported us to in the past. Will I talk about D&G ever again? No, and if you Google the scandals their brand has faced over the past few years, there are more than enough reasons why, but just this once I did want to pay homage to some of the collections, the snippets of which I saw on my Tumblr dashboard back when I was about 13, that first got me into fashion.

10. Gucci

-fur coat from Topshop, clips from Zaful, glasses from Ebay, dress from gracewright246 on Depop, shirt from Boohoo, blazer from charity shop-

Now last but, if you ever read any of my fashion week reviews (the likelihood of someone actually having read one of them and reading this is incredibly, incredibly slim lol, I wouldn’t read me either) you’ll know, definitely not least, is Gucci because Alessandro Michele comes through every!! single!! time!!

The man is truly the king of quirky throwback maximalism and it hurts my heart that a lot of people seem to think of it only as a brand associated with ostentatious displays of wealth. Year after year since Michele was made creative director he has released purposeful, fully-fleshed out collections which unravel themselves to us on the runway like time capsules containing the belongings of the rich and whimsical and yes that can sometimes result in outfits which are *ahem* a bit mismatched but it doesn’t matter because through fashion he manages to take us to a vivid version of the past where people could dress as freely and lavishly as they wanted to, into the wardrobe of a person unaffected by the side-eyeing of others. You get the impression he doesn’t design so much as plays around with some kind of enchanted dress up box and takes inspiration from there and to give that impression is only a credit to his talent-to make outfits so kooky and extravagant look like they were meant to be takes a boldness and genuine love for clothes that I do tend to feel a lot of the big name designers have lost in the pursuit of profit and the necessary placating of the dying customer base that keeps that coming in. Of course I'm not for a second saying Gucci does not care about profit, but at the very least, they have on board a creative director who genuinely has fun with what they’re putting out there and wants to make a statement too and that really shows; you can rest on your laurels and sell tweed boucle jackets to rich old white women for eternity but nobody’s going to mention your brand name and the word groundbreaking in the same sentence ever again unless they’re talking about what it was a century ago, you know (mentioning no names...unless...did I hear someone say Chanel)? That feels like such a shady way to end, lol, but I’m sure said brand will survive-to be fair, they’ve been included in every other What I’d Wear to Sit Front Row At video I’ve seen so although I’m always slagging them off for doing the saaaaame thinggggg year after year, for that same reason their aesthetic is instantly recognisable and so will always be a source of imitation. There are obviously pros and cons to being a brand which constantly reinvents itself but I think it’s totally possible to do that whilst maintaining an overall mission, and Alessandro Michele’s work at Gucci demonstrates that with ease.

Anyway, if you got to here, thanks for reading! I know I’m super behind on this whole TikTok trend and I know a Tumblr post instead of a video is a bit of a cop out but all the real, physically awkward ones out there know that watching yourself back is excruciating lmao, so I hope this does the trick. After this, I’m gonna get back to the reviewing S/S21 collections post though knowing me I’ll probs take a few days to get back into that because I feel like since I left full-time education (RIP me going back in a few months) writing continuously like this for any longer than about 15 mins fries what brain cells I have left. Again, thank you for reading and if you are, sending many good vibes your way! Stay safe!

Lauren x

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the-cookie-of-doom · 4 years ago

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@tinylionsed doing this in a post bc it’s WAY easier

The absolute BAREST essentials to make a book:

Needle & Thread (Embroidery floss works great, you should technically wax it, that makes it last longer/prevents degradation, but you don’t have to.)

Awl for hole punching. (Could probably be improvised, but you may as well spend the like. $5 to buy a real one.)

Davey boards: This is for your cover. You can get a big ass set of them online for pretty cheap. You want at LEAST 9x6 inches. That’s about the size of a standard cover. I got mine bigger than that, but not big enough to cut one board in half for two covers, so I end up wasting a bunch of board. (I save the cuttings for spine pieces and jigs later. Keep your scraps.)

Book Cloth: $5 for a sheet on Hollanders.com, comes in a ton of colors, and if you do half/quarter bindings (yours were quarter bindings), one sheet will last you a long time. Comes in a million colors.

Cover paper: This gets pricey-er. On Hollanders, it costs the same as cover paper. You can also get it on etsy, (which is where I found yours), which is where it starts to cost $$$. “Lokta” is the magic word. It’s a specific kind of paper that holds up really well, and is beautiful. You can also just use card stock/decorative paper from your local craft stores. All up to you. (You can also save the craps from this for various projects. I’m going to make a scrap cover once I have enough pieces, and they make for fun accents in partial bindings.)

Glue: I bought the smallest bottle of Mod Podge at walmart, which is like 4? oz? And I got several books out of it. You can also make your own paste with 1 part flour and about 4 parts water (hmu for details), which is Ye Olden Method, and works pretty good. I like to use the mod podge for the spine, and then then paste for gluing on the cover paper. It goes farther, and it pastes the paper down really well. (Unless you use cardstock, in which case you’ll need to line the edges with glue to really stick them down. Cardstock is stubborn.)

Nice to have but not really necessary

Bone Folder: Most of my life I literally used the clipy part of a mechanical pencil. You could use a ruler or some type of card. You could use your nail. It doesn’t matter. You just need a straight edge of some kind to get crisp folds.

Mull: This is a... good idea... strongly recommended... but you could probably get away with not using it. I didn’t use it on Ten Lashes, but I did on Cursed, because that was a heftier book. It’s there to reinforce the spine, so smaller books don’t need it, but thicker books do. It’s the cheese-cloth looking paper, also pretty cheap.

Book Tapes: Like mull, it depends on the size of the book. Again, Ten Lashes didn’t have it, Cursed did. It reinforces the spine, and thick books absolutely do need it. I would say once your book gets to about 1″ thick, that’s when you should use them.

Headbands: These are the black strips at the top and bottom of Cursed. They also serve to reinforce the spine, when you actually make them yourself, which is a whole complicated process. You can also buy them as little tab to put on the ends of the book, which is what I did, and it makes the spine took nice and tidy/cleans up the edges. Preeetty much superfluous and there to look nice, you absolutely don’t have to buy them.

I’m pretty sure that’s it for supplies! All in all, it’s sort of a large upfront investment, but the supplies carry over. The only thing you’ll be re-purchasing are the book cloths/papers, really, if you order to project like I do.

I don’t want to be crass and literally outline the costs of your gift, but if you’re interested in average costs I could??

But like as an example, the cover paper cost me about $5 + shipping, and I was able to make your 2 books out of it, with enough left for 2 more. The book cloth will vary more because the amount you use depends on how thick your book is: Ten Lashes used about an inch less then Cursed, I think, but all in all I was using about 4″ wide strips, and I have plenty left over. So as long as you start off with supplies you know you’ll reuse (such as neutral black spines, with more decorative covers), you can stretch the costs.

Also a note on the thread, bc it was my first mistake: Buy white/a light off-white cream. Trust me. You want it to blend with the paper in the beginning. and do NOT get pre-waxed, bc they always over-wax the hell out of it. You’d do better to get your own (linen) thread or floss, and wax it yourself. But get a light color. It looks the best, unless you want to do a contrast color. (Ex. I’m probably going to use a wine shade for my next book. I sadly didn’t have a good shade that would’ve matched the covers for yours T_T)

#cookie speaks #book binding #fic binding #one of these days I'll make a video tutorial #or stream my next project or something so you uys can see #written directions are difficult af

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jeynewesterling · 4 years ago

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50q

tagged by my new friend @jeynepoole

What is the color of your hairbrush?

Black

Name a food you never eat?

Oranges, can’t stand the smell

Are you typically too warm or too cold?

Always too warm

What were you doing 45 minutes ago?

I was on a work call

What's your favorite candy bar?

Lately it’s been all about hershey’s with almonds

Have you ever been to a professional sports game?

Yes, but they’re soo boorriiinnnggg

What is the last thing you said out loud?

I asked my dog if he needed to go pee (he did)

What is your favorite ice cream?

Hudsonville double chocolate almond

What was the last thing you had to drink?

Water

Do you like your wallet?

Recently switched from a man wallet to one of those phone case/wallet combos, and I like it way more than I thought I would at the time. plus it’s cute and floral

What is the last thing you ate?

I made myself a quesadilla for lunch

Did you buy any new clothes last weekend?

No, but I did like two weeks ago

What's the last sporting event you watched?

In person? Seattle Mariners vs Baltimore Orioles On tv? probably a Detroit Tigers game with my mom? idk I don’t sports

What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?

I do not understand flavored popcorn - why is butter and salt not enough??

Who is the last person you sent a text message to?

If we count discord as text, then bae @herokingrobbstark otherwise my mom

Ever go camping?

Occasionally

Do you take vitamins?

B vitamins for headaches

Do you regularly attend a place of worship?

Do you have a tan?

Only tanlines from my sandals

Do you prefer Chinese or pizza?

Why do you make me choose??

Do you drink your soda through a straw?

Not a pop drinker

What color socks do you usually wear?

I don’t wear socks if I can help it

Do you ever drive above the speed limit?

Literally everyone does around here

What terrifies you?

Falling from heights

Look to your left, what do you see?

My waterbottle

What chore do you hate most?

Putting laundry away…………...

What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent?

My Aussie cousins and how much I want to go back to Melbourne

What's your favorite soda?

Not a pop drinker

Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?

Pre-covid, I prefer to go in, but now? Not so much

What's your favorite number?

Who’s the last person you talked to?

@herokingrobbstark 😘😘

Favorite cut of beef?

I don’t understand the question and I won’t respond to it

Last song you listened to?

911 by Gaga I think? Or something by Kesha……...

Last book you read?

Rosemary’s Baby

Favorite day of the week?

Saturday

Can you say the alphabet backwards?

If I go slow

How do you like your coffee?

I don’t

Favorite pair of shoes?

My dog-walking sandals

Time you normally get up?

Around 7am unless the dog decides we need to get up earlier

What do you prefer, sunrise or sunsets?

Sunset

How many blankets on your bed?

Currently? Six or seven

Describe your kitchen plates?

Super basic bc my mom has no taste

Describe your kitchen at the moment?

A fuckin’ mess

Do you have a favorite alcoholic drink?

Blended strawberry daiquiri

Do you play cards?

If we include tabletop/board games, then yes, but actual standard playing cards? not so much

What color is your car?

Gold

Can you change a tire?

I could figure it out

Your favorite state?

Colorado is fucking gorgeous, but Michigan is my home and I cannot live without the Great Lakes.

Favorite job you've had?

This is hard because the favorite job I ever had was also kind of my least favorite? Making visualizations all day? Awesome! Everything else? Kind of a nightmare…..

tagging: @herokingrobbstark @thestagthatlovedthewolf @afandomofthrones @ladystarks @bettys-gardens @archmaestergilly

#about me #tag meme

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gosecretscribbles · 6 years ago

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MonthofMaybel2019 Week 1: Sweaters

Takes place after Dipper and Mabel have left the falls and started their school year. Enjoy, doods!

“ANGELAAAAA!” Mabel sang at the top of her lungs. And then promptly crashed into her on the school's front steps.

Luckily Angela was a veteran of surprise Mabel Hugs and managed not to fall over.

“Hello, Mabel,” she gasped. “I'm guessing you had an extra bowl of Sugar O's?”

“Try four,” Dipper said, grinning apologetically as he caught up to them. “She was up until 3 AM making that.”

“Making – whoa, Mabel, that is beautiful!”

Mabel laughed and twirled on the spot. Her brand-new sweater was a cashmere blend the color of a rosy dawn, soft as kitten breath, with a hem that flared out like flower petals as she spun. It even seemed to shimmer a little, although Mabel was pretty sure that was just a sugar high side effect.

“And that's not even the best part!” Mabel said. She stopped spinning and held out her arms. “Tada!”

Angela gasped.

The body of the sweater had the usual perfectly even braiding, but Mabel had sewn two words in Old Norse Runes into either sleeve, courtesy of Angela, who was a serious Norse Nerd. She even carried around a set of runes for fortune-telling in her big canvas bag.

“That's why you wanted my Old Norse dictionary!”

“What do they say?” Dipper asked, leaning forward.

“That one's 'wish' and that one's 'truth' and I will buy this sweater from you right now do you take cookies as payment?”

By the time they reached Mrs. Pierce's class, Mabel had agreed to knit three sweaters for Angela, each with different runes, in exchange for three batches of brownies and an Unlimited Smoothie Stamp Card from Blizzard's.

The rest of the class was already filing in after them. Several of them were loaded down with parkas, scarves, and mittens, because despite the still-summer weather, Mrs. Pierce liked to keep the room at a chilly 52 degrees.

“This was room temperature in Alaska and we liked it!” she'd tell them.

“Oh – sorry!” Mabel said, accidentally bumping into Ximena on her way to her desk. Mabel really liked Ximena – she always made sure everybody got included on the playground and told awesome jokes, mostly puns so bad they were practically Stan-worthy.

But today, she didn't even look up. Just grunted.

Chris, who sat next to Ximena, snickered under his breath. “Troll, meet Tree. You two make a cute couple.”

Mabel scowled. “Leaver her alone, Chris.”

“Or what, you gonna sic your pig on me? Huh?!”

“Forget it,” Dipper said sharply. He put one arm around Mabel's shoulders and guided her to her desk. “You okay?”

“Yeah, but did you see Ximena?” Mabel glanced back. She was hunched over with her head hanging low. “She looks seriously bummed out. I bet she's upset it's always so cold and we can't even make any snowmen...hey Dipper, do you think we could build a snow machine!?”

“It would probably melt, it's not technically freezing in here.”

“It feels like it,” said three separate people.

“Okay, class!” Mrs. Pierce called out, striding into the room. She immediately went to the thermostat and turned it down. Everyone groaned. “Now none of that! It's first thing in the morning and I won't have people falling asleep! Besides, this was room temperature in Alaska –”

“– and that was how we liked it,” the class changed.

“Correct! Now, homework out, please!”

Mabel took out her homework, glancing anxiously at Ximena. She already had her workbook out and she was writing along with everyone else, but she was all hunched over and her dark brown hair hid her face like a curtain of pure angst. Mabel tapped her chin. She'd have to think of a pun even worse than Stan's to cheer her up. But what?

Mabel was still trying to think of something fifteen minutes into class. That's when she automatically reached into her backpack for her thermos of hot chocolate – and then stopped when she realized she still wasn't cold!

She looked around. Everyone who'd brought a coat was bundled up, and Dipper was already taking sips of his own thermos. Angela had thrown an actual blanket around her shoulders and was still shivering. But Mabel wasn't cold at all. In fact, her whole body felt like she'd been napping in the sun with the world's best pig!

It's the sweater! she realized. It had to be the cashmere, right? But she hadn't thought it would make her this toasty. Even her bare legs were perfectly comfortable.

Ximena, on the other hand, was wearing a thin T-shirt and had so many goosebumps Mabel could see them from two rows back. Mabel grinned – sweaters were like hugs you could wear all the time, this would be the perfect way to cheer her up!

