#many to compete against other women artists

[dramioneasks]

Can u please recommend some full length rom-com style dramione

Random recs:

Benefits By: artemisgirl - M, one-shot - “I’m trying to make a case for why she should marry me,” Draco told him, scowling as Harry started laughing. “If I want an upgrade from ‘friends with benefits’ to 'husband with benefits'—” … When Draco Malfoy realizes that 'friends with benefits’ just isn’t enough anymore, he begins to strategize on how to get Hermione to commit to more.

Hot for Teacher - MotherofBulls - E, 26 chapters - Draco is a single dad trying to raise a teenager on his own. When he notices his son’s newfound interest in girls, he takes it upon himself to give him some fatherly advice. Little does he know that his son’s crush is none other than his own childhood nemesis, who has taken up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts. Draco tries to juggle awkward situations, parenthood, and his own budding interest in Hermione Granger. Part 1 of “This Is Everything” series. COMPLETE!

The Bargain by Lincolepog - M, 29 chapters, Words: 102,657  - Heading back to Hogwarts for his 7th year, Draco Malfoy is given a very interesting deal from Hermione Granger; to play the role of her fake boyfriend. As time goes on, they learn to get passed their differences, but is it enough? What will it cost the two of them?

Starving by CharliPetidei - E, 5 chapters - Hermione has everything figured out. Sex is like food. Club nights are far too expensive. And men belong in the category of 'things that are more faff than they're worth'. You know, like hair straightening charms, lingerie, and mathematical integration. This is a story about food and sex, though not at the same time. Winner of best fluff, best smut, and runner-up for best use of prompt in the Dramione Fanfiction Forum's 2020 'Sounds Like Dramione' comp.

Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love by isthisselfcare - E, 36 chapters, Words: 199,584 - Hermione straddles the Muggle and Magical worlds as a medical researcher and Healer about to make a big discovery. Draco is an Auror assigned to protect her from forces unknown – to both of their displeasure. Features hyper-competent, fiery Hermione and lazy, yet dangerous, Draco. Slow burn.

Bad Books and Second Looks - GracefulLioness - E, 10 chapters - Hermione has not been lucky in love. When a break-up forces her to find a new flat, she thinks she’s hit the jackpot. Until she realises that she might just be falling for her new flatmate’s boyfriend. Perhaps when Ginny lends her some of her steamy romance novels, her luck will change.

You Make Me Shiver and Shake by Stargazing121 - M, 16 chapters - Draco is an artistic genius, Hermione a budding art agent. But once they start to work together, will they be able to resist the growing attraction between them? “I’m not going to take you on as an art client!” Hermione scoffed. “Why not Granger,” he said. His tone was silky, like the sound of fine cloth running through your hands. “You know there has always been something between us.” “That won’t work on me,” she answered flatly. “Ok, I admit that was pushing it.” He shrugged, “But pushing against beautiful women is what I do best Granger.” “Not that either.” “Damn it, I forgot that trying to flirt with you was like flirting with a slug. Actually, I think I’d get more luck with the slug.” “You’d make a lovely couple. You’re certainly as slippery,” Hermione said. “I can think of someone I would rather form a partnership with,” he said, his voice low and almost a whisper.

Clueless - jacemorgensterns - T, one-shot - Draco is a college student living in an apartment with his roommate Theo. He occasionally gets into trouble and always gets away with it. When his luck is threatening to turn on him Hermione comes to to the rescue and an agreement between them forms that eventually spirals out of control. A Dramione romcom AU with as many romcom tropes I could fit in from Draco’s point of view. One-shot.

Fate Has It In For Me by jigglyjelly28 - T, 39 chapters, Words: 196,573 - “Seeing as you two have driven me half-mad over these few months with your Veela heritage problem, I thought that it would be perhaps, in Pureblood politeness, that you at least give a suitable explanation of what you’ve been doing.” Draco was told he was a Veela years ago but forgot. He’s been told again and has a year to find his Mate.

Accidental Proposal - CJRed - M, 36 chapters, Words: 108,673 - Hermione finds out that she is really a Nott, and there are so many rules to being a Pureblood, too bad Draco Malfoy seems to have forgotten one of the most important rules of all! Hermione/Draco. Theo and Hermione are siblings. Ignores epilogue and off canon in some other places as well. Set in 8th year. Language, Fluff, and Lemons. Complete.

-Lisa

[aichi-division]

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐚'𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐢𝐫𝐬

Narrated by Shouta Takeda

Part 1: The beginning

Talking about my past is something I'm not used to. I don't think it's really an interesting topic, I mean, I don't think talking about a guy who was always abused by his family and never had a shred of luck in years is something entertaining for the public... shit, I'm sounding like a victim again.

Anyway, maybe this is an opportunity to express what I always tend to hide. I think my colleagues and friends deserve some kind of explanation as to why I am the way I am.

I lived most of my childhood in the downtown area of Tokyo. My family owns a major home appliance company, so you understand, they shit money. Having a lot of money necessarily implies complying with certain guidelines and standards. A bad management of the family economy implies a bad image to the public and my parents were very aware of this issue.

Yes, now you may wonder how someone like me could live such a luxurious life and end up a bum. The answer is quite simple, I broke the rules. Breaking things is something I've always been good at, honestly. My sin was to choose a path that my family despises. My mother, especially, could never look me in the eye after I confessed to her my interest in the arts.