“Ximena!” she shout-whispered. “Hey, Ximena! Pst pst pssssst!”

“Shut up, Tree Sap,” Chris growled at her.

She stuck her tongue out at him and waved instead. Finally Ximena looked over.

Mabel whipped off her sweater and held it out. The cold instantly stung her arms and numbed her fingers, but Ximena took it with a nod and put it on. Mabel sat back, smiling happily. Being warm would make her feel better right away!

She returned to the worksheet she was currently doodling on. Her fingers were tingly and se was debating on the best way to warm them when Ximena let out a tiny sneeze.

“Bless you,” she said automatically.

Dipper leaned across the aisle, tapped Mabel's shoulder, and mouthed “Cold enough for ya?”

She mimed becoming an ice cube and they both grinned.

Ximena sneezed again.

“Bless you,” said Mabel, the teacher, and a few other students. Chris glared at her like the sneeze had been a personal insult. Mabel rolled her eyes. Now there was a permanent case of the grumpy-grumps.

Ximena sneezed harder.

Mrs. Pierce turned away from the board. “Ximena, if you need a tissue, they're – what on earth?!”

Ximena sneezed, and kept sneezing, and every time she did a spray of soap bubbles came streaming out of her nose!

Several students actually jumped up with shouts of surprised, leaning away. By now Ximena was sneezing nonstop and she was almost completely hidden behind a cloud of iridescent soapy goodness.

“Snot bubbles!” Chris shouted.

“Chris, that's enough! Ximena, if you thought it was funny to bring bubble toys to class –”

“I di – achoo! – didn't bring – achoo! ACHOO!”

She started sneezing so hard she clawed at her chest. Mabel and Dipper instantly rushed to help. She yanked the sweater off and Dipper made her sit back down with her head tilted back, just a little, to open her airways.

Nathan leaned forward, waving the sinking bubbles away. “Ximena? Is she okay?”

“I'm fine,” Ximena gasped.

Mabel winced. “I'm sorry, it's cashmere and wool, are you allergic to those?”

“What? No, I –”

“Betcha the Pig Princess rigged the sweater,” Chris said loudly. “Either that or the two of them planned the whole prank!”

“We did not!” the two said hotly.

“That's enough,” Mrs. Pierce cut in. She was looking straight at Ximena and Mabel, her eyes cold. “Nathan, please escort Ximena to the nurse's office. I'd like her checked out just in case. When you come back, Ximena, I'd like a word with you after class – you too, Ms. Pines.”

“So how bad was it?” Angela asked.

She, Dipper, and Mabel were sitting down for lunch. The weather was nice, so they'd decided to eat on the benches outside.

Mabel grimaced. “We didn't get in trouble, but I don't think Chris' comments helped that much. He stuck around afterwards because he said he was a 'witness.' Just because my pig ate his homework one time –”

“He's a grade A jerk in general,” Dipper said sourly. “Remember last year, with the Open House? He nearly got Summer suspended and nobody could prove it was really him. He just likes getting other people in trouble.”

Angela nodded. “He sure turned on Ximena fast, and she looked more freaked out than anyone. What the heck happened back there?”

Mabel shrugged miserably. “I don't know. I was just trying to cheer her up, so I loaned her my sweater.”

“Hmmm.” Dipper eyed the offending sweater critically. “Let me see that for a sec?”

“Sure, how come?”

“Actually, Angela, you take a look. Are there any runes that were sewn in by accident? I man there's one rune that's a straight line, so...”

“That's ice, I don't think – wait, look, there are extra runes!”

Mabel gasped. “Where where where?!”

She and Dipper leaned forward, and Angela held it up to the light. The cloth shimmered again, and this time Mabel could see tiny lines of silver thread criss-crossing in the narrow gaps between her stitches. The thread was as slender as a spider's web and so delicate that it was nearly invisible, but as it caught the light Mabel saw that the thread spelled out actual runes!

“Whoa, okay, I didn't do that,” Mabel said, still in awe. “Wow, that stitching is amazing! Look at that part, it's got combo stitches in it!”

“What does it say?” Dipper pressed.

Angela spread the sweater for a better look. “I'm not sure. It uses runes, and I know I'm new at it, but this doesn't even look like Old Norse. It's like a whole different language that just happens to use runes. But if I had to guess, they're spelling out something that made the sweater magic.”

“You gave me a magic sweater?”

They turned. Ximena walked up to them, hands in her pockets with her shoulders hunched, Nathan right behind her.

“Ximena!” Mabel shouted, leaping to her feet. “Omigosh I'm so sorry about earlier, I was just trying to give you a sweater hug!”

“Yeah, uh, do you think you could tell the magic part to Mrs. Pierce? I've kinda got a lot going on, I don't want to get in trouble again.”

“Oh, gimme a break.”

Suddenly a fist shot over Mabel's shoulder, grabbed the sweater, and yanked it out of Angela's hands.

“Hey!”

Chris dangled the sweater out of reach, grinning maliciously. “You want it? Come and get it! But no way is Mrs. Pierce gonna beweive it's weawwy magic.” He made his voice sound cutesy. “Bubble Snot just pulled a prank and is sorry she didn't get away with it.”

“Mabel's not a liar,” Nathan snapped. “And neither is Ximena, now give that back!”

They were starting to draw stares from other students. Chris saw this as encouragement. His grin widened and he waved the sweater in front of Chris' nose.

“Oooh, someone's mad I insulted his girlfriends! Quit acting like you're some big hero, you're just embarrassing yourself.”

“How 'bout I'm acting like a decent human being?” Nathan made a grab for the sweater, but Chris yanked it away.

Dipper was half-standing, hands out to placate them. “Okay, it's not magic, alright? Just give it back.”

“Yes it is,” Ximena insisted. “I didn't pull a prank!”

“I know you didn't and I'll prove it.” Nathan thrust out his hand. “Give me the sweater.”

Chris smirked. “You want to a fashion fail? Be my guest.”

He threw it at Nathan, who caught it and pulled it over his head. Mabel grabbed Dipper's jacket and squeezed, holding her breath.

Nothing happened.

After a few seconds Nathan pulled the front of his sweater over his nose and breathed in audibly, frowning. Still nothing.

“See?” Chris sneered.

“Well – well the sweater did something! Like Mabel just got some powdered whatever on it from her crafts by accident, right? Mabel, tell him!”

He turned to her, gesturing to Chris – and a fountain of live fish suddenly flung out of his sleeve and hit Chris square in the chest. He went down with a yelp, covered in flopping salmon. As soon as the fish hit the ground, though, they turned instantly into fish-shaped pastries. Chris sat in the middle of the pile, fish goo still dripping from his clothes.

For a split second everyone was so quiet Mabel could've heard a mouse flick its cute button ears. Then everyone started yelling at once.

“Did you see that, did you see?!”

“Lookit those things!”

“No way they'd all have fit in the sleeve!”

“– were actual fish a second ago, right?”

“Sweater's not even wet!”

“It is magic,” Nathan said, stunned. “I knew it, I told you it's not Ximena's fault!”

“Ohh, I wanna try!”

“Me next! Me next!”

“Hold on a second!” Mabel called out, jumping to her feet, but it was way too late. People were already crowding around the sweater, shouting and exclaiming and laughing with excitement as it was passed from person to person. She turned to her brother. “Dipper, a little help here?”

“Sweater...changes...abilities...per...user,” Dipper mumbled, scribbling in his quote-unquote “Journal” as fast as he could. She groaned.

“Just ride it out,” Angela advised. “Plus, honestly? It looks like everybody's having a blast.”

Mabel had to admit she was right. Once they got their turn with the sweater people wiggled around, trying to activate the spell.

One girl's hair started changing colors according to her mood, another boy's wristwatch turned into a tiny green garden snake that slithered up to his hair where it curled up and fell asleep. Someone else was suddenly fluent in ASL, with the sweater sleeves growing slightly longer and covering their fingers to shape each sign. There were squeals of excitement and laughter.

Mabel grinned. The sweater was a great way to cheer everybody up!

Except...

She looked around. Something still didn't seem quite right. The growing crowd? No, people were so excited about what the sweater had done for them that no one tried to grab it back; they just shared stories with anyone who'd listen. The squashed fish pastries? No, she could scoop those up for Waddles later, they wouldn't go to waste.

Wait. The squish-fish were the only things on the ground. Where was –

“MY TURN!” Chris shouted. He'd grabbed the sweater and stood in the middle of the crowd, his smile practically a snarl, flexing his fingers. Everyone immediately backed away. The laughter died instantly.

“Oooh, that's not good,” Mabel said.

His grin just got bigger. “Alright, losers, get ready to see what real power can do.”

“Wait!” Mabel shrieked.

But Michael leaned back and cocked an arm. His fingers curled into fists. Angela plunged her hand into her bag. Just as his punch arced through the air, Angela yanked out a rune and shouted.

Something exploded. Wind hit Mabel's face so hard she was knocked back into Dipper, who went crashing into the bench. Sand and grit flew through the air. Mabel scrubbed her eyes and jumped to her feet.

It looked like Chris had been standing in an invisible cylinder which contained the worst of the explosion. All the food and styrofoam trays around him had shot into the air, then rocketed back down, covering him in half-eaten turkey sandwiches, clotted tapioca pudding and Tropicola Juice packets. The people closest to him had been knocked over, too, just out of range of the falling food. Chris stood there, looking stunned, a few drops of ketchup dripping from his bangs.

“What is going on here?!”

Everyone scrambled to their feet. A supervisor hurried over, looking almost as stunned as Chris. “What was that explosion, why are you covered in condiments?! This is not a modern art exhibit!”

“Chris threw the food,” Nathan said, loudly and clearly. “Chris did it. The rest of us were clear of it. He called us losers and told us to see what 'real power' could do.”

“Is that true?”

The rest of the crowd nodded, murmuring their assents, backing away from Chris.

His face turned red. “I didn't – you – this is Mabel's fault!” he shouted.

“No it's not,” Dipper said coldly. “First, she's three yards away. Second, you're completely covered in food; if she'd thrown it at you one side of you would be clean. Third, everybody saw you do it.”

“Straight to the office, I think,” the supervisor said, her voice almost as cold as Dipper's. “I'd like a few students to come along with me and explain what happened.”

Nathan immediately volunteered, as did a couple other students. The rest of the crowd dispersed, quietly and quickly. The supervisor led the Nathan and the others away, with Chris in front, throwing poisonous looks over his shoulder.

“Oh, wait – my sweater!” Mabel cried.

Ximena cleared her throat and Mabel jumped. “Sorry. Just – look up.”

They looked. The sweater had been blown straight up with the rest of the food. It was slowly parachuting down, but as soon as Mabel saw it, one sleeve crumpled under it and it started to fall. She stepped forward and caught it.

Her brother caught the look on her face. “Mabel, c'mon, it's not your fault.”

“It kind of is,” she said in a small voice. “Fashion is supposed to bring people together, not tear them apart!”

“But you said you didn't make the tiny thread part,” Angela pointed out. “Someone else did. I think the tiny stuff made the 'wish' and 'truth' part come to life.”

Ximena looked like she'd been whacked in the face. “What, really? You're saying it – fulfilled our wishes, or something?”

“I guess?”

“That makes sense,” Dipper said thoughtfully. “I mean, Mabel was probably wishing to be warm, which explains why I didn't see her shiver while she was wearing it. I mean, that's what I'd wish for in her class. Plus, did you guys hear that kid with the snake? He kept talking about how he always wanted a little pet he could fit in his pocket.”

“It was an adorable green noodle,” Mabel admitted, feeling a little better. “And everyone was having a lot of fun with it.”

“Except Ximena,” Angela pointed out. “And Chris.”

The four of them were quiet.

Dipper shook his head. “I think we have to get rid of it, Mabel.”

“Wait,” Ximena said suddenly. “Wait, just wait.”

Dipper looked surprised. “But we can't let someone get ahold of power like that. If it hadn't been for Angela's spell, Chris could've really hurt somebody.”

“But that sweater used the wish to float off of him. It didn't do that for anybody else. It can tell the difference between good wishes and bad!”

“It almost got you in trouble, though,” Mabel said.

Ximena hesitated. “It...also kind of helped me out. I just didn't really get it until Angela said that thing about the wishes.”

“You wanted to sneeze bubbles?” Dipper asked.

“No, but – okay, my brother got this lesion on his spine, alright? They removed it but it gave him dissociated sensory loss. Like he can't tell where his body is in space. He's getting therapy for it but it's really discouraging, yesterday he up and quit. He said he hated that he couldn't even feed himself properly, he didn't want his limits thrown in his face.”

Dipper and Angela looked stricken. Mabel's eyes filled with tears.

“That's – that's awful,” she whispered.

“Yeah, but here's my point – I'd been sitting in class this morning thinking about him, I didn't even notice that I'd put on somebody else's sweater until bubbles started coming out of my nose. And then just now it hit me! My brother and I used to play bubbles all the time when we were little, we had those bubble kits and everything! If I got them out again, the bubbles would help him practice moving around, but it wouldn't be physical therapy. It'd just be us playing like we used to!”

Mabel squealed and threw both arms around Ximena. Ximena, who was not used to the power of Mabel Hugs, promptly landed on her but.

“Ximena that's so beautiful!”

“Uh – thank you? Also ow.”

“Yeah, you're pretty much stuck until she decides to let go,” Dipper told her. “She's like a koala. Also, the bubble idea sounds perfect. Let us know if we can help.”

“Yeah!” Mabel broke away and pulled Ximena to her feet. “We could have a bubble party! With bubble wands the size of our heads! And giant hamster balls so that we could pretend we were literally in the bubbles!”

“I would go to that,” Angela said immediately.

Ximena laughed. “You know, I might take you up on that when Leon's feeling better, thanks. So, the sweater?”

“KEEPING IT!” Mabel shouted.

“Yeah, okay, keeping it,” Dipper agreed. “Ximena is right, this sweater helped people. We'll save it for a rainy day. We just need to be careful about who uses it, but this thing could still come in handy.”

Mabel's face broke into a wide grin. “Excellent! I have the perfect hiding spot for it!”

“Mabel, you cannot label your craft box 'perfect hiding spot' solely to keep saying that.”

“I CAN AND I WILL!”

#monthofmaybel2019 #week 1 #sweaters #magic sweater #grants wishes #mayhem ensues

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hollywood-hobo-blog · 7 years ago

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How to Be a Homeless and NOT Look the Part

1. Travel Light At most, to not be seen as a complete bum, DO NOT, have more than one tote bag or any bag in your hand. I carry a Starbucks tote bag I got from Goodwill and a backpack. In my backpack, I carry all the important items, things I want to keep near me at all times. My tote contains my hygienics, towel, and a change of clothes. This can bring the assumption you are either going to the gym, the laundromat, or are heading out to the beach if you're close to one like I am. If you have a tote bag or are looking to buy one, don't buy a 99 cent store bag or a Walmart bag. Those are the cliche homeless bag to carry. Think college town life and find a used but a branded logo. Something considered as the modern norm.