"We raised you to be a Takeda, to be a future leader of our companies. You're so fucking ungrateful."

My parents and siblings have a very simple way to solve this type of problem. It's like when they serve you a menu you don't like at the restaurant. You just throw it away, stand up and walk away. Clearly I was able to pursue a career in the arts, but the cost was losing my entire family.

I was discarded as a piece of trash with no future and with the money I was entitled to by inheritance, I paid for my studies, lodging and any other stupid expenses that came my way. What I didn't see coming was my own inability to excel at the one thing I loved in this life.

Competing against a host of artists who clearly had greater talent and capabilities was something I had never considered. It was like a direct punch in the face. Honestly, it didn't hurt to lose my family, but it did hurt to give them the reason and satisfaction of my failure.

It is an indescribable rage, as if there were fire in my veins and I could not breathe without feeling like breaking everything. From there, everything began to fall into a hole, infinite, dark, impossible to get out of.

In all that chaos, I made several friends with the same bad luck as me, although they were burdened with something I didn't have at the time: addictions. I started with soft drugs, weed, nicotine…. But within a few months I was relying on methamphetamines, cocaine and starting on a path to heroin.

It's not something I'm proud to talk about. It was a hard time, where many times I behaved like a maniac. I convinced myself that the only way to be happy was through those syringes. It took me a long time to realize that reality was far from the mental construction I had of myself.

There was a time when things, our society, the norm had changed quite a bit. Women in power, competition, a new order of which I could understand little, as I was too stoned to realize it. I was living in a haze, in slow motion, living one second at a time, while everything was going to shit.

And it was there that I met the people to whom I owe my life: Issey and Eiji.

They found me in the Aichi district, who knows how, sitting on the sidewalk, humming some song while going through the worst hangover of my life. When they approached me, I really thought they would be one of those punk kids with their urge to beat up bums, pure Clockwork Orange style. What a surprise I got when I realized that they actually wanted to talk to me and recruit me in some so-called rap battles and I don't know what the fuck.

"I like your voice, do you know how to rap? It's not very difficult, you just have to have a good use of words and use a mic to…" Issey kept talking, so energetic and genuine that he sounded like a walking sunshine that would burn any bitter person like me.

“I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, kid.” I said, trying to decipher something that made sense out of all that monologue.

I think in the meantime, Eiji whispered something about me being a drug addict and that they shouldn't come near me, but Issey was very persistent. I actually smile every time I remember that moment. Things have changed a lot since that day.

Issey and Eiji became what I could really call a family. Being older, I had to take responsibility for their well-being and that forced me to change many aspects of myself, starting with rehabilitation.

The light of those two children made me realize a completely different path from what I had proposed and, above all, an opportunity to be a better version of me. I really hope that if Issey and Eiji read this, they know that I love them dearly and that I am very grateful and proud to be able to be their leader.

...ugh, I got sentimental again.

Anyway, I started living life again, starting all over again. I met a lot of people, started and ended relationships, fought a guy for a condom…. I think I'm at my peak.

I know this is the first part of a series of memoirs I should write later, but I think this pretty much sums up the road I've traveled to be who I am now. I'm not a cool guy, far from it.

But I am grateful for what I have.

[unknown-lifeform]

I would take anything that vro0m posts with a screenshot with a grain of salt. There's a reason why she's not showing you the rest of those anon asks. In this particular instance of the anon asking why women can't have their own motorsport series where they can achieve the same success as Martina Navritolova, Serena Williams, or Simone Biles. All of these athletes are household names (rightfully so) and only compete with other women. Why is that viewed as a bad thing? Men are NOT superior to women physically. Having a different set of abilities does NOT make women inferior. In the case of gymnastics, women's gymnastics is significantly more popular than men's. Men are not as flexible as women and don't have the same sense of balance, so they can't perform the same gymnastic skills at the same level as women, which makes women's gymnastics popular. Same with cheerleading, which women also dominate.

F1Academy can be successful if the same women supporting F1 did the same for F1Academy. Female athletes can absolutely be successful in their own right, but we have to support them. This is the part of the ask that vro0m refused to share and dismissed with "sure, honey."

I'm absolutely howling in laughter because I have 0 fucking horses in this race. I'm not an F1 fan. I don't give a shit. I saw your ask and it made points so dumb that even I, with 0 stakes in it, couldn't help but point out you sound like an idiot. And since I guess you got blocked you now have to come and bitch at anyone in the replies huh

Yes (cis) men and (cis) women can have different natural skillsets. I used to do martial arts, I did it for close to ten years, I'm aware of how different bodies work, how a different center of mass can give you different advantages, and so on and so fucking forth. And as someone who got their fair fucking share of hits from people of varying age, gender, and size, I will tell you I am 100% in favor of male and female martial artists of the same weight class to be able to compete against each other

Also you absolute buffoon you want to know a statistic about cis women? They are on average shorter than cis men. And you know what being short does? It gives you a major fucking advantage at gymnastics, because short people are more flexible naturally. And also that no one fucking tells teenage boy to do stretches, I remember back in high school how all my male classmates said they barely did any kind of stretching at football or basketball practice, and that many of them regarded physical activity that included regular stretching (gymnastics, yoga, the likes) as a boring girl sport because to them if it didn't involve running after a ball it was a boring girl sport. No fucking wonder some guy that is 1.80 tall and has never done a stretch in his life can't bend as much as a 1.50 girl that does it regularly