2. Wardrobe Give up the Nirvana shirt, Vans, and faded jeans. Buy black dress pants at Goodwill, A proper dress shirt or two (Sky blue, white, grey) One long sleeve one sleeves, and a tie. Shoes should always be dress shoes as your objective at this point is to get employed. Use wardrobe samples from Pinterest or movie actors (James Bond, Tom Hanks, Red carpet events, etc) Perhaps if the future permits, you can buy Vans and regular casuals but remember, your wardrobe says a lot about you to the world around you. I received a lot more smiles and respect wearing my formal clothing than I would have if I just wore casuals.

3. Hairstyle/Grooming Do not keep a beard or facial hair. I have to shave at least every two days to maintain a clean young look. I take advantage of my gym membership to do this and at the same time, I apply hair wax. I keep a comb with me in my pocket to fix it up as the day goes on. If you have long hair, find styles online that you can do. If your hair is short, find a combing style best representing a business style or formal as possible. I'll repeat this often, look like a businessman, not the employee. People need to see who is boss. This world is very judgemental and I don't need to tell you that at all.

4. Communication On a couple occasions, I have been able to bypass the need for the fare. I have fibbed a fair bit to transit drivers to avoid paying but it doesn't work all the time. In some cases, I would say my wallet is missing and then continue talking about something in pop culture. A Netflix series, Jennifer Aniston, music, etc. Anything to derail the driver from the initial point of interest of you lacking money. If you look clean, they won't say much. But the best part is that you get to talk a driver who otherwise spends a countless amount of time doing circles around the block without any real conversation. You may just make their day by asking how there's is going.

5. Body Spray/Cologne If you're a person who walks a lot like I do, I take advantage of the cologne section of malls where they offer free samples. I spray various types of spray or just one on my clothes. I may even take some sample strips and throw them in my pocket or my backpack to assure I'm always carrying a strong rich scent that attracts others. On one occasion a girl told me I smelled nice but I couldn't tell her what it was since my backpack was carrying various types. Needless to say, having a social respect from others puts a big smile on your day you'd otherwise wouldn't find.

6. Read, Write, and Stay Hydrated Always carry a bottle of water, a notebook, and a book with you at all times. The idea here is to present to the public you are either a student, employee or somebody working on something very important. In this instance, you can easily walk onto a University campus and not be thrown out by security. In my time, I have witnessed countless of homeless people being escorted off campus because they carry a lot with them and just seem out of shape. Avoid that at all costs. Don't let that fear seep into you that you are becoming this individual. You are not, you can get a grasp on this reality and bend it to your desires. Nothing is impossible.

7. The Tourist Trick - "Do you have a quarter?" In this day and age, you can trick society almost like a con artist. I panhandle mostly on busy intersections and my look confuses people as I don't look homeless and some reason people feel obligated to help out. But when I was tight on money and needed to collect at least 10 quarters from 10 different strangers, I did a simple trick around bus stations. Most lines and bus services in the city are close by which makes this a very simple tactic. Here's how to do it. Considering you don't look like a complete vagrant, the way to do this is take out your wallet and passport and keep it in your hand. If possible, stick a piece of paper in the passport to give the impression it's a flight ticket of sorts. At a bus stop near a Metro, Expo, Lightrail, or Subway line stand at a bus stop in a busy street and approach somebody who seems well rounded in appearance. For me, it was, "Hey, so I'm trying to get to the airport, which station do I go to and what train do I board?" They'll tell you "Across the street, go down and take the train to Union Station and there should be a flyaway bus service. Then you should say "It's 1.50 right for the train?" (Mention it as a quarter less from the actual service fare price in your city.) While holding a hand of some change pretend to count. The stranger will be like, "No, it's 1.75" That's when you should ask if they have a quarter since your international debit card is being rejected at the kiosk. When they do give you the change, shake their hand and say thank you. Ask for their name, not that you need to see them again, but because when such transaction occurs you need to present to the public that it was a formal agreement of sorts and not simply you asking for change. The handshake is a gesture that changes every interaction. It's respected, pleasing, and the stranger feels satisfied with helping somebody and also being appreciated for this service. In the end, you have 2.50 plus some extra dollars from previous collections. I live comfortably with 8.00/day.

8. The Graveyard Shift From 10:00 pm to 6 in the morning, you are on the graveyard shift. You cannot fall asleep during these hours. Most of your sleeping should be done during the day. There are some exceptions when you have had to walk five hours to get home like I did but on most occasions, I save some extra money for the evening to go to Denny's and order coffee. The refills are free, the staff usually hate their life and can care less about who you are if you don't give them a hard time. And, if you have your books, pens, laptop, and other stuff out, you'll be presumed as a student who is putting on a heavy workload and just needs to focus. The illusion is to the public you are working hard at your goals and career. (Which you should) I spend my time writing fiction, a screenplay, or browsing the web. I admit, sometimes I do fall asleep with micro naps but I don't carry this for long as I remember I'll have an entire day to sleep.

9. Sleeping I have three locations for sleeping, one is hidden from the public and is a combination of a cardboard box folded into a nice little house format and rests against a wall near another box where a homeless man sleeps. I know a fairly clean bin in the area that was recently replaced and have sometimes wanted to jump in it for the night because of the comfort but have resorted not too. My second sleeping location is the Metro Line. I panhandle enough to get me onto a train with a boarding ticket. I stick in headphones in my ears with no music (or little ambient music) and close my eyes. At six in the morning, I blend in. I take at least 4 round trips. In Los Angeles, I sleep between Union Station to North Hollywood. I get off North Hollywood and switch to the other side, sleep, and do this up until my body feels well rested enough to go outside. Finally, when I'm well rested, I take a stop to USC, go to the library, and rest off for the day. By the time I'm up, I'm hungry and I move to the next location.

10. Employment Whether you have a bank account or not, I have been in both positions. Luckily, California is a state where it offers a lot of help and payment methods most of society frowns upon. I had an occasional luck with some dishwashing jobs, however, due to my body's physical condition, this does more harm than good. I am currently trying to maintain my mental stamina as this is what's been breaking me down, but if you need a quick buck try out foreign restaurants owned by Asian men or women and ask if they need a dishwasher. Explain to them your situation and that you need some time to go to SSA to get your documents and if they can pay cash part-time for a bit. In my own experience, I have not been rejected from any place with a dishwashing position. Although be wary of employers in this political climate as a lot has changed over the years and working cash is seen more as a violent act much greater than school shootings. (Intended sarcasm)

#writing #life #homeless #california #los angeles #personal #mental health #depression #how to #life hacks #tips and tricks

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amphtaminedreams · 5 years ago

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S/S 2020 Fashion Month: A Basic, Uneducated Fashion Heaux’s A-Z of Everything Noteworthy (Part 2/3)

Hi to anyone reading,

Back at it again with the giving my unsolicited opinion on 2020′s spring/summer offering, I’m gonna hop straight into part 2 of my fashion month review!

Sorry to start with an underwhelming few but my compulsive tendencies are making it really hard to break out of this alphabetical structure (cry laughs whilst thinking about how long it took me to face up at my retail job last night because it would give me vaguely homicidal urges and make my fingers tingle every time a customer moved something slightly out of line), so I’m gonna whizz through a handful of collections. First up, Halpern:

Not much to say but I’m envious of the heavy liner (my hooded eyes could never) and I like the colour scheme. As for the 80s style metallic pink dress?

Helmut Lang:

And Hermes:

Of these 3 collections, Hermes is definitely the most interesting. I like the colour scheme and the utilitarian shapes and the tan coloured jackets are an absolute shoot. This is how you make safari look fresh, D&G take note.

Isabel Marant was okay. It’s cute, sure, reminds me of something Mary-Kate and Ashley would’ve come out with/worn in the 2000s, and there’s definitely some things I would wear, but I wouldn’t say it looks all that luxury. Pricey, sure, but like, Free People pricey, not designer pricey. As a collection, it’s not all that conceptual, unless the concept is L.A girl does a Starbucks run after her bikram yoga class. What I will say though is that some of the S/S 2020 commercial trends are becoming clear: white cheesecloth pieces, peasant blouses, cowboy boots, scrappy sandals, neutral tones, and bandana print.

Now onto the darling of high fashion Twitter: Jacquemus.

As far as presentation goes, this has to be one of my favourite set-ups of the season; a hot pink runway running through a lavender meadow is as canny and serene as those who sing the praises of Simon Porte Jacquemus would have you expect, and the clothes were easy, breezy and beautiful, even if there is an element of getting dressed in the dark going on with the styling which put me off including a few otherwise gorgeous pieces. It might not be 100% my style but you can tell this is a brand of the future which is only going to go from strength to strength.

And everything was beautifully and purposefully crafted on the runway with J.W Anderson this year. The pieces are graceful and timeless whilst still easy to envision as something a modern woman would throw on to (very fashionably) run some errands in the city. This was also one of the handful of shows (IIRC! This might be a case of extreme deja-vu!) where we saw the sandal straps tied over the trousers, I’m guessing to accentuate the ankles, and...I’m surprisingly here for it? Though in a sense it kinda resembles when I accidentally get my work trousers tucked into my slipper socks, it’s an interesting touch and adds a bit of a shape to otherwise billowing bottom halves.

Following Jacquemus’ lead (or vice versa, I’m way too deep into this fashion month haze to work out who went first at this point), Lacoste also put on a co-ed show. Otherwise crisp and preppy as per, the neckerchiefs (even if seeing them all next to one another does give off a bit of a Disneyland Main Street barbershop quartet vibe) and vinyl/wet-look/PVC/I’m still not sure what differentiates the 3 coats were an out of the box touch for them and I really liked it. It’s athleisure, but more like something Hayley Bieber would’ve worn as part of her Princess Diana inspired shoot than anything I’d wear to the gym.

LMAO, as if I go the gym. But you get my point. Next, Loewe:

Delicate, feminine and all around delightful, the S/S 2020 Loewe collection is up there with Chloe and Brock when it comes to most spring appropriate. More chiffon, lace and doily-like detailing, please, the old woman in me lives for this kinda thing made fashionable. Like with J.W Anderson, you can tell the design team wanted to do something different without just throwing shit onto their pieces for the sake of being wacky, and so we end up with these dramatic, slightly geometric waistlines and almost angelic Victorian nightgown inspired dresses that kinda make me wished that 1). ghosts existed and that 2). I lived back in that era so I could die some tragic death wearing any one of the dresses on the left in the top 3 rows and then haunt the shit out of everyone. That would really be an iconic fashion moment. Also wonderful, imo, was Louis Vuitton:

The mix between 60s and Edwardian I never knew I needed, as opposed to Gucci’s forward thinking take on the former decade, Louis Vuitton takes it back even further and throws in late 19th/early 20th century structures and references. I adore the what seems to be a mix between brocade and paisley print and the exaggerated collars are a very cute touch. The jacket on the top left is a highlight, a more neutral version of the similar catsuit seen at the Longchamp show (I couldn’t personally pick enough highlights from that to include it), and I now more than ever really want to try and pull off a sweater vest. The shoes might not be the most exciting thing ever but they’re also a personal favourite, from the knee high boots to the loafers with the LV moniker.

Maison Margiela was very cool and again, I’m in love with the shoes and just the accessories in general, ESPECIALLY those hats. I don’t know if I’m way off base here but this show is almost a modernised, fashionable version of a 1940s period drama about WW2 pilots and evacuees. Yes, maybe I am just getting that solely from the trench coats and the naval influences and the exaggerated collars but I think with that list I made quite a case for that perspective, right? Right.

And completing this holy trinity (appropriating the term I usually reserve for Emma Watson, Emma Stone and Emma Roberts is not without careful consideration) is Marc Jacobs. One of my ultimate favourites of this season, this collection is absolutely EVERYTHING: kitschy, dream-like, whimsical, over-the-top, and totally appropriate for your slightly eccentric aunt who always drinks too much wine and talks a lot of shit every time she comes over for dinner. I really feel like I walked into wonderland looking at this collection, and in the best way possible, it gives me a female Russell Brand in the 2000s’ wardrobe on crack. On the one hand we have these insanely beautiful and ethereal chiffon floral dresses but then we also have fricken top hats. Basically, it’s everything I love about fashion and I don’t know if anything can top it. Periodt (and I type that with a totally straight face).

Next, onto another personal fave, Marchesa:

Which is as always, beautiful. I was going to write that if Disney princesses came to life and lived in the modern world (so, in other words, Elle Fanning), they would be wearing Marchesa and then I remembered that the film Enchanted exists and had a lightbulb moment and thought OH MY GOD IF THEY REMADE THAT IN 2019, THE DRESS ON THE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE ROW WOULD BE A PERFECT LEVELLING UP OF THE CURTAIN DRESS.

Anyways, favourites of the favourites are the bottom row; I would die for that feather trim.

BUT where Marchesa is everything opulent, overly ornate and err-ing on “fussy”, Margaret Howell’s S/S 2020 collection is completely stripped back and just as effective, if not as to my taste. Very cool, very current, and altogether effortless (in a good way!), with this show Margaret Howell made mid-20th century utilitarianism relevant. I never thought I’d be praising the combination of bermuda shorts, crew socks and a beanie and yet here I am. Character development.

Next is Marine Serre:

Which I really like! The bottom row isn’t really to my personal taste but I can acknowledge that if I saw somebody wearing any one of those outfits I’d think they looked sick, and as for the first two rows, those mesh tops and the slightly chintzy florals are right up my alley.

Marques Almeida put out a really strong collection, imo. The blending of luxurious silhouettes and fabrics with street wear inspired prints and styling is a really interesting and unique contrast and if Billie Eilish ever decided to stop wearing those tweenie clothes and wanted to actually seduce somebody’s dad (I LOVE BILLIE EILISH AND I KNOW WHY SHE DRESSES THE WAY SHE DOES, IT’S A JOKE, PLS DON’T HATE ME), I’d love to see her wearing something like this. It’s a blend of punk, urban, and 2019 e-girl and has the kind of edge that Topshop has lost over the past couple of years that used to make it so aspirational to my 13 year old self. Of all the shows, it also probably has the most personally wearable accessories, and a shit tonne of cool make up looks I’d love to try if it weren’t for my lack of visible eyelid, lol.

Make up looks were a highlight of the Max Mara show too, for me anyway.

I otherwise wasn’t hugely keen on the collection, it being a little too matronly/Miss.Trunchbull-esque for my liking (wild card fashion inspiration of 2019, apparently?). The light paisley print dresses are very dreamy, though, and I can never resist a good suit.

As for Michael Kors, dare I say it, but the basic bitch in me loved it. I know as a designer he’s not held in very high regard by the fashion community and I'm not saying it’s at all original but it did what it set out to do well; I mean, it’s quite fitting that he cameo-d in an episode of Gossip Girl because every outfit would be perfect for the Constance attending incarnation of Blair Waldorf, which is probably why I like the collection. Like yeah, it’s a bit of a Polo Ralph Lauren/Lacoste rip off but it’s daintier and more feminine and so I’m not gonna lie, I’m on board with it.