Now go clown in someone else's askbox thank you

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2023: #17-#16

17. UNITED KINGDOM Mae Muller - "I wrote a song" 25th place

Decade ranking: 46/116 [Above RAFAL, below We Are Domi]

Pahr Mae. All the abuse she had to sit through pre-show for not being Rina Sawayama by twitter queers in ugly mullets (please log off and touch grass.) and later by the boomer press for being a VILE, JEWISH, ANARCHO-LIBERAL ENGLAND-HATING "T-WORD" (just a reminder: Mae is not trans and transphobia hurts ALL women, don't fucking engage in it, you stupid "gender-critical" cunts) for idk... daring to say Tories suck (they do). She gave us the gift of #GAYRIGHTS (she did), and the gays rewarded her back with a paltry bottom 2 placement. She was just tryna slaaaaaaaaaay you filthy little bottoms. 😭😭😭

Like okay, the second Mae said she was on #VocalRest we knew there would be no "recovery". Her singing was never not strained (even at the pre-parties) and it wasn't going to get any better. She knew that and so should've we. Yeah, her off-kilter vocals were a big detriment to the overall performance. I wouldn't dare to claim otherwise.

However, at a certain point in the ranking I have to let go of my ~personal gripes~ and rally my angry logic for the purpose of defence and I've chosen THIS point you can't make me. Mae's vocals were blergh and that was a deal, but visiually, omg, it looked so GOOD?

THE ZENA-ESQUE BACKDROP (yes, we're gonna Like It)

THE FUN ACT WITH THE BUDDING HE/SHE/THEY DANCERS

THE SASS, THE SPUNK, THE ZEST, THE PLUCK

YOU'RE POWERFUL, YOU'RE ALL YOU NEED, WERK IT BABY, COME WITH ME!

If you have a one decently-sized negative and then a bunch of smaller positives, the net result is still a positive, surely? Well it was here and you'll have to deal.

Not to mention the UK fucking TRIED this year, okay and god there have been too many years recently where they've just been fucking phoning it in, not even trying to be good, sending reasonably talented artists like SuRie and James Newman to their doom with lame demos and visionless non-acts nobody could possibly be made to care for. "I wrote a song" was a self-written pamphlet against toxicity and in favour of mental health (Roxen could NEVER; therapy can work lest she/they first learn to LISTEN TO PEOPLE [other than *ndr*w t*te]). Depth and thematic relevance any 2010s BBC entry would murder an orphanage for.

While it did not pay out this year, and instead of like... a solidly competent entry we got a visual treat with trainwreck vocals, point still stands. The UK made an effort to prove that Ryder wasn't a one-time fluke. Kick-ass song by a kick-ass maiden was a good attempt and befitting her entry, is the proof that BBC are working on themselves, which is more than what one can say about the next country on our list:

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

16. MALTA The Busker - "Dance (Your Own Party)" 35th place

Decade ranking: 43/116 [Above Montaigne, below TBA]

As is the case with televised competitions with semifinals, some participants need to NQ and ideally those flop spots go to solulu/delulu broadcasters that have lost their touch with reality, have no idea what they're doing, are throwing away golden opportunities with zero regard and yet respond with indignation when their stupid schemes ricochet back in their faces like errant boomerangs.

So in the light of that, TVM's flop era was has been long in the works and is fully deserved. To hell with this wishy-washy, cynically corporate piece of secretive shit broadcaster. Malta have only been truly good twice recently, and even Destiny was kind of debatable (What separates a "Je Me Casse" from a "Queen Bees" other than two glasses of chardonnay?).

However, as if often the case with entries that get the overdue flop results (see also: Ela and Tell Me More), The Busker didn't particularly deserve to be the anvil of fate, not in the least be hit with such overkill: last place with 3 points, excusez-moi? No idea what The Busker did (well, what they specifically did) to be immediately branded as THE MOST ANNOYING THING OF ALL TIMES once they arrived in Liverpool. We've seen worse of the same "offenses", where WERE these people when The Roop and Mikolas Jozef were being an ABSOLUTE TERROR to us? Oh right, bookie odds made it fashionable to pretend to like them, got it.

Anyway, how else can you do an entry such as "Dance" any justice if not by going ham? This is only one of two recent examples since "Walk On Water" where Malta actually staged appropriately, playing to their song's best strengths.

🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷 I FEEL BETTER IN MY SWEATER 💃💃💃💃💃💃💃

I *liked* the presentation. It was jank and clunky and Moldovan. The three acts, the sweater change, the obnoxiously bad sax playback, the bedroom dance moves that completented the song's bedroom karaoke vibe, Dav Jr.'s excellent hairline. Works for me! They HAD A VISION to craft a story of lockdown blues and social anxiety and I won't toss it in the bin just because it's trashy and out of vogue! It's Eurovision, and trashy also-rans have been a staple since the very beginning. Embrace them!

The true reason why the Busker did this poorly was bad luck. They were on second in r/o, had no built-in vote bases (like Serbia) and directly competed with the OTT-LOUD entries from Croatia and Finland. Hurricane Käärijä landed and left only destruction in his wake. Put The Busker in Semi 2 and their total points rise to a similar level that Iru and Diljá got.