Next, Miu Miu.

One of the collections I was most excited for, I was a little disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, I really like the collection, but I have never once disliked anything Miu Miu and I usually love it. There are things I love about this line too: the cream, floral lace-up boots, the off-the-shoulder cardigans, the houndstooth oversized coats and of course the fur-lined gilets. My mum used to buy me similar ones when I was a little girl and so they give me childhood nostalgia in the best way possible. I mean, the collection is as girly and eccentric as ever. I think it’s just a little too on the primary school librarian side for me, this time round. Sorry Miu Miu xoxo

Now I’m just gonna speed through a couple, starting with MM6 Maison Margiela, the younger sister to the more expensive regular Maison Margiela line:

And Monique Lhuillier:

So that I can get to one of my other ultimate favourite collections for S/S 2020: Moschino.

Oh my god, where to even start. Firstly, I might be reaching, but if this show is even remotely to thank for art nouveau mesh tops showing up in the Urban Outfitters new in section, then a very sarcastic thank you to Jeremy Scott. You just made ethical shopping a lot harder. HOW am I supposed to not buy an Alphonse Mucha top? HOW!? I mean, I’m sure I’ll manage (I’m on month 3 without a shopping spree I can’t actually afford now and yes, I am very much patting myself on the back), but HOW!?

But on a serious level, if renaissance was the print of 2019, which I’m still very much into BTW, bring on modern art as its 2020 replacement. The Pablo Picasso inspired show not only livened up a generally pretty predictable fashion month but it’s also got me searching up other times art has met fashion on the runway and thrown me down a particularly aesthetically pleasing wormhole I’m not sure I ever want to escape from (https://frontrowmagazine.ca/art-inspired-looks-were-all-over-the-runways-of-fashion-week-a74e8bc7ff0d and https://www.vogue.com/article/spring-2017-ready-to-wear-fine-arts-trends are good starting points!).

Mugler was also up there with the best of them, imo:

See, if the Moschino collection was all about dabbling in art class, Mugler’s S/S 2020 collection is its more mathematically inclined sister, all about sharp lines and deconstructed silhouettes and symmetry all whilst looking hot as fuck. So very Mugler, basically.

Now, this reference might be slightly off because I haven’t actually SEEN Ex-Machina yet but I imagine if Kim Kardashian were to channel that movie for a costume party she’d end up wearing something from this collection. That sounds like a roast because Kim has worn some questionable outfits but I blame Kanye for most of that and I’m referring to her on a good fashion day, alright!?

As for Off-White, it’s obviously a lot more commercial than most of the lines I’ve reviewed so far. Like, I can see a lot of these outfits on a mannequin in Urban Outfitters (no, I am not being paid to namedrop them, about 3 people in total read this Tumblr so any kind of sponsorship money would be severely wasted on me). That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and I love all of these looks; it just seems unfair to compare them to the the Mugler or Moschino collections, for example.

The stand outs for me are all on the bottom row: I would buy the utility vest, leather blazer and the all mesh turtleneck under washed-out tie-dye on the spot if I saw them in a high street store. Unfortunately, I feel like that’s kinda where they belong. You just expect collections to be a bit more conceptual, and this one is a little watered down, as much as it’s my style.

Oscar de la Renta was beautiful, of course. Not like I’m shook by how beautiful it is but kinda just what you’d expect from a brand with a name as poetic and fun to say as Oscar de la Renta. The silhouettes are dreamy and the details are as fit for a fairy princess (lmao) as ever. Plus can I just say how happy I am to see butterflies on dresses for adult women again!? And dresses worn by Blanca Padilla nonetheless!? Very here for it.

Next up is another on one of my fashion month highlights: Paco Rabanne.

LOOK AT THIS SHIT!

I mean, don’t get me wrong, something about this collection (I’m pretty sure it’s the knee high coloured socks) is giving me primary school teacher vibes, but I'm not mad about it. It’d be the kind of teacher who’s actually really good at their job and has loads of cool hobbies and a really hot boyfriend or girlfriend or wife or husband who you secretly want to be then you grow up/and or have a huge crush on.

Like with Marc Jacobs, there’s obvious flower child elements here, and whilst on the whole the former took my breath away slightly more, this is a lot more wearable. My favourites are the paisley print dress and cape on the left in the very bottom row and all the chainmail pieces (which remind me of the dress Naomi Smalls wore in that whole club ninety-sixxxxx skit on drag race), plus that floral cut out dress with the trailing flute sleeves, which is absolute PERFECTION.

The 70s influence was clear in Peter Pilotto’s S/S 2020 collection too from the abundance of tie-dye to the knit v-neck dress, zany colour and print being the very on-brand focus. That being said, this is definitely more of a street-style inspired collection than usual and whilst the floral suits and dresses on the 3rd row down are very typical Peter Pilotto, the tie-dye corset and combat trousers on the far right, second row from the bottom, are very Jaded London. As for the reoccurrence of the bucket hat, I’ve remained steadfastly against them for several years now (even when our Lord and Saviour Miss Robyn Rihanna Fenty started wearing them) but the way they’re done in this collection even I could definitely get behind; all in all, the show surpassed my expectations.

The same goes for Ports 1961, which was a lot more eccentric than I gathered is the norm from a few google searches. Honestly, I hadn’t really heard of the brand which, upon reading up on it, I feel very dumb for considering it has been around since (in the shock twist of the century) 1961.

Yes, I know how that sounds! But forgive me, I’m still learning:)

Anyway, the fishnet detailing alone pretty much sold the looks I picked out. Seriously, I got a pair of those bloody tights, like, 2 years ago when they became a thing again and now any outfit where I have my legs out feels incomplete without them.

Next is Prabal Gurung, which, as far as presentation goes, was fucking STUNNING:

I mean, you could say that I’m easily impressed and that the presence of the bouquets won me over (and you’d definitely have a point there), but it’s also this year’s Givenchy haute couture-esque feathers, the trailing pearl necklaces, the exaggerated shoulders, the dreamy colouring, the everything looking like it could’ve grown off a very fashionably-inclined tree. Like, there’s a lot to love here, from the naturalistic elements, to the context behind the show, an ode to American fashion history and those cast out of it (and the notion of “being American” in general) for so long.

Going from a high to a (personal) low, however, next we have Prada:

I don’t know, I get that it’s supposed to be simple and stripped back and dignified and whatever and I like the looks I picked but it’s just a bit blah for me. The bonnets that kept cropping up just didn’t do it for me and almost ruined what is an otherwise nice skirt suit (top right). Nonetheless, I like the silhouette of the sheer black dress and the the brocade print suit is really luxurious looking, even if the pattern is a *little* Wetherspoons carpet.

Anyways, here’s a quick overview of Rag and Bone:

So that I can stop moaning and get onto a collection I REALLY liked:

I am of course talking about Ralph and Russo. See, this is kinda what I expected from, like, Chanel and yet it’s Ralph and Russo that delivered. Also, it gives me Alessandra Rich vibes which is very much a compliment considering how much I love her designs. I mean, if Valley of the Dolls were to get another film remake in 2019, this is exactly what I’d like to see the female leads wearing, from the pastel suits to the satin kaftan style dresses. The yellow feather trimmed dress is practically a copy of something Marchesa has already done but it’s cute all the same. In my top 10 collections of the season, for sure.

Rick Owens was another strong collection; it goes without saying that it’s not the most wearable but that’s not really what Rick Owens is known for, so I wouldn’t expect anything else. If you want fashion on an alien planet, or something Lady Gaga would’ve worn in 2010, he's your man.

Next, Rodarte:

Obviously the dresses are beautiful and the set is magnificent, BUT...I’m really not a fan of the whole celebrities filling in for high fashion models thing. I like Lili Reinhart and I adore Kirsten Dunst, she’s been in a load of my favourite films, but in a similar vein to Dolce and Gabbana’s influencer show, it’s just distracting from the actual garments, if even worse because I don’t WANT to be distracted here (the same can’t be said for the D&G show, lol). If anybody has read this far, let me know your thoughts!

Roland Mouret was nice, and I always like a coed show, especially when a designer isn’t afraid to blur the lines of masculine and feminine. It’s fresh, lightweight and luxurious looking, Cannes film festival street style eat your heart out, and I love the colour palette.

Similarly, colour was my favourite thing about Sally LaPointe’s S/S 2020 collection.

I would never think that teal and burnt orange would work together, let alone in some kind of faux leather, and yet here we are. Orange is in itself always an interesting colour choice, perfect for the summer with a tan, and I really love monochrome outfits, even though they’re something that ends up being quite pricey to put together; slight differences in tone are okay but if you just randomly throw together a few things and they’re too off, it really doesn’t work and you’d have been better off wearing contrasting colours. For that reason, I’m just gonna admire that all-pink outfit from a distance.

As for Schiaparelli, it’s one I always look forwards to for the sheer weirdness. RTW isn’t quite as kooky as haute couture but still, the interesting choices are still there; what at first glance appears to be flame print is actually coils of hair, and paired with a water print suit is a sequinned jacket emblazoned with a paradisiacal mirage. Ornament-like facial decorations as seen in the over-exaggerated glasses worn with the pony hair suit are also one of my favourite new things to happen in the high fashion scene in the past couple of months and I can’t wait to see how they get watered down to become more approachable for us...regular, non-structurally blessed folks who can’t pull off anything and everything.

Simone Rocha was STUNNING. Romantic and ethereal, it’s druid goddess crossed with upper class Victorian woman of leisure, equal parts delicate and grungy, like a modern, fashion version of Lady Gaga’s Scathach in the Roanoke season of American Horror Story. You know, in the flashbacks, not in present day when she was all gross and like...scalping people and shit. Each dress is so ornate and has such an interesting structure, and the fabric choices give off an organic kinda vibe that create a handmade feel; the collection is, imo, really worthy of being shown under a haute couture heading. When it comes to my favourite element of the show, I’m torn between the petticoats and the hair accessories. I’m just gonna give a cop-out answer and say both.

Stella McCartney on the other hand, is very much a clear ready-to-wear collection.

It’s pretty, for sure. The pastel blazers paired with delicate white mesh tops underneath are a gorgeous combination for spring and I like the reoccurrence of the chain glasses (Gucci, right?). But I mean, when you go from Simone Rocha to this, it’s a bit anticlimactic. Plus, if I’m honest, kaftans are always going to remind me of Honey Mahogany from season 5 of Drag Race. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure she’s a lovely person but her runway looks aren’t really ones I look back fondly on, and you’re lying if you say you enjoyed them for anything other than meme purposes.

Temperley is equally meh, though the return of the Erdem-style boating hats is getting me excited that high street retailers might actually pick up on the trend and bring out some cheap ones for me to embarrass myself by wearing.

I also love a good 70s suit, the neckerchiefs are cute and there are some really delightful prints here that are a more unique approach to florals for spring.

Coming towards the end now, next is Thom Browne:

I LOVE this. Like, don’t get me wrong Rick Owens was cool but I adore how on the nose the concept is here; time to bring back all the Marie Antoinette puns I didn’t get to use in my Versailles Instagram post. I don’t know if it’s the history buff in me or the Sofia Coppola Stan but I will always be willing to sign any kind of treaty for anything related to the excesses of the 18th century French monarchy, and this is that turned up to 1000 infused with a dash of the Teletubbies, which sounds like a nightmarish concept, I know, but as high fashion it WORKS.

Tory Burch was very commercial, seemingly half inspired by Monterey yoga moms and the other half by Hamptons socialites.

And then there was Valentino, which was fucking exquisite, imo. LIKE, CALLING DOCLE & GABBANA: THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE TROPICAL PRINT INTERESTING. YOU MAKE THE VELVET MONKEY’S ARM THE FRICKEN WAISTBAND.

Seriously, though, I am enamoured with this colour palette; all the whites and golds are angelic and fr, I didn’t know until now that you could make neons this elegant. I’m also getting an almost clerical feel from a lot of these looks, with the plaited waistband on the black dress that’s 7th row down in the middle, the stunning red cape and the multitude of exaggerated neck ruffs. I think I’ve mentioned before but I always love religious references in clothing-I don’t think I’ll ever get over the 2018 Met Gala-and so whether I’m reading too much into it or not, this collection really did it for me.

Whilst it’s probably as far removed a collection from Valentino’s S/S 2020 contribution you can get, I also loved Vera Wang this season. It might purely (I PROMISE THIS IS MY LAST GOSSIP GIRL REFERENCE) be because it gives me Jenny Humphrey vibes and *controversial* she did have my favourite style of any of the main characters, but sue me, this is just the right amount of late 90s/early 2000s grunge. Deconstructed trashy goth it girl is an interesting concept to see on the runway and I completely support it.

Versace on the other hand was very hit or miss. The looks I picked out I really loved but ultimately, for one of the household name brands, a lot of the actual garments were a bit pedestrian. I will say though that for me, it’s a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. The slicked back mermaid hair and the pops of colour in the makeup and the interesting necklines meant that when it was good, it was GOOD. However, overall, still a bit too 80s Miami businesswoman, and please GOD, can we leave that hideous J-Lo dress in the past, it should really not be the climax of the show in 20-fucking-19!

As for Victoria Beckham, I liked it, but it’s a bit of a Gucci copy, no? And no way near as interesting?

And on that note, I’m gonna have to cut this off. Super annoying but with only 5 collections left that I want to talk about, Tumblr is being a little bitch and will not let me add anything more to this post. So, see you in 5 for the final post!

Lauren x

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relenaforpresident · 7 years ago

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Fanfic: “Falling Stars” (Episode Zero era)

St. Gabriel Institute, Japan, A.C. 191

“This is Black Alpha. I’ve sighted the Darlian estate. I believe that if the operation fails, it’ll make a better refuge than St. Gabriel…”

The boy spoke quietly into his tiny communicator device, which resembled a flash drive, as he folded his binoculars. From his place on the balcony, the sprawling Darlian estate was a series of dots along the tree-lined landscape. Beyond the horizon, the sparkling blue Pacific beckoned.

He smiled to himself as he signed off on his report and pocketed his device in the pocket of his Oxford shirt. He didn’t care for the school uniform, but at least it helped him blend in better than the dirty and disheveled clothes he’d arrived in. Given the nation’s stance on refugees, he knew he would be accepted into the private boarding school, even if his rumpled appearance earned him disgusted looks from his fellow students.

That was, save for one.

The boy turned then, positive that he felt someone staring over his shoulder. But when he glanced back, no one was there. He frowned and turned back toward the view.

The Darlian girl… He thought morosely. She’ll wind up a casualty if I’m not careful.

But her life wasn’t something he’d been told to take into account. Quite the contrary; he had been trained to eliminate all obstacles.

The attack on the Alliance military base near the school and estate had been planned down to the last detail. He had no choice but to complete the mission he’d accepted. That night, under cover of darkness, he would execute it, then await further orders. Whether that involved continuing to hide out in his school dormitory, or…

His mind ran over the possibilities. If he’d played his cards right, he probably could have gotten himself adopted. Mrs. Darlian seemed like a nice lady, and her daughter had been the only classmate of his who had dared to look him in the eye. Although she’d looked just as shocked to see him in his ripped, dingy clothes when they’d bumped into each other in the hallway the other day; she hadn’t even tried disguising her surprise. He noticed that she had opened her mouth to say something to him, though. That was more than anyone else had bothered, other than the principal and a few of the nuns who seemed to take pity on him. Pity; that’s what it was. That look in her eyes…

The Darlians may have pitied him, and taken him in, he thought. But that didn’t mean he’d have been able to save them. If anything, it probably would have sealed their fate.

But, what if… Some small, thoroughly human part of him piped up in protest. A family…

“No,” he chided himself under his breath. “I’m not involved.”

He realized he was scowling and coaxed his facial muscles into a smile. He shouldn’t get caught looking pissed off all the time; as if he didn’t already look conspicuous enough.

The sound of children’s voices rose up from the grounds beneath the balcony. He leaned forward and watched as a group of middle school girls emerged from the front doors underneath the awning.

She walked ahead of the rest of them, alone, her blonde hair falling softly around her shoulders, a few strands gathered together with a ribbon at the back of her head.

“Relena, wait up!” one of the other girls called out, racing up to her. She turned and offered a smile. She didn’t seem to notice him watching from above.

Relena…

He could already picture the blood. Trickling down the side of her head. Those bright blue eyes wide open in shock before she’d crumple to the ground.

Abruptly, he turned his head, willing away the dark thoughts. Why?! She’s just a girl…

The mission, came the answer. Eliminate all obstacles.

He narrowed his eyes. He could feel a tension headache coming on. He pressed his pointer fingers to either of his temples, and squeezed.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “Relena…”

Later that night

The boy pushed the button on his handheld device, and waited as it triggered a series of explosions. He watched each fireball as it erupted, one by one, as flames tore through the base. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck before reporting his status.

“Mission: accomplished.”

“Nice work, Alpha,” an older man’s voice answered in his hidden earpiece. “Will you proceed with the next phase of the plan?”

Like he had a choice? His heart thumped. Interesting.

“No,” he said decisively, glancing around his hiding place under a nearby dock. Sailboats and yachts bobbed around him, as if nothing were amiss just a short distance away, their shadows dancing across the surface of the blood red and orange waters.

“And why not?” the older man asked sharply. The boy thought for a minute.

“The Vice Foreign Minister was called away. He isn’t even home,” the boy explained. “It would be pointless to assassinate the wife and daughter. It would draw too much unnecessary attention to ourselves.”

Silence elapsed for a few seconds, and he fully expected to be told to do it, anyway. What did the lives of the two females matter? There was a chance, given the way the girl had looked at him, that she already knew… something. He had his suspicions. And anyway, he was still certain someone had been watching him earlier that day. He couldn’t risk it.

Wouldn’t risk it.

Shouldn’t.

“I see,” his superior said at last. “Then what will you do instead? Go back to the dorms, as if nothing’s happened?”

The boy shrugged to himself, out of habit. “I guess. For now.”

To his surprise, the older man chuckled. “You are just a boy, after all.”

“Huh?” The approximate 11-year-old immediately took umbrage with that. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Hadn’t he just blown an enemy base to kingdom come, all by himself?

What more could these people want from him?

“The girl,” his superior said more harshly. “She’s about your age, isn’t she?”

The boy’s heartbeat quickened, and his face burned with shame. “That’s not--”

“Pretty little thing, too.”

His palms began to sweat. “I--”

“If you were older, I’d accuse you of thinking with your other head. I don’t think you’re quite there yet. But you’re still soft, eh?” The older man snickered.

The boy tightened his eyes into the fiercest glare he could muster, even though no one could see him. “It’s not… that,” he said tersely. “If she, or anyone else, gets in my way, then I won’t hesitate.” He imagined it then. Raising his gun, pointing it straight at her head, unblinkingly. He’d shoot her right between those ocean-colored eyes. He could -- he would -- do it.

His breath hitched, and his heart began to race even faster. What’s wrong with me?

“It’s just,” he gasped, pressing a hand to his pulsing chest. He was far too young to experience a heart attack, so what was this? “She… she’s nice,” he finished, feeling another wash of deep, burning shame.

The boy paused, waiting for the inevitable reprimand. Which would no doubt include a beating, later.

“And that,” his superior hissed, “is exactly why you need to stay away.”

The warning evaporated into the night as the call disconnected, and the boy stayed beneath the docks for what might have been hours, watching the flames dance against the dark, starless sky.

The next morning

“There was a terrorist attack at the military base yesterday! I hear that boy was one of them…”

“How awful!”

“The teachers say he might have infiltrated the school to guide the others…”

He smirked at that. Over the years, he’d come to learn that most conspiracies and rumors contained a grain of truth. He slipped around the corner of the building and headed toward the main gate. He made no effort to hide himself; let them think what they want. Besides, what kind of “terrorist” would be foolish enough to show himself in broad daylight?

He couldn’t help but chuckle a bit under his breath as he made his way across the school grounds.

Maybe one of these days, these rich brats will figure out who the real terrorists are…

Not that it mattered much to him. His work here was done.

He’d decided to quit school, already. It was probably the shortest stint he’d ever done in one location. He’d spent the night in his dorm room debating whether to stick it out a while longer. Maybe he could work up the nerve to assassinate the Vice Foreign Minister. But something told him Darlian might not have been aware of the full extent of the Alliance’s corruption. He was just a kid, sure, but he thought, perhaps, not all politicians were self-obsessed blowhards trying to push a sadistic elitist agenda. Perhaps some could actually be agents of change.

That’s what he told himself that night, when sleep was out of reach. There may have been other reasons to keep the man, and his family, alive. For now.

He wasn’t going to stick around to dwell on it any longer, though. Let it be someone else’s problem.

Early that morning, before classes began, he hacked into the school’s computer system from the PC they’d issued him, and proceeded to wipe all records of Odin Lowe, Jr. from the database.

“Goodbye, Junior…” He’d smirked to himself as he completed the task. Truth was, he’d already tired of the nickname. “Alpha” wasn’t much better. Maybe one of these days, he’d get himself a real codename. One that didn’t suck.

As he walked out of St. Gabriel, he mused over possibilities. John… Mark… Clark… He blanched. Too white. He knew he was half-Caucasian, probably, but an Anglican name just… didn’t suit him. His mind clicked over some of the names of boys in his class. Shin… Sora… Shiro…

“Wait!”

He frowned at the sound of the young girl’s voice coming from some distance behind him. He had a feeling he knew who it belonged to, but he wouldn’t risk turning around.

Couldn’t.

Shouldn’t.

“Hey! Wait!”

He didn’t want to break into a run, and draw even more attention to himself. Besides, he was close enough to the front gate now; he could slip out and disappear down the street before she’d catch up to him. He could hear her running across the common, the sounds of her hurried footsteps, her skirt rustling in the wind. But she was a small girl and the quad was pretty big...

“Wait!”

He fought the urge to turn around, just to see what she wanted. Why she wanted to speak to him. But talking to her, or anyone, wouldn’t do any good. He remembered what he’d been told. He was lucky he hadn’t been issued a harsher warning.

All the more reason to stay away…

“I’m not involved,” he reminded himself, resolutely, and strode through the gate. “Goodbye, Relena…”

End.

Also on Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12706162/1/Falling-Stars

#gundam wing #gundam wing fanfiction #gundam wing fanfic #fanfiction #1 x R #heero yuy #relena darlian #heero and relena #gundam wing episode zero #heero x relena

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armeniaitn · 4 years ago

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Franklin has always been Haiastan

New Post has been published on https://armenia.in-the.news/politics/franklin-has-always-been-haiastan-52551-26-08-2020/

Franklin has always been Haiastan

In this year of no summer camps, Franklin is still home to “the best place on earth” as generations have long described Camp Haiastan. What started in 1951 as a novel idea by the first generation of Armenians born in America has become an iconic fixture for decades. Lifelong friendships, first dances and even many marriages have emerged from those hallowed grounds on Uncas Pond. A unique blend of socialization and culture in a rustic environment (it has become much more comfortable with incredible facilities over the years) offers our children a special opportunity to build an Armenian identity with hundreds of other Armenians kids in a safe and exciting environment. The facilities are superb, and the programming is excellent. But what makes Camp Haiastan so attractive is the relationships our kids form. It is here at camp that they build the “dual identity” that Armenian American youth enjoy. They have their American life in their hometowns, and they build a lifelong identity with their fellow Armenians at camp. The geographic diversity makes it unprecedented in their lives. How many 11 or 12 year olds can say they have actual friends (not the kinds on social media) from the midwest, New York or New England? The key to the success of our camp comes from its record of “regeneration.” Campers become CITs, who become counselors and some become teachers or directors. When they become parents, they send their children; many end up serving on the board or committees advocating for a better future. The process has clearly worked out. Attendance records are broken, and new innovative programs, like teenage sessions and day camps, are instituted. When I was young, our parents sent my three sisters and I to the camp. My older sister went many years as a camper and staff. She met her husband through the camp. My wife and I are proud that our children attended for many years. Driving to camp was always a special experience as we rounded Summer Street to the front entrance. I returned as a volunteer teacher in Armenian history and politics during the Baron Pete administration and experienced such joy in seeing that same excitement on the faces of a succeeding generation. Unlike most affiliated with Camp Haiastan, going to camp was not my first experience with Franklin. Although I am from the Indian Orchard Armenian community, my second “home” was Franklin. There has been a small Armenian community in this little piece of Armenia since the post-genocide era. After settling in this country my maternal grandmother’s (Turfanda Yergatian Piligian) sisters and brother lived in Franklin. They all lived in the Chestnut Street area within a quarter mile of each other. The one exception was Uncle Setrak’s chicken farm on Route 140 (where the 495 exchange is today) just up the street from Mr. Bedirian’s farm. My grandmother raised her boys in Indian Orchard, and my grandfather worked in the Chapman Valve Foundry. With their two oldest boys returning safely from the war and weary from the conditions of foundry life, they decided to move to Franklin in 1947 and run a chicken farm. It was located on several acres in the middle of the family neighborhood on Chestnut Street. So began what was known as the Piligian Poultry Farm. It was purchased from a family member, and my Uncle Paul was enlisted to move to Franklin ahead of time to learn the business from relatives.

“My sister and I relaxing with Grandpa Stepan with how I remember him…cigar, wire rimmed glasses and farm clothes.”

This was my summer paradise. At the age of six, I started living with my grandparents during the summer months and worked on their chicken farm. I collected eggs, inspected, graded and packed the various sizes in the “egg room” located off the kitchen. I spent precious time with my grandfather in the barns studying his every move and learning the finer points of gardening in his “garden of Eden.” Most of the eggs were sold wholesale, but on weekends we had an egg route in the Boston area. I would ride in the station wagon on Saturdays with my uncle delivering to homes. One of our customers was Curt Gowdy—a former broadcaster for the Boston Red Sox. As my grandfather’s oldest grandson and namesake, I felt a special responsibility which would only grow into my adult years. I adored my grandparents. My grandmother was a strong Armenian woman with clear opinions. I woke each morning very early to the smell of coffee for grandpa. She was always up when I went to bed leading me to ask her when she slept. She would laugh and say, “When you aren’t looking.” My bedroom had a clear view of the bathroom, and I would race there to watch Grandpa lathering his shaving cream from the mug and shave with his straight edge. Sometimes he would brush some cream on me and “shave” with the back side of the razor. Years later I used the same method with my own son. After a morning in the barn, lunch was served under the big “toot” (mulberry) tree. There were always at least half a dozen families for lunch. Under the tree, there was a large granite stone where I used to sit on Grandpa’s lap to listen to his every word. I had several cousins in the neighborhood: Yergatian, Piligian, Torosian and Kamishlian. There were enough of us to play innings of baseball in between egg work. The Torosians had four boys and a girl. Uncle George was also a chicken farmer, and we all played baseball until we were called back to the barns. Egg collections were twice daily, but we always found time to be mischievous and explore the woods, ponds and railroad tracks. Incredible times were had and further supplemented on weekends when other cousins would visit “the farm.” A few times we played pickup games against other kids from Franklin who went to school with my cousins. It was the Armenian cousins versus the kids of Franklin. We always seemed to prevail. There were very important Armenian identity experiences in Franklin. In the evenings, my grandfather (who did not drive) would go to the camp to play cards with other local men or those who stayed at the cabins at the top of the camp by the entrance. Some of these folks would come from New York or elsewhere for the summer. My grandfather would ask if I wanted to come with him. Of course, my response was affirmative. Anywhere he went, I was game. During those days, there was an older building for the caretaker where the current house resides. It was there that I would sit in silence for hours watching the intensity of these older men. They would talk politics and recall their days in Western Armenia. If they upset each other, it was quickly forgiven as they embraced at the end of the evening. I will never forget those evenings as I learned about the importance of long term friendships and my special bond with my grandfather. There was an Armenian Relief Society (ARS) chapter or “garmeer khatch” in Franklin. My grandmother was a lifelong member continuing her service after the move to Franklin. A few times a year they would hold dinners with programs. We would always attend driving from our home since these events were held during the school year. The events were held at the Parmenter school cafeteria which was a local Franklin elementary school. My cousins and their parents also attended, and our extended family made up probably half the attendees. We were “excused” from the program part and were supposed to go directly to my cousins, the Kamishlians, who lived directly across the street. The rest of the school was off limits; a custodian was on hand to ensure compliance. Of course, we took this on as a challenge and created havoc in the dark hallways before innocently retreating to the refuge of our cousin’s house.

A crowded dance floor at a Camp Haiastan picnic. Stepan’s mother Bea is leading on the far left, wearing his father’s aviator glasses.

With summer stays and family holidays, Franklin was endless fun. Summer Sundays were unique. We always attended the picnics at the “upper” camp. When we asked my grandmother on Sundays, “Where are we going today,” she would always respond “Haiastan Camp!” It was in that order the founders would say the name. With the use of English, it evolved to Camp Haiastan. Our Sundays at the camp were memorable. We went to all the picnics because I was “local.” We visited my older sister at the AYF camp, and by the time I became a camper, I was well acquainted with the layout. The picnics were exciting because we were free to roam around the safe “upper” and “lower” confines all afternoon while enjoying the delicious kebab and ice cream from the truck always parked by the main hall. We had the freedom to experience all that Camp offered until 4 pm. That is when my uncles or father would take us back to the farm (only about three miles away) to work the egg sales. My grandfather had a good business selling eggs to picnic attendees who would stop by on their way home. For my grandparents, it was a social experience greeting old friends. For me it was a few hours of shuttling egg crates to the driveway area and an opportunity to watch this marvelous generation live their friendships. At the end of the day, everyone returned home, and I would stay at my second home…the farm. It was years later that I came to know the remarkable life that my grandparents and their Franklin siblings experienced in their native Koch Hisar and Adana. My grandmother was nine years old when the Adana massacres happened in 1909. She was sent with her siblings to live with relatives in Egypt for two years. She returned to survive the first wave of the Genocide from 1915 to 1917 only to experience the trauma of the Kemalists and French withdrawal in 1920. This strong woman with a deep love of her family was a three-time survivor before she was 20. Grandpa met her as a legionnaire stationed in Adana from 1918 to 1920. These remarkable people and their peers were the people that made Franklin a piece of Armenia for me in my youth. I had my “baseball team” cousins, my first generation relatives, and we all had Camp Haiastan as our Armenian sandbox. Here’s to today’s youth that enjoy our “Haiastan Camp” and a return in 2021.