Of course, The Busker also dropped for me, but that's just the normal trajectory for gimmicky entries doing its work. When the joke is still fresh and funny, I'm into it the most, but once I've acclimatized my mind and the novelty has worn off and I'm just left with how much I like the music. As it turns out, "Dance" was fine fun semi filler and that's something I'm perfectly okay with. 😁

THE RANKING

[alarrytale]

It seems like H is still with Columbia/A*offs after the show last night and having all the crew there. It was interesting to see the video of Gemma near them all. Everyone said she was ‘ignoring’ them, but I’m sure she was nice, she was just hanging with a friend it looked like.

I saw some say that H might be in a ‘sunset clause’ of the contract and fulfilling last obligations since it hasn’t been formally announced by Sony that he’s still with them, and most think they would be screaming that from the rooftops. I don’t know what to think - it’s hard to visualize where he would go - most labels couldn’t compete and I’m sure they wouldn’t want to go up against Sony anyway. So unless he goes with his own label and management, I think he’ll stay.

I think he’ll work it out so he never has to stunt again - I mean how many more times can he go through that with a straight face?! Especially as he gets older. I only hope they don’t force a lavender marriage on him - that would be devastating, but I could see it happening and it would give him a certain type of freedom.

The thing that gets me when I waver on whether he’s happy or even at peace with his label and management is the music videos he’s been making. There’s no other way to interpret them other than them being a source of unhappiness, closeting and the abuse he goes through with his team.

Someday I hope he’ll be his real self and I hope he’ll be able to share his story.

Hi, anon!

I think he's not going anywhere. Sony won't let him. Rob Strin*er is looking way too smug for someone who's artist is in a sunset clause. The grass isn't always greener on the other side either. So i think he'll stick to Columbia and the Azo*fs. I don't see that changing.

He will continue to stunt and do pr relationships with women unfortunatly. Sony still need for him to appear straight and into women. As long as H is given a bit of freedom of expression (queer expession) and is allowed to do gay acting roles, he needs to balance it all out with stunts. I don't think H will ever give up on fighting to be himself, he's come so far, and that means he's got to stunt. H won't be given more freedom with a lavender marriage, he'd be given more restraints, since he's with Louis. So that will never happen.

I think we're in for more of the same this era like it's been in previous eras. A stage gay Harry and a very het off stage Harry. He's been connected to over 150 women in his career, what are 150 more? It's already ridiculous, and it can't be more ridiculous than it already is.

The day will come when he'll be free of all this. We just don't know when.

[indiaalphawhiskey]

Hello India, please feel free to answer this in public. I wanted to ask you something about this post in particular the cleanliness clause: https://www.tumblr.com/indiaalphawhiskey/701448319966248960/if-you-dont-mind-can-you-please-explain-what-a?source=share

I was genuinely terrfied when I read that something like that exists. I mean I think this is legitimate proof that Larry were closeted against their will contractually, what do you think?

Also you said that if they did anything unsavory, their contract would be declared null and void, right? But why is that a bad thing, to me it seems really positive? If their contract would be declared null and void, wouldn't they be free of that awful contract (and have the potential to be a couple in public) and maybe sign to a new and better label?

Hi!

So first off, as I’ve said before, I’m not a lawyer and I have no experience in the music industry, so everything I say is inference based on: i) my general knowledge of the objectives of contracts in general, ii) contractual obligations I’ve seen exercised in my own industry, and iii) observations we’ve made about the inner workings of the entertainment industry over my years in fandom.

TL;DR - take what I say with a grain of salt, please.

So, yes, cleanliness clauses are a thing, and they’re actually pretty standard. They take many forms (from simple brand guidelines to the more extreme version Harry alluded to in BH&G), but at their most benign, they’re usually just a way for brands/organizations/corporations to pragmatically ensure their collaborators align with their image as a brand and don’t do anything to besmirch their name (see: Adidas’ very delayed dropping of Kanye West).

Is that solid, undeniable proof that Harry and Louis were forcibly closeted in One Direction?

Nothing ever really is.

But yes, in the sense that people who know enough about the inner workings of the entertainment industry clearly know what “unsavory” pertains to (considering the image of Harry that was pushed at the time didn’t discourage drinking, drugs, or sex with women by any means, so clearly it wasn’t about making him look like a church boy).

No, in that, as usual, the wording Harry (and most likely, the contract) uses is vague enough not to allude to anything that might, say, break certain anti-Discrimination laws and leave very powerful labels and management vulnerable to legal action.

Which leads me to your next point. I think what people often forget about contracts is that literally 99.9999999% are written with the objective of protecting the company, not the individual. And given what we know about the way the entertainment industry works (you know, the same industry that literally refused to release Ke$ha from her record contract with her assailant), it’s easy to deduce that “null and void” isn’t as straightforward as the wording made it sound.

Rather, what it probably means is that the record label’s obligation to support, promote, and also protect their commodity (the artist) is “null and void”, and now that the artist is no longer seen as a lucrative asset, the label will also no longer see the point in investing in them. But, like I said, contracts are designed to protect the label, and protect their previous investment and any output of that investment in perpetua, which probably means:

I) MINIMUM: a long-standing non-compete clause (so any of the boys who broke their contracts probably would not be able to sign with anyone else or make/own/perform any old/new music for at least enough time for their fanbase and appetite for them as artists to fade),

Or

II) MAXIMUM (and frankly, most common): since contracts are usually based on number of albums produced, being blackballed and shelved by their own label so the artist can’t fulfill their contractual obligations and are bound to their original contract forever.

There are obviously many other details and permutations of the kind of consequences breaking a cleanliness clause could entail, but basically, given how high profile One Direction was and how much money they were making, it’s highly, highly unlikely (read: fucking impossible) that Simon or anyone else from Syco would have willingly let them continue to make music for anyone else, let alone let them negotiate better contracts with any of their competitors.

[appears]

25th Anniversary

Ami Suzuki: SA (1999.03.25)

Like clockwork, as soon as Tetsuya Komuro got bored with his latest protege, he moved on to the next one. In 1998, he hopped from Tomomi Kahala to Ami Suzuki, who made her debut in July of that year with the single "love the island." She released five more singles after that until finally dropping her debut studio album SA in March of 1999.

Despite a public weary with his trademark style, now done to death with artists like hitomi, Tomomi, and Namie, not to mention his other projects like dos and globe, TK doubled down on his signature sound, particularly on the opening track "nothing without you": the keyboards, the synths, the funky rhythm and background vocals. Longtime collaborator Cozy Kubo's arrangement brings it all to a satisfying wistful lead-in to the second track. Anyone not already a fan can stop right there.

In terms of numbers, this album did really well for a debut, as expectations were high to for TK's next "It" girl, but in terms of quality, the music couldn't be a better representation of how dull, hackneyed, and by-the-numbers his music had become by then. The album still pulls out some solid songs that remind me how fun TK was at his best, songs like "alone in my room" and "white key" that do a great job of taking you back to J-pop circa 1996. But there are too many lazy melodies that don't get rounded out by the high-quality production we had come to expect. Mentally, I think TK was done with J-pop and ready to board the electric train right on out to Cyber TRANCE compilation town (you can especially hear this on the outlier "all night long," a sonic precursor to a song like "try this shoot," which he would write and release with globe two years later). He just couldn't compete with the rise in R&B and hip-pop that was beginning to sweep the charts with artists like Hikaru Utada and Mai Kuraki. It doesn't help that Ami Suzuki, like so many of the women he wrote music for, wasn't a good singer. Not as bad as Tomomi Kahala, and sufficient for the music we're dealing with, but noticeably patchy in places, and downright bad in others.

I sound really sour about this album, an album that for all my whining went #1 and ended up being the ninth best-selling album in Japan that year. To be honest, I still have a soft spot for this one, because it really sounds like TK is struggling to recapture a kind of magic that came so easily for him half a decade ago. There are parts of this that take you back to hitomi's early albums, and yet, the fight never stops being audible.

I still get nostalgic hearing TK's brand of 90s J-pop, and while there are still some good songs on here, I can objectively see that this was the last feeble roar of a dying dinosaur. It also really tells you nothing about Ami Suzuki as a person or performer, as she had both the good luck and misfortune to work with a producer so big, that it would take several more years for her to develop a light outside of his shadow. In many ways, she never did, as she always seemed to be at her best working under names as big as Yasutaka Nakata, RAM RIDER, and the others who featured on her best albums to date. In a really sad twist, the only way people got to know her as a person outside of music was during the scandal that followed her lawsuit against her management company. But that was years later. In 1999, while it may not have been fresh for any one else, it must have all still been new and exciting for her to get the chance to debut with a legend in the industry, and that hope and enthusiasm still shines through, albeit not easily, on SA.

Catalog Number: AICT-1050

[maucalles]

Pop Culture and Excess 1980’s

My favorite decade is pop culture and excess, the 1980’s. I first got introduced to this era by watching one of my favorite television shows, Pose. Pose sets in the 1980s, showcasing LGBTQ stories in New York like ball culture and the rise of luxury. In the 80s LGBTQ ballroom house members would compete in balls where they compete in different categories. LGBTQ Ballroom culture is a whole new world to dive into. In Paris is Burning, a 1990s LGBT film, shows the real lives of the iconic houses and the obstacles they faced. These icons used Ballroom/ art as an escape from the real world into the luxurious world of fashion. The ballroom scene was rooted in fashion, influenced by the lifestyles, and poses of models or actors in Vogue magazine. According to the author, of The Dynamic of Fashion, “Flashdance, which caused thousands of young women to don dancers’ leg warmers and off-the-shoulder tops.” Dance was such a big influence that dance clothing was used daily. This is also reflected in the start of the ballroom. The dance Vouge started from poses of fashion magazine models. People would compete against each other to see who has the fiercest voguing style. Pose and Paris is Burning both showcase vogue fem, and many other categories like runway, face, realness with a twist, and sex siren. LGBTQ Community had such an impact in the ’80s, a writer from An other magazine states, “Mugler cast transgender models in his runway shows in the 1980s and made it his mission to collaborate with drag artists and other members of the LGBTQ community throughout his career.” Thierry Mugler understands that LGBT artists deserve a voice in fashion and many other art forms. I did not realize how much this decade has influenced my life until now. 