Stepan Piligian

Stepan was raised in the Armenian community of Indian Orchard, MA at the St. Gregory Parish. A former member of the AYF Central Executive and the Eastern Prelacy Executive Council, he also served many years as a delegate to the Eastern Diocesan Assembly. Currently , he serves as a member of the board and executive committee of the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR). He also serves on the board of the Armenian Heritage Foundation. Stepan is a retired executive in the computer storage industry and resides in the Boston area with his wife Susan. He has spent many years as a volunteer teacher of Armenian history and contemporary issues to the young generation and adults at schools, camps and churches. His interests include the Armenian diaspora, Armenia, sports and reading.

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#Armenia #Armenians #Politics

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rallamajoop · 7 years ago

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The Great Escape Attempt

Chances are, if you know anything about The Great Escape, you know that it features a scene where someone ramps a motorbike over a prison camp fence. It’s one of those scenes that’s been so relentlessly pastisched and parodied that you'd probably recognise the references even if you couldn’t name the film – an iconic image of Hollywood spectacle, as man and machine go flying over our heads to freedom.

That someone was going to vault a motorbike over a fence at some point was one of few things I knew about this movie going in.

Now, scenes like this do tend to grow in the re-telling, but I would not have guessed just how exaggerated the parodies would prove to be. To begin with, we aren’t jumping the prison fence itself – the prison break itself is about a third of the runtime behind us, so instead we’re making do with some random border fence in Nazi territory, as Steve McQueen flees the pursuing Nazis. For another thing, the fence he jumps is actually only the first and much lower of two fences.

And having jumped that fence, he almost immediately runs head-first into the second one.

From this dignified position, he’s recaptured and taken back to prison, there to spend the rest of the war.

It’s still a reasonably cool stunt and all, but blink, and you could miss this ‘iconic’ scene altogether – the camerawork doesn’t remotely frame it as the epic moment it would become in reproduction (and given what follows, you can see why not). It’s more like watching a fleeing animal tangle itself in a hedge than a great leap for freedom. It’s odd to find myself thinking, “well, okay, but it was cooler when the team behind Wallace and Gromit did it with the chickens.”

I open with this particular impression not simply for effect, but because this sort of anti-climax was typical of the my overall experience with the movie. If you asked me to summarise the film in a few words, they might be, escape was not actually as great as advertised. Remember this, we’ll come back to it.

Summarising the film in more detail requires some background context. The Great Escape is, for the completely uninitiated, a film based on a real, historical breakout of (primarily) British troops interred in a Nazi prison camp during World War II. Opening cards assure us that though liberties have been taken with some of the personalities involved, all the details of the actual escape are as truly took place.

My own interest in the film was twofold – for one, as covered above, this is one of those films which has been so relentlessly referenced in popular culture since its release that I was curious about the original, and the fact that my own family history intersects with the British war effort (both my paternal grandparents were in the RAF) adds some minor personal interest in the topic. For another, and probably the more obvious point, this film features David McCallum, and since I’d already given one of Vaughn’s pre-UNCLE films a try, this seemed the logical follow-up.

Actually, there are additional parallels between The Great Escape and The Magnificent Seven, as their large ensemble casts both featured Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson and James Coburn among the more prominent credits – or, to put it another way, both featured That One Skinny Blonde Dude From M7, One Of Those Two Brown Haired Dudes from M7, and That Other Skinny Blonde Dude From M7 Who I Kept Confusing With Steve McQueen. Believe me, when you’ve already spent one movie trying to figure out which of the two skinny blonde dudes in cowboy hats is Steve McQueen, having both of them show up in a second movie with an even bigger cast does not help (that both had American accents in a cast of English accents did not help either), and round 2 of Is That Steve McQueen? quickly ensued. Having now spent two different movies on this same problem, I think I can definitively state that I Do Not Get the hype about Steve McQueen. He is generic as fuck.

I would like to say that the rest of the cast was more distinctive, but I’d be lying. The trouble with large ensembles of white dudes with generic faces and hair is that, well, just look at these people. Richard Attenborough was consistently recognisable, as was the one bald dude and the one with the mustache, but few others really stayed with me, and keeping track of who was who and who did what was a genuine chore. It’s not even that they were all generically hot, as they’d probably be were the movie made today – in a cast stuffed to the gills with healthy young men of enlistment age, David McCallum remains the only notable eye-candy on screen, and he did not have enough scenes.

In fairness, though, this isn’t a movie about characters nearly so much as it exists to chronicle an event, and the scenes where the escape plan gradually comes together were the film’s best. Next to zero time is wasted on getting to know one another or formulating their plans: the Nazis have opted to deal with their most troublesome prisoners by chucking every member of a seasoned team of British escape artists in the one place, and thus most everyone knows one another from the get-go. ‘Big X’ outlines the plan to dig their way out of the camp in one of the earliest scenes, gives everyone their job, and they all go to it. Men are assigned to dig, to dispose of the dirt, to scrounge materials, to keep watch, to forge documents and even to make clothes to help escapees to blend into the populace after making it out. There are setbacks and missteps, but the majority of the action is rather like watching an episode of Hustle or Mission Impossible – sit back and enjoy, knowing the heist is in good hands.

At the same time – and for all the perfectly valid commentary about Steve McQueen being shoehorned into the action for the benefit of the American market – he and his countrymen did add a valuable (though never over-dramatised) element of culture clash. He’s the outsider, who initially has his own plans, who only gets drawn into the plan as an early attempt is foiled and the tension mounts. Perfectly valid narrative device, no matter how little he may have done for me as a character.

No, the major problem with the film arrives only later, as the escape takes place. Now, up until this point, my major problem with the film had been that the whole notion of the escape plan seemed a bit of a jolly jape to the men enacting it. As far as Nazi camps go, it goes without saying that these folks have it insultingly good. Most have multiple previous escape attempts to their names, after which they’d all been rounded up and politely brought back to prison. Early in the film, an exasperated Nazi Colonel implores the ranking British officer to have his men give it up, so that “we may all sit out the war as comfortably as possible,” to which he receives the brazen reply, “it is the sworn duty of all officers to try to escape.” Now, it’s fair to say that no-one wants to be a prisoner of the Nazis as the war wraps up, for all sorts of good reasons. But the impetus behind the escape is certainly not survival, but explicitly, “to start another front, to foul up the Germans behind the lines.” To achieve this, they plan not simply to escape, but to escape in unprecedented numbers – to free a full 200 men and set them loose in occupied territory, to tie up as many Nazi resources as possible. This goal is as explicit as can be: it’s in the trailer, it’s the carrot they use to get Steve McQueen on-board, etc. It’s the rallying cry behind the movie.

On the night of the escape, however, one thing began to bug me, as with every man in the camp outfitted with new clothes and papers, waiting for his turn to make the dash, it became apparent that the diggers were only now closing the final distance to open the exit into the fresh air. I’m no expert here, but it struck me as extraordinarily bad planning not to at least have had someone stick their head out the night before to confirm, eg. that they hadn’t brought themselves up under a boulder or a bee hive, or the border guard’s favourite tree for a discrete piss in between their rounds, etc. The counter-argument, presumably, was that every single day they waited was a day where the tunnel might be found and the whole thing foiled. But when one has just spent several minutes thinking, “gosh, they’re going to feel like right twits if it turns out they’ve misjudged the distance and come up short or something,” it’s a bit hard to feel as sympathetic as one should when that’s exactly what they did.

This is all, for the record, historically accurate – only a mere 75 of the 200 men would make it out through the botched tunnel before they were seen and the alarm raised. With months of careful planning, outfitting 200 men to blend in in Nazi territory – even going so far as to have one man stage a solo escape attempt and then deliberately get recaptured after he’d had a chance to get the lay of the land – the one thing the conspirators didn’t do was stop to say, “do you think maybe we’ve misjudged the distance to the trees, given that we’re basically guessing? Shouldn’t we have someone stick his head out of the tunnel just to double check before we commit?” Perhaps this all made far more sense from the inside, but the film didn’t especially sell it, and that’s disappointing.

The greater disappointment, however, was that after this great failure, the film shrugs, and goes on to follow the various escapees as they mostly sort of drift around occupied territory for a full additional third of the film’s runtime before most are recaptured, and at last summarily executed. This could, with a few tweaks, have easily been a clever subversion – the kind of tragic disappointment on which the reality of war is built – but as filmed, the framing carries surprisingly little narrative weight. The magnitude of their failure to free the full 200 prisoners or create the new front they’d planned is never really dwelt upon. There are no bold new plans to make the best of their options with their limited numbers, no revised strategy to prioritise survival – what any of them are actually trying to do beyond ‘not get captured’ is quite ambiguous. And thus the conclusion is not a tragedy, but a prolonged anticlimax. When the Nazis finally have almost everyone but Steve McQueen shot, all I could really think was, “yeah, can’t especially blame them at this point.” I mean, they should’ve shot Steve McQueen too, but that’s beside the point.

Ultimately, The Great Escape is neither awesomely epic nor soberingly tragic. It’s merely a moderately authentic recreation of a one of the most meticulously planned fuck-ups in POW history, and it doesn’t even seem to know how it feels about it.

In conclusion, my advice to you all is not to bother with The Great Escape (Attempt). If you want a truly magnificent WWII escape story, then I’d suggest instead you look up the 1943 uprising and escape from Sobibór – the 2014 documentary Escape From a Nazi Death Camp gives an excellent overview, and you can probably find a copy online fairly easily (it may even be available on Netflix in some regions). Sobibór, for the record, was a genuine concentration camp – the prisoners were primarily Polish Jews, kept alive only to do the horrific work of stripping and incinerating the bodies of their fellows – and yet so many of the facts of the escape are just about pure Hollywood.

There’s a portent of doom, when a note in the pocket of a gas chamber victim brings a warning that the Nazis are beginning to shut down their own camps, and that Sobibór may be next in line. There’s culture clash, as the original population ally themselves with a small group of newly transferred Russian soldiers, only lately added to their numbers. There’s a daring, meticulously-organised escape plan led by a tall, young, hot Russian officer (Lieutenant Alexander Pechersky), with the gall to give inspirational speeches at key moments, and even live to carve the name of the camp on the wall of a building in Berlin. There’s even some romance – two of the prisoners met in the camp, fell in love, and lived to escape together.

But most important of all, there’s the success – around 200 of the prisoners made it out, and almost 50 of the escapees would be still free to see peace come again, putting the very modest 2 surviving escapees of “The Great Escape” to shame. Seriously, look it up – it’s got the material The Great Escape was based on beat on every possible front, and it doesn’t shy away from the true horror evoked by the words ‘Nazi’ and ‘camp’ in combination.

Alternately, look up the escape from Treblinka, another Nazi extermination camp in Poland, where prisoners broke into the armoury, set fuel stores on fire and burst out amid a hail of gunfire. Nearly 70 of those who escaped lived beyond the end of the war too.

What do stories like these lack? English-speakers, presumably. No British prisoners, no Steve McQueen, no Hollywood deal. End of story. Sobibór got one British made-for-TV movie, but that seems to be about the limit of the interest in dramatising this sort of material in the Anglophone world.

Anti-climax indeed.

#The Great Escape #David McCallum #things I watched or read because of UNCLE #history geekery #WWII #Sobibor

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captainwhogotthecanary · 8 years ago

Note

Prompt Request! Pairing: Captain Canary or Rogue Canary; Setting: Past; Mood: Romance or Longing; Object: Letters

I’ve wanted to write more Rogue Canary for a while now, so thankyou for the excuse! I’m not… entirely sure what happened here, feel like I kindof lost control of it, but I hope you enjoy it.

Strong teen toward the end.

Also on AO3.

On their own, Sara and Leonard would be an odd enough couple inthis time period; Sara knows her refusal to bow down to orders he refuses togive does them no favors with the sheltered locals, but she has finally figuredout who she is, how to deal with the blood lust and her past and her currentrole. She refuses to compromise just to blend in.

She recognizes, at least, that being involved with both Leonard andMick pushes them past just not blending in. When they’re together, the little,mostly innocent touches scream evidence of an intimate relationship, and forthe people who notice, they most certain stand out. Mostly, she doesn’t carewhat people here think. So they’re stuck in this decade for another coupleweeks to finish their mission; it’s not a lifetime, and people who judge themwithout knowing them aren’t worth their time.

Sometimes, though, she wishes they could be accepted as normal.

“How do you think the team’s gonna react?” she asks one night. “Tous, I mean.”

They’re lying as they gotten used to in bed, with Mick in themiddle and Sara and Len on either side; the two of them are more likely to needspace, and Sara learned quickly that Mick’s actually a cuddler. She rollstoward him now, resting a hand on his chest, and he covers it with one of hisown.

“Won’t even notice,” Mick answers. “All too caught up in their ownshit.”

It’s true, Sara thinks. Everyone on board has something they’repreoccupied with, and their trio is no exception. Maybe it’ll be good if nobodynotices the shift between them that’s happened while they’re here.

It’s not like they meant for it to happen, anyway. None of themhad any particular desire to be in a relationship that was noteworthy in theslightest. She hadn’t expected to be in a relationship at all, if she’s beinghonest.

But here they are, and she wouldn’t change it for anything.

“None of them have room to judge,” Leonard adds, tangling his handwith theirs, “even if they do notice. Kendra has the thing with Carter and thething with Raymond. The kid and the professor merge together on a regularbasis. Our illustrious captain recruited all of us just to keep his wife alive.Nobody on the Waverider has normal relationships with anybody.” He propshimself up so he can see Sara. “Does it bother you that they might not acceptus?”

Sara considers it. She’s gotten judged enough for the fact thatshe likes both men and women, so it’s not like it’s new, the potential fordisapproval from people who should really know better.

“No, I guess not,” she answers. “I’d like them to be cool with it,if they notice, but if not, it’s not like it’s their place to give a damn.”

“Boss and I got used to it,” Mick says, irreverence in the titlehe uses for Len. “Weren’t always together, but even before we were, peopleassumed what they wanted.”

Leonard and Mick balance each other out, hot to cold, impulsive tomethodical, scars as a point of pride and scars as a point of pain. Sara’s notsure what she brings to the mix, exactly, but she knows the three of them haveclicked from the beginning. It just took a while for them to figure out thattheir chemistry carried over into the bedroom.