“Paris Is Burning | ‘come on, Vogue’ (HD) - Willi Ninja | Miramax.” YouTube, 23 Jan. 2015,www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfE6QmuAXxULinks to an external site..

Poniewozik, James. “Review: ‘pose’ Demands to Be Seen.” The New York Times, 1 June 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/arts/television/pose-review-fx-ryan-murphy.htmlLinks to an external site..

AnOther. “Five Ways Thierry Mugler Revolutionised Fashion.” AnOther, 25 Jan. 2022, www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/13831/five-ways-thierry-mugler-revolutionised-fashionLinks to an external site.. 

Stone, Elaine, and Sheryl A. Farnan. The Dynamics of Fashion. Fairchild Books, 2023.

[awritingcaitlin]

For the Writer (& Artist) Ask Game

What are your favourite relationships between your OCs? (romantic or platonic!)

I'm gonna give you several! :D

Rinnie/Ciara/Aravae the throuple (as part of the larger polycule) has stolen my heart 100%. They are three women who may have started as "You're hot, let's fuck" but they've turned into a support system for each other. They're friends, they're lovers, they're many things. It's vague. It's only semi-defined. It's great.

Thea/Cael. They're married. They've loved each other for thousands of years. They're a battle couple. They compete with each other. They're dangerous. They play strategy games together and against each other. They were never meant to be major characters and yet look at where we are.

Rinnie&Riela these two are not romantic nor will it ever go that way. They are foils in the sense of... had circumstances been different, they could have easily filled the other role. They sometimes hate the other one, but they also know they can rely on each other. LET WOMEN BE FRIENDS! I say, banging pots and pans together .

Lelia&Em these two are roommates (and oh are they roommates) but I think it's queerplatonic? They haven't exactly defined themselves yet and you know what, fine. But take two thieves who can't get the thieving bones out of their bodies and shove them together and make them do thieving and also things that aren't thieving.

Kanjo&Rinnie. He's her uncle (not biologically, but by choice, which imo matters more.) He looks out for her. He gives her shit. She gives him shit. They're both adults. He grounds her. They support each other. He's the difference between a stable and an unstable Rinnie when we get farther into the story and I can't even tell you how it would have worked without him.

Thanks for asking!!

Writer and Artist Asks!

[arielsojourner]

Okay, so this idea won't. leave. me. alone. Even though I have an unfinished series (or three) that I haven't worked on in YEARS. ARG! Fine! I will get this out of me! Here are the rest of the headcanons I have for this story that I REFUSE to write.

Damian throws a fit when he realizes that the horses in the Equestrian Events don't get medals. He is furious. He DEMANDS they get medals. He even insisted on participation medals. All horses are good horses. (Bruce funds medals and Damian has his OWN medal ceremony for the horses. Alfred resigns himself to horses when they return home to Gotham.)

Dick is like the most BELOVED athlete. He is so kind, so helpful, so giving, that he wins the Games' sportsmanship medal. He especially wins it because if he sees any athlete being discriminated against, he stands up against it and through kindness alone shames any people who try and treat him poorly just because he is Roma. (Tim takes down the names of everyone who DARES act like a bigot against his brother (and bigoted to other athletes or sexist or transphobic etc.) and sends the info to Barbara who get sweet IT revenge on them for their intolerance. Jason just hunts them down to beat the shit out of them. Damian breaks out his poisons.).

Alfred refuses to find the Olympic Village food up to his standards. They can't even get the TEA right. So he takes it upon himself to bake (Jason joins him) and he starts hosting afternoon tea with proper cakes. Team GB and many other nations that were once colonized by Britain find it soothing. The French chefs are not happy. Jason thinks he is the one who intimidated them to back down but it was really Alfred's cool eyed glare over Jason's shoulder.

Tim would like to visit the Louvre (and Damian certainly goes more than once) but Interpol won't stop following. So he engaged in some art theft while bringing Bruce out of the time stream. Does that mean he should be deprived of museums for the rest of his life?

No one knows what to make of them. The other athletes are all "Is this normal for Americans?" and Team USA is like "No. They're from Gotham. They don't count." And the rest of the world has no idea what that even MEANS.

The press waits eagerly for Tim to emerge from where he has set up his dark room every day. Tim hands out a few pictures to those he likes. The rest fill up personal albums that he he hordes and conceals away to look at the way Gollum did the Ring (no, Tim does NOT have a problem! Stop saying that!) He does get a fee for each photo which he then promptly donates to the Olympic Refugee Team to help them pay for all their related expenses so they can keep competing.

Bruce falls into the Seine. When he is rescued (And medical personnel are on hand since the water isn't safe at that time) he pulls out his phone and announces that he knows just what will help get the water clean and ready for the athletes. The Seine doesn't even come close to Gotham Harbor. Wayne tech can clean up this slight problem in a jiffy. The paramedics seem baffled that he isn't sick. Jason (who was responsible for Bruce falling in in the first place) just rolls his eyes. Anyone who isn't a Gothamite is fragile.

They can't help themselves. They end up trying different sports with the athletes when they are training at the venues. Money gets them access (yes, Jason, you can be mad about billionaires later, just enjoy the shooting range). Tim gets mistaken for a competing skateboarder ("Why aren't you on the team?" "I have a busy job." "As what? You're 17 and rich AF." "CEO of WE.") Damian was initially drawn to the saber and fencing events but once he discovered the horses, his heart was stolen.

Dick "tries out" other sports with his new athlete friends. This proves to be a bit of a problem. Dick learned swimming techniques from Atlanteans. He can actually do what women artistic gymnasts and rhythmic gymnasts do. He kind of scares everyone in the high jump and if it was official he may have just broken a record.

Jason meanwhile has fun with the wrestling and judo until Bruce shows up and wants to try but he is being total Brucie and Jason eggs him on until Bruce shows up on the mats. Oracle has to scrub all the videos.

Tim also meets up with Cissie who is on the US Archery team. The other Core Four show up. (Bruce calls in a lot of Justice League favors and the rest of the Core Four are escorted home. Don't come at me, there is only so much suspension of disbelief the public can handle. Dick's last move in qualifying defied physics. He's not a meta, they test for that at the Games but still it is DAMN suspicious. Tim thinks this is unfair. He thinks Jason's nightly Red Hood moonlighting is more suspicious).

Alfred thinks that perhaps the Closing Ceremonies cannot come soon enough but then when a reporter asks Bruce about returning home, he laughs and says "We can't leave Paris now! There's still the Paralympics to go! We're no fair weather fans! We are here for Team USA all the way!"

While Dick really wanted to wear Robin colors for his exhibition performance, even he agreed it would be too much so he went with another costume choice inspired by circus days. The entire world got to see the glamor of Discowing as it was originally intended. (The family watching was mortified at the horror of it all. The people of France embraced Dick as a fashion ICON and crowned him best dressed of the entire Olypmics. Dick was very smug about this. He had found his people at last!)

america's sweetheart olympian 🥇

[wisdomdance]

INSPIRATIONS:

AZU:

 My feeling is that we must regenerate ourselves otherwise you play into this post-colonial mentality, in which black curators are constantly insecure and competing against each other as if there is only room for one superstar curator. I call it postcolonial cannibalism – this sense that you are made to feel so exceptional that you don’t want to let other people in. There is no real future in that. The only way forward is to bring people in with you.”

Everything Precious Is Fragile emanates from a deep exploration of Yoruba Gė lė dė traditions, addressing the contemporary world’s fragility marked by ecological challenges, conflicts, and social inequalities. In collaboration with Benin’s traditional rulers, the curatorial team shaped the pavilion’s concept, humbly embracing fragility and the ephemeral nature of existence — for humans, plants, animals. Gė lė dė philosophy unveils ecological, political, cultural, and social dimensions, celebrating indigenous wisdom’s resurgence and highlighting women’s vital role. Artists Hazoumè, Quenum, Akpo, and Bello embody Beninese ethos, advocating regeneration and [re]matriation, the return to the mother. Benin’s historical legacy and recent restitution of cultural artefacts shape the exhibition. The pavilion envisions a compassionate future and challenges perceptions of fragility and strength. The Arsenale’s pavilion includes a library on colonial legacy, Indigenous knowledge, African representation, and biodiversity loss. It proposes urgent questions on the material and philosophical nature of fragility. Is fragility a strength or a weakness?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gẹlẹdẹ

The blackness presented in The Medium is the Message is authentic, quiet and confident.

The exhibition rejects the lazy depictions of blackness as majesty or misery (with very little gradation between the two). The work unveils many facets of black existence: including play, solitude and contemplation; it is a collection of work that spans the entire canopy of human emotion without kowtowing to exoticism.

In letting the medium take centre stage, these artists are deploying painting as a meditative form of self expression – highlighting the process’s calming nature, and its ability to act as a contemplative release.

“Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.” – Frantz Fanon

[kevinbriansatterwhite]

I don’t watch sports that much.  I kind of lost interest in it.  When it comes to music and film - even if you don’t like an artist - every now and then there’s a performance or a song that really picks you up.  Sports is not art.  What you see is what you get.  They’re human beings.  As an artist myself - I just think about - Indiana Jones - talking about - fortune and glory.  I think as a society - we focus too much on - fortune and fame.  Chasing fame is not an admirable quality - no matter how many songs we hear about it - or how many movies we watch - where it looks cool.  To me - a part of glory - is the honor bestowed upon another by the world - allowing someone to use their fame for good.  Sports is great because - you could possibly see someone’s great deeds - reflected in their game - live.  This literally makes it a dangerous game - unlike Liam Hemsworth, Michael Douglas, and Ice-T - who were portraying characters in movies with dangerous plots.  When someone is chasing fame - you don’t really see anything - it’s just a player playing a game.  I think sports has great potential.  I think someday men and women could compete together on the same teams - with a few adjustments to the rules and regulations.  I remember when I used to watch basketball players talk and I used to get nervous - like when watching a “black” person read the prompter at a fancy award show.  Things have gotten better - society is improving.  We have found time to care about things that don’t seem to matter - like speech and teach.  It’s not just about wasting money anymore.  I don’t recall exactly.  I vaguely remember seeing Kelsey Plum talking about the importance of managing money and making the money she deserves.  It’s something that people need to understand.  How to save money, how to get the money you deserve, and how to spend money.  I’ve heard of too many athletes going broke after making millions.  It’s not just athletes that need this information.  I think Kelsey Plum should be the face of the WNBA.  By that I mean - she should be in a leadership position - to help promote the league.  