Knowing they were already given a hard time when it was just thetwo of them, though, doesn’t make her feel like her inclusion is any morelogical.

“Why bring me in at all?” she asks, voicing something she’swondered but never really put words to.

***

It started at the bar that first day, a look from him to Mick,admiring as Sara effortlessly, gracefully kicked ass. They talked about it thatnight in their quarters, the possibility of bringing her in for at least anight of fun. It wasn’t without precedent, and they were already both intriguedby the former assassin at that point.

Mick’s never been one for showing emotion. Not that Leonard’sparticularly demonstrative, either, but he’s at least a little more aware, andhe gets to know Sara first. He thinks maybe he’d be interested whether Mickwere involved or not. Of course, between the three of them and their respectivehang-ups, they take long enough to get their shit together and decide they wantthis that they’re all much too tangled in each other for it to ever bejust one night, just sex, once they cross that line.

And crossing the line is glorious. He wouldn’t mind takingadvantage of their compatibility again tonight, not that it’s all thatinfrequent.

But Sara is waiting on a response, and Mick’s looking to Leonardfor an answer.

“You challenge us both in the best ways, Sara. You can keep upwith me in cards and Mick with drinks, and you can kick both our asses.”

“Plus you’re sexy as hell,” Mick adds.

Leonard could say more. He likes more things about Sara than hecan easily list. Where Mick’s his counterpoint, Sara is his inspiration. Hedoesn’t particularly like to say things like that aloud, though. It ruins hisreputation. Besides, she’s already grinning back at him like he’s saidsomething impressive, any trace of doubt gone from her expression.

As for affecting his relationship with Mick, Sara is able to givehis partner the physical interactions Leonard will never really be able tofully relax into. Sure, he can handle and enjoy sex, the occasional casualtouch, even having their hands all tangled together like this. Extendedcontact, though, or full-on cuddling?

He’s pretty sure Mick would’ve invited Sara to join them just forthat, even if she were far less enjoyable than she is in so many aspects.

Regardless, Leonard can and does tell her honestly, “Our lives arebetter for having you in them.”

Alright, so maybe his reputation is already screwed. At least he’sin good company. Sara drapes herself over Mick’s chest so she can give Leonarda kiss. It starts innocently enough, but they get carried away, and when shedoes pull back, he sees Mick’s hand has drifted to her pajama-clad ass, andLeonard feels the odd mix of longing and contentment he gets so often aroundthese two.

He can’t guarantee they’ll last. Not that anybody can, in any relationship,platonic or otherwise. He’s known this since he was a kid. But part of him justwants the three of them to close themselves into their own little world, justexist as they are without outside intervention or distractions.

He knows, though, that even if they’d agree to it, almost no timewould pass before Mick needed to burn something down, and Sara’s targetpractice would grow increasingly dangerous, and Leonard himself would get toowrapped up in his own head. They need the same outside world that will judgethem.

Leonard refuses to give a shit, and he won’t let it bother hispartners, either, not if he can help it. If the idiots on the Waverider startmaking either of them feel like less than they are, they’ll quickly findthemselves battling the cold.

In the meantime, while the slights are only hypothetical, not evenimagined, distraction is typically effective. He pulls Sara back in for anotherkiss.

***

Mick’s a simple guy.

Doesn’t mean he’s stupid, just that he knows what he wants, andit’s not usually complicated. He doesn’t have fancy tastes.

He wants Leonard and Sara, and Leonard and Sara want him and each other.They’re all together.

Simple.

They overthink it, he knows. Much as things were usually good withhim and Len, they’re even better with them and Sara. She’s good at keepingLeonard from turning in on himself. Sara seems more relaxed, too, enough to geta better grip on the whole wanting-to-kill thing.

Mick can’t really see a downside.

Especially as he watches the two of them kiss. He slips one handto Leonard’s thigh, the other tightening its convenient hold on Sara. She liftsup just enough to take off her shirt, and then she’s back in place, her weightcomforting on top of him. Mick slides his hand up to her bare back, enjoyingthe feel of her, and he traces letters absently on her skin.

hot

want

need

She wriggles against him, breaking the kiss long enough to turn tohim.

“That tickles,” she protests.

“That mean it’s my turn?” he asks. Sara smirks and shifts so she’sentirely on top of him, kissing him the way she always does.

Like she means it.

Sara doesn’t treat him like he’s stupid. She trusts him to haveher back, listens on the occasions he talks about plans.

And she kisses like a fucking angel.

He knows Leonard’s turned onto his side to watch. Mick knows wherethis is going, knows the three of them will ditch their clothes, will touch andtaste and get lost in each other. It’s better than drinking, he thinks, andjust as intoxicating. They’ll get each other off in whatever way suits themtonight, and then they’ll fall asleep, Mick wrapping himself around Sara, withLeonard’s hand against his bare back until he rolls away. They’ll wake the nextmorning with Mick on his stomach and an arm over each of them.

Simple.

He doesn’t really spend a lot of time thinking about what he wantsfor his future, always much more fixed on the present, the next several hoursat most. Leonard looks months or more into the future, and Sara can get caughtin up in her past. Mick thinks, though, that if he really did stop and thinkabout what he wants beyond just the moment, beyond Sara rocking her hips atophim and Leonard relaxing enough to curl into their sides, he’d still wantsomething just like this.

He turns to kiss Len, in easy reach now, and Sara’s lips drop toMick’s neck.

Doesn’t matter what anybody else thinks. The three of them aregood together.

And he means to enjoy it.

#rogue canary #ot3 #I don't know how to tag this #bed sharing #undetailed discussion of homophobia and biphobia #implied sex #introspection #polyamory #my fic #dragonydreams

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trendtshirtnewposts · 4 years ago

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lowerykofoed8-blog · 6 years ago

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Not The Usual Super Bowl Theme Party ... Commemorate In Reverse Day Rather!

While it seems that 99% of the United States (OK, the globe) intends to either throw or participate in a Super Bowl theme celebration this year, I understand for sure there are most of us (yes, yours really included) who would be very satisfied with a different motif celebration concept for that particular Sunday, as well as all the information for offering one are right below. Did you know that every January 31st is Backwards Day? It is not a really well-known vacation, yet it definitely is a fun theme to build a party around. You could toss one that Sunday as an alternative to the typical Super Bowl celebration, or also include it within a Super Bowl celebration for those visitors who come, however are not really into football or seeing TV commercials. INVITES TO A BACKWARDS DAY EVENT If you are sending by mail out published invites, you can put the stamps as well as return address tags upside down, but do not write the visitors' addresses inverted, unless you intend to distress the postal workers. Or, you can deal with the envelopes appropriately, yet position the name, address, stamp as well as return address on the backs of the secured envelopes, so the visitors get really backwards party invitations. Select a common "We're Having a Celebration" style invitation, but create the "Time," "Day," "Address" and "RSVP" on the incorrect lines. Make certain to provide the correct details, simply placed it on a wrong line or space on the invite. Or, you might leave the within space (if it opens up like a card), and also compose all the info on the back of the invite. Your visitors will definitely identify something's up! Another suggestion is to use Super Dish party invites as well as with a thick red pen location a red circle with a lower through it (the universal indication for "NO") and afterwards reveal it's an In reverse Day Event somewhere else on the invitation. For any of these concepts, you could also fold up the invites inside out prior to placing them in the envelopes. MIXED UP DESIGNS Any kind of color pattern works fine for paper products for this style. Depending on exactly how much you intend to take the style, you can have a good time by blending points up in your residence. For instance, step items that belong in the kitchen area to the living-room. Have your guests making fun of the toaster oven on the mixed drink table, or a spatula and also roll of paper towels on the fireplace mantle, or an apron linked over a pillow on the couch. Hang your mounted photos in reverse with the fronts dealing with the wall (but be sure they're safe and secure and also will not drop), or hang them completely upside-down and see if any one of your visitors see! ACTIVITIES, GAMES AND BACKWARDS THEME ENJOYABLE Tasks are the most hilarious component of this style celebration and are sure to involve every one of the visitors whatever their ages. Here are some ideas to get begun with, but once again, only you decide how far you wish to go with this style: ** Wear your clothes in reverse or completely as well as motivate your visitors to do the exact same by creating a note on the invite. You can also try using your footwear on the wrong feet if you can stand it! ** Welcome your visitors at the BACK ENTRANCE with "Bye-bye! Return quickly." When they leave be sure to state, "Hey there! Good to see you. How good of you to find!" 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A palindrome is a word, expression, verse or sentence that checks out the exact same backwards or forwards. Examples of a few are: noon, kayak, racecar, pop, and action. ** Play your own Jeopardy game. Make up riddle responses about your household, guests, celebs, and/or existing occasions and see if the "candidates" could create the proper inquiries. Have a wacky reward for the champion. BACKWARDS MENU IDEAS Other than offering dessert initially as well as the much healthier price later on in the event, it is time to get innovative with your menu as well as discussion: ** Given that you're beginning with treat ... have an ice cream sundae bar established with all of the toppings and also gelato all set to go. Make certain your guests begin with the cherry and nuts under of their bowls, after that add the garnishes, ice cream and even a brownie to top it off! Or, offer Upside Down cake! There are recipes for many selections of Inverted cake to be found online; just type "Inverted Cake" right into your preferred online search engine and also check out the myriad of outcomes. ** Make sandwich rolls with the meats or cheese outside and the bread (tortillas, lavash or any kind of flat breads function well) on the inside. Or offer mini-burgers with the meat outside and also a piece of a bun on the inside. Slice a hotdog in half as well as placed it outside of a fifty percent of a hot dog bun. See to it you have great deals of paper napkins on hand! ** Serve foods in opposite-size helpings. To puts it simply, have a significant bowl of dip with a tiny bowl of potato chips next to it, the opposite of what is normal. Or, have a cookie tray with 12 shot glasses of milk on it and alongside it have a large glass with 5 or 6 cookies inside it. Consider these "feat" foods-- implied to highlight the style as well as to actually be consumed. Make sure to take great deals of photos, as well ... with your guests' backs to the electronic camera! It could not be a Super Bowl style, however it is assured to be an incredibly celebration that your visitors will keep in mind for several years to come!

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ronaldmrashid · 8 years ago

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Debt Optimization Framework For Financial Independence

Debt is an interesting animal. Most of us get into debt because we WANT something we cannot afford. We want a private school education so we borrow $50,000 to learn something we can learn for free on the internet. We want to live a fabulous lifestyle in our 20s so we put everything from fine dining to designer clothes on our credit cards. We want to stop paying rent, so we leverage up 4:1 to own a property that will crush our finances if we need to sell in a down market.

Make no mistake about it. Debt is a manifestation of greed. Which means I’m one greedy bastard! I wanted to live a nicer lifestyle and I wanted to get rich as young as I possibly could.

Some of you might be thinking you aren’t greedy for having debt. But deep down, you know what I’m saying is true. Not only are you greedy, you’re impetuous to boot. But don’t be ashamed. If managed properly, greed can often be good when it comes to reaching financial independence sooner.

In this post, I share with you my debt history followed by a debt optimization framework to help you build wealth faster while minimizing the chances of a financial blowup.

A Stroll Down Debt Lane

With everybody in agreement with my debt type rankings, here are some key moments in my life when I could have gotten into debt or actually did get into debt.

College Years 1995 – 1999: I had zero debt because my parents paid the $2,890 annual tuition and $4,470 room and board which I’ve since repaid. I purposefully chose The College of William & Mary over a private school (~$35,000 all-in back then) because I knew that if I couldn’t get a corporate job after graduation, even with a minimum wage job, I’d still be able to reimburse my parents quickly for four years of tuition. Besides, William & Mary is a great school with small class sizes and a beautiful campus. I was humbled they accepted a kid like me because I didn’t do well on my SAT.

The College of William & Mary was so cheap as an in-state student during my time.

NYC 1999 – 2001: I continued to have zero debt because there was nothing to buy and nowhere to go when you are working 70 hours a week. All I wanted to do was save money and sleep with the precious time I had left. The money I did spend going out was usually charged to my credit card which I promptly paid off each month. If I could have afforded to purchase a NYC apartment, I would have gotten into a lot of debt. But with a base salary of $40,000 my first year and $55,000 my second year, I couldn’t afford to buy a closet, let alone a studio.

SF 2003 (debt begins): At the age of 25, I was restless to change my life. I had several hundred thousand in the bank due to a lucky stock pick (VCSY went from $3 to $150 in several months) and aggressive savings. I was *this* close to leaving everything behind and moving back to Honolulu to work on my grandfather’s vegetable farm. Instead, I took on a $435,000 mortgage by purchasing a $580,500 2/2 condo in Pacific Heights. The condo seemed like a no-brainer at the time since it has a dead on park view that in Manhattan would cost well over a million. Overnight, I was reinvigorated to earn more money due to my debt burden.

SF 2005: I took on a $1,288,000 mortgage by purchasing a $1,520,000, 4/3.5 single family home. For some reason, I didn’t fear taking on so much additional debt because I was being outbid on 2/2 and 3/2 condos that were being listed at $1.1M – $1.2M and being sold for $1.3M – $1.4M! For $120,000 more, I was getting an entire single family house in a good neighborhood that had four bedrooms, and three and a half bathrooms. Yes, it was close to a busy street, but it was also the cheapest single family home I could buy in the north side of SF with this type of scale. The listing agent was from out of town and had listed the house during Christmas when many people were away. I smelled opportunity and went all-in with what I had at the time.

SF 2007: I took on a $560,000 mortgage after purchasing a $715,000, 2/2 vacation condo in Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe. I thought I was getting a deal because the sellers had bought the condo for $820,000 a year and a half earlier. In 2007 I was at the peak of my financial wealth. Little did I know the housing crisis was right around the corner! As a 30 year old, I thought I couldn’t lose. But on paper at least, I lost BIG TIME.

SF 2014: After spending years grinding back all my losses and getting comfortable as an early retiree starting in 2012, I took on a $992,000 mortgage after purchasing a $1,240,000 fixer upper single family home. I was able to do so partly because a 5-year CD expired in early 2014, giving me the 20% downpayment and a 20% cash buffer.

I was again going through a “what should I do with my life moment” and considering whether I should go back to Honolulu to be closer to my parents, when I stumbled upon this house with panoramic ocean views listing for 40% less on a price/sqft basis than my northern SF home. It made no sense the price would trade at such a discount, where everywhere else in the world, ocean view homes trade at a significant premium. I just had to have it. The property was in what I considered to be an “undiscovered” neighborhood that is just now going mainstream.

Total mortgage debt taken out: $3,275,000

Holy crap! That’s a lot of debt to take on by age 37. Taken in isolation, $3.275M is an inordinate amount of money to borrow. But if you compare the debt amount with its associated asset values and my income, the debt figure seems more reasonable.

The total value of my real estate holdings is roughly $6M. Therefore, my debt-to-asset value ratio is roughly 54.5% aka Loan-To-Value (LTV) ratio. Today, many banks require a borrower to put down 20% on a property, thereby giving the borrower a 80% LTV. Thus in this regard, I’m well in the money.

Further, today, I don’t have $3.275M in debt anymore. After checking my mortgage balances on Personal Capital, my mortgage debt is “only” $2,089,550 for an even more reasonable LTV ratio of 34.8%. This means I’ve got about twice the amount of equity as I do debtWithin 20 years, I plan to get my LTV down to 0%, ensuring that I have at least a $6M net worth to pass on to my children estate tax free. Unless they are bad, in which case no soup for them.

Current total debt

The Lake Tahoe Vacation property is worth about $700,000 (54% LTV). The Marina single family home is worth about $2,700,000 (30% LTV). The Golden Gate Heights single family home is worth about $2,000,000 (45% LTV). And the 2/2 Pacific Heights condo I bought for $580,500 in 2003 is worth about $1,000,000 (0% LTV).

Based on my ratios, I’m not that leveraged. It just seems that way given the total dollar amount is relatively large compared to the median debt amounts Americans have.

The Value Of Debt

Here are some reasons why I’m not freaking out about carrying $2M in debt.

1) Nicer living arrangements. Although I recommend living like a pauper between ages 18 – 34 to achieve financial freedom sooner, after four years of crappy living arrangements after college, I had had enough. Since I was 26, I’ve lived in nicer places compared to what I would have rented because I had drawn a line in the sand at spending more than $2,000 a month for rent.

Today, it is rare for a 26 year old to live in his own 2/2 park view condo in Pacific Heights. The same goes for a 28 year old having his own single family home in a nice neighborhood. If I hadn’t bought property, today I’d be super liquid. But I also wouldn’t have been able to live as well I did for ~12 hours a day for the past 14 years.

2) Passive income. My rental properties generate roughly $109,788 in rental income after all expenses and before taxes. Rental property alone can comfortably provide for me and my wife. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to also cover the cost of raising a child in San Francisco comfortably. Hence my hustle to make $200,000+ in passive income.

3) Investment bet. To be able to control $6M in assets for only $2M at a blended interest rate of 2.65% in the cheapest international city in the world is a long-term bet I’m willing to take. Although San Francisco is going through a price softening now, I’m bullish that prices will be higher 10-20 years later.

I’ve been to many major international cities, and San Francisco is good value relative to the jobs and incomes available. For example, Vancouver is even more expensive than San Francisco, yet they don’t have dozens of companies paying new college graduates $100,000+. Nor does Vancouver have the VC and startup ecosystem that helps drive innovation. Besides seeing the data, I know these six figure income levels for 20-somethings to be true because I see the pay stubs of many tenant applicants as a landlord.

San Francisco has got so much upside potential

4) Perpetual motivation. After experiencing 13 years of overseas living, life is relatively easy in America. If you don’t believe me, take a trip to New Delhi and see what hardship really looks like. You can even go to developed Hong Kong and see how little you get in housing for your money. We’ve got it so good. No wonder most of us speak only one language and are out of shape!

If I had zero debt and $200,000+ in passive income, I’m SURE I’d turn into an aimless trust fund kid who decides to travel the world for a year after only putting in a couple years of work. Instead of publishing 3X a week on average for the past eight years on Financial Samurai, maybe I’d publish once a month instead. Instead of responding to comments and e-mails, perhaps I’d just ignore everyone!

Knowing there’s $2,089,550 in mortgage debt still left to payoff keeps me focused on optimizing my finances. I could have quit building my passive income when it was generating $80,000 – $100,000 a year, but I kept going due to a desire to provide the best possible life for my family.

In a personal finance geeky sort of way, I view my four mortgages as my four kids. One has already graduated from college (paid off in 2015), with three left to nurture for the next 5 – 10 years. I won’t stop optimizing my finances until all the mortgages disappear, and especially when a real life kid comes into the picture.

5) Total income can handle the load. Everything is rational when it comes to finance. When someone proclaims they got into $70,000 of credit card debt and then paid it off in one year, it’s simply because they had a high enough income for credit card companies to grant so much debt and a high enough income to press a button to pay it off quickly.

No bank would have lent me so much money if I didn’t have a high enough income for a long enough period of time. Yes, from 2012-2013, I was vulnerable given I had just retired from Corporate America with a ~70% decline in income. But I still had assets I could get rid of to pay off all debt if worst came to worst. I used my debt as motivation to get back to where I was and beyond.

No More Debt For Me

Despite my reasons for embracing debt, I’m no longer planning on getting into more debt. I’m basically borrowing 10X my passive income, which is way out of line based on a recommended 3X income debt maximum. Yes, I’ve got a healthy online income stream from Financial Samurai due to the 1M+ organic pageviews a month, but such income,��like Social Security, cannot be 100% counted upon for the long term.

Nowadays it makes more sense for me to invest in cheaper real estate projects around the country, pay down existing mortgage debt, and try to hoard as much cash as possible. I need to be prepared to survive through the down cycle given my debt level.

I’m mentally preparing for a 20% correction in coastal city home prices, similar to the last downturn. In other words, I expect my property value to decline to $4.8M from $6M, leaving me with a LTV of 41.6% from 34.8%. I also expect to see rental income decline by a similar magnitude to $88,000 from $110,000.

Given my expectations, I’m hustling now to create $1.2M in value and $22,000 in extra passive income before the pain occurs. The main way I plan to make up for such potential loss is by building my online business and generating extra passive income through real estate crowdfunding. With an 8% return, all I need is $275,000 in real estate crowdfunding to earn $22,000. I’ve currently got $260,000 invested so far.

Prices are finally slowing in SF as the market waits for job and income growth to now catch up

Total Debt Framework For Financial Freedom

We know that debt can help us get what our greedy hearts desire. But too much debt can also ruin our lives. Therefore, my Debt Optimization Framework takes into consideration age, income, asset value, and ability to recover from financial calamity. I’ll be using two ratios: Debt / Income and Debt / Asset Value to provide a guideline by age for an Aggressive, Moderate, or Conservative individual.

The chart is built on the following assumptions:

* Each percentage assumption is the maximum recommendation.

* Interest rates remain relatively low e.g. 2% – 4% on the 10-year bond yield for the next decade.

* Student loan debt does not exceed 100% of annual gross income.

* Debt / Income can’t exceed 500% largely because institutions won’t allow it.

* There should be very little to no automobile or credit card debt after age 30.

* Everyone buys a home between ages 25 – 35 to at least get neutral inflation.

* Nobody has any debt left by age 60.

The more I study the chart, the more I like the idea of being completely debt free by age 45 (Conservative). But that’s because I was so aggressive in taking on debt in my 20s and 30s. Only folks with highly defensible and high growth salaries should consider going the Aggressive route. Otherwise, you may end up bankrupt and alone. If you are unsure, follow the Moderate route.

The ideal scenario is to aggressively take advantage of other people’s money while young, get rich, and then pay back all debt ASAP. If you do this, everyday will feel like you’re living off the house’s money, literally and figuratively. After the age of 40, your appetite for risk will wane, especially if you have dependents. Therefore, take more risks while you’re younger so you have more time to recover if things go wrong.

Used wisely, debt is a great tool to help accelerate financial independence. Once you control a relatively large financial nut for a low price, you can build a small fortune. For example, my $6M property portfolio that costs $53,000 a year in deductible interest to control, will grow to $10M in 20 years if the portfolio grows by just 2.59% a year. Further, all the debt will be paid off by then. That sounds pretty darn good to me as I work on building other parts of my net worth in the meantime.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Pay Off Debt Or Invest? Implement FS-DAIR

Housing Expense Guideline For Financial Freedom

Readers, what is your current Debt / Income, Debt / Asset Value, and age? See any issues with my Debt Guide? I’m happy to make adjustments. And yes, I could just sell property to reduce debt, but I’m on a sellers strike until selling commissions drop by at least 50%.

from http://www.financialsamurai.com/debt-optimization-framework-for-financial-independence/

#Financial Samurai

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bast2013 · 8 years ago

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Kagami Profile

Name: Kagami Sato. Kagami means “mirror” in Japanese. This alludes to how she tries and reflects the imagine of people around her to blend in to crowds. Sato is one of the most common Japanese surnames and, again, this plays up her “averageness”

Age: 16, born on the 6th October.

SHSL Title: She’s the SHSL Assassin and she specialises in stealth assassinations at the request of the payer. She either makes it look like an accident, or leaves a card with her symbol to make sure her client is never suspected. She uses special poisons, knives, guns, and mixed martial arts all designed to be fatal. She takes advantage of the fact that no-one would suspect an average-looking teenage girl of being a top-ranked assassin to get away unsuspected.

Gender: She’s cis female but is indifferent to her gender identity, identifying as female because she doesn’t really have to think about it.

Appearance: She has straight dark brown hair in a chest-length side ponytail held by a yellow ribbon. She has a cute, soft face with quite round brown eyes. She has a midtone skin colour, and while she appears to be slim and soft, her body is actually quite toned with muscle. She wears a circular silver locket around her neck with a heart-shaped glass section with a vial in it (poison). She likes to wear warm colours as well as baggy clothing so no-one can see that she has holsters on her arms and torso. She wears an orange jumper with yellow rims by the neckline, ends of the sleeves, and the bottom of the jumper. It was the kanji of her name taking up most of the front with a small flower design above it. She wears dull blue-ish grey jeans and black combat boots.

Background: Kagami was raised in a wealthy household with her two parents but with no siblings. Kagami was very close with her mother and father when she was young and she treasures her memories of that period. However, when she was 11 her father died of lung cancer as he had been a heavy smoker. After his death, Kagami’s mother, Mana Sato, was sent into a downwards spiral of depression. She turned to gambling and drinking and this, as well as the previous expenses from the prolonged treatment of her father’s cancer and the loss of his share of income, caused their previous wealth to drain away very quickly. Desperate for money to aid her drinking and gambling habits, Mana turned to the friends she had made in more “shady” areas. They came up with the idea of training Kagami to help them “take out” individuals. Kagami heavily opposed having any part in it but her mother played on her emotional stress from the loss of her father and forced her into it. The training was awful and cruel as it gave her the skills she needed to become an assassin and stripping away her reluctance to kill. Kagami received job after job for increasing amounts of money and Mana returned to her life of wealth, not thinking of her daughter as anything other than a means of staying in it. Unfortunately for her, Kagami had a natural talent for stealth and weapons, earning her a place on the world’s most wanted people list and one of the deadliest assassins in history. Kagami always wanted to escape her mother’s rule on her life and the occupation that had been forced upon her. Each time she did a job, she felt more and more distanced from the people around her and she needed to get away. She approached the school, Hope’s Foundation (The new Hope’s Peak founded after The Tragedy) and explained who she was and she was offered, after considerable debate from the school board, a place in the school as the SHSL Assassin, promising to not prosecute her as long as they could research her talent.

Accomplishments: Throughout Kagami’s life as an assassin, she has mounted a kill-list up into the hundreds. She’s assassinated gang leaders, corrupt politicians, and billionaires all without being caught, yet leaving signatures at each scene. Despite her massive police file in the International Police, nothing in it can be traced back to her.

Personality: Kagami is a girl desperate for normal human interaction and people her age. This causes her to get flustered and appear quite needy whenever she does talk to other people. She’s a kind girl who loves the idea of helping other people and doing something good with her life but finds it difficult due to her past. She doesn’t want to ignore or deny the awful things she has done but does as much as she can to avoid telling others as she believes that if people know, she’ll be completely isolated. This causes her considerable internal conflict. She tries to overcome this as she attends Hope’s Foundation, her being the SHSL Assassin out in the open. She’s a genuinely intelligent girl, perceptive and logical. When talking to others, she’ll often mimic them in a way of trying to understand them and what’s “normal”. Her ability to mimic others lends itself to her being a fast learner. People at first often assume she’s just a quiet, friendly, average girl when they see her and in a way, that is who she is. Once someone gets to know her better she becomes a very curious girl. She asks questions about everything and is genuinely interested in other people. She’ll love to make jokes with people and just talk. She’s also very physically affectionate once you get past the awkward stage, always hugging her friends and enjoying their presence. Sadly, due to her isolation, any friends she does have, she quickly becomes quite dependant on their friendship. She uses it as a crutch for emotional/mental stability and this isn’t very healthy behaviour and being clingy is a very hard issue for her. During a killing game, she is obviously desensitised to blood and bodies in general and because she’s knowledgeable about murder, she would naturally take lead of investigations and do her best to help out that way. She wouldn’t be very good at comforting others but she’d try her best.

Other Hobbies or Talents: Kagami doesn’t have a lot of hobbies initially but once she leaves home and attends school, she surrounds herself in hobbies, even if she isn’t very good. She tries knitting, swimming, carpeting, yoga, acrobatics, writing, drawing, astronomy, astrology, even stage magic. All inspired and learnt from her classmates.

In a despair setting, would your character kill, or be killed? In a despair situation, Kagami would rather die than ever kill. She would be incredibly hard to kill considering her skills so it would be almost impossible to kill her through overpowering her/ sneaking up on her but if you approached her directly, she would be very easy to convince into letting you kill her. If you either broke her by saying that she’ll be isolated forever, or even convince her that her death would be for the greater good for everyone else, she’d be a complying victim. She’d likely even help her killer get away with it.

What would happen if your character did kill? Kagami would only ever kill in this kind of situation if she was personally convinced that everyone else was an awful person, like if they were all despairs for example. In that case, she’d be able to use her skills as a professional assassin to kill someone, hide any traces of her doing it, and pin the crime on someone else. This would likely break her mentally though, especially if she had to witness everyone else’s executions and after she got out, she’d lose the will to live. If she killed someone accidentally, she’d immediately confess to everyone else and face her execution, not wanting to cause anyone any more harm.

If your character was found guilty of a murder, what would their execution look like? “Walk Through Death’s Row”- She’s being led down a long dark corridor lit by buzzing artificial lights. Her arms and legs are chained together and her orange jumper is reminiscing of a prisoner’s uniform. As she’s marched down this corridor by a monokuma dressed as a prison guard, crowds of momokuma look on, pictures of all the people she’d killed in front of their faces like masks. It’s a long, long line of people and each step feels like forever. The weight of everything piles up on Kagami and as she approaches the end of the corridor, she sees the face of the classmate she’s killed looking down at her. She falls to her knees in distress and she screams, triggering the chains around her hands and feet to send bolts of electricity throughout her body, killing her like an electric chair.

Other information:

· Kagami has a big sweet tooth, loving chocolate éclairs and pastries especially.

· Her blood type is A+

· She used to have two dogs called Tai and Shiro.

· Her favourite drink is lemonade.

· One of her first jobs was the assassination of a childhood friend’s parents.

· Her favourite season is Spring.

· Despite her athletic ability, she’s really bad at walking in high heels.

· She likes reading fiction and non-fiction equally.

· Her favourite animals are house cats.

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