Women have been through some serious stuff when it comes to beauty.  Dorothy Dandridge, Elizabeth Taylor, and Barbara Streisand.  I can’t imagine the stuff they went through as women.  Not just stretching the mold, but breaking it - so other people could fit into it.  I remember growing up - Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jonathan Brandis, Cory Haim, Luke Perry, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Jaleel White - they were all the standard of beauty in the nineties.  I didn’t fit the description, but I was okay with it.  It didn’t offend me.  I don’t think it’s fair to look back and say it was wrong for society to put them up there like that.  Unfortunately, we lost Cory, Luke, and Jonathan.  We don’t hear much about Taylor Thomas anymore.  The world was starving for purity and innocence and it didn’t seem to pan out.  The “black” community was really into Denzel Washington.  I wonder if that’s why it went from - Brad Pitt to George Clooney, Ryan Renyolds, and Ryan Gosling.  Denzel, Ryan, Ryan, and George seem like a more heartfelt and wholesome choice than pure and innocent.  Brad Pitt may have let everyone down - when he didn’t seem to be what people expected.  The world got fed up with purity and innocence - because it just kept fading away.  Then it all felt wrong because it wasn’t diverse enough.  But, was there a bigger picture?  There are no racial slurs worse - to me - than the ones against Asian people.  Gook and chink - they sound more like a direct aim at someone’s features.  If you think about Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Tyson Beckford, Taylor Lautner, and Taylor Swift - they have features that I believe - everyone can relate to.  Their universal beauty provides healing and protection.  It also allows us to see ourselves as more beautiful - by practicing on someone else.  I think Kelsey Plum as the face of the WNBA will open humble doors - that we didn’t realized were closed.  It’s like - “white” culture back in the nineties was not just tripping.  They were up to something.  The popularity of BTS - may be proof that there’s something going on.  The world has to address the negative and hold ourselves accountable for our actions - before we plan the positive.  The best we can do in the meantime is prepare for something better.  

[maciek-jozefowicz]

Forbidden Thought #115

I’ve been thinking — proclaiming women as being equal to men seems premature. It’s fine to do so as a courtesy. It’s fine as a “social construct”. It may be necessary if you want to get laid. But it is not a biological, or social, reality. Women have not yet proven themselves to be men’s equal. (Of course, that’s different from saying that women should have equal opportunities to prove themselves. They should have equal opportunities, and they do have equal opportunities.)

What I mean is that anybody, or so it seems, can be a doctor, a lawyer, a politician, a professional athlete (as long as it is in their own gender group — women have yet to prove that they’re good enough to make men’s sports teams and compete against men in sports), a computer coder, an actor, a singer, a designer, an artist, etc., but it is men who built, and build, the world. I mean that literally. It is men who erect (maybe that’s the problem — women can’t erect) houses, apartments, offices, towering high-risers, stadiums, bridges, roads, tunnels, the underground system of pipes and sewers, etc. The construction industry is almost exclusively made up of men. There may not be a greater gender inequity in any other profession (hypocritically, though not surprisingly, neither Feminists nor Progressives decry this particular gender inequity as a “social injustice”), and yet it may be the most important profession of all (something that is not, but should be, acknowledged). We live the way we live because of construction workers, which are all, or nearly all, men. Without these men’s work, we’d be living in caves, tents and teepees, and walking on footpaths (and, to put it crudely, shitting in the bushes).

Has anyone seen a woman carrying 2x4s (or sheets of plywood) to be made into a stud wall? Or placing a steel beam into place? Or pumping concrete into formwork? I propose that we should delay declaring women to be men’s equal until 50% of the construction workers that build our world are women. Until then, it is not inappropriate, though highly discourteous and politically incorrect in the extreme, for men to feel superior to women. Many of us have forgotten that it is men who have constructed the world whose conveniences women, as well as men, of course, are fortunate to enjoy. (Maybe we should have a Men’s Month every year to remind us.)

. . .

Equality — being treated as equal, being seen as equal, in all ways exactly, with all things exactly — has become a toxic obsession in our culture. I suspect that this obsession is causing a lot of people a lot of distress. I expect that this distress will lead to an increase in mental unhealth.

[zyzy30]

Arnis tournament review: why I'm proud this girl in a sad kind way

As a martial arts enthusiast, I recently attended an Arnis tournament and was blown away by the level of skill and dedication displayed by the participants. However, there was one particular girl who stood out to me, and while I was proud of her, I also couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness. In this review, I will share my thoughts on the event and why this girl's performance left such an impact on me.

Along with what we known as "Arnisadora," a female arnis practitioner, we believe that we can still support them in spite of the martial art and sport that they practice simultaneously, their abilities proving that they can gain confidence in taking on stronger opponents, as well as by encouraging women to stand up for themselves. Being part of the martial art sport field like Arnis can taught us discipline and self control. The acknowledgement of the Arnis in the Philippines serves as a reminder of the challenges and tribulations since that the country endured while it was colonized by Spain. Despite being played in many nations, arnis is said to be most authentic in the Philippines since it is done so with pride and respect.

The Event

The Arnis tournament was held at a local gym and featured participants from various martial arts schools in the area. The atmosphere was electric, with the sound of sticks clashing and cheers from the audience filling the air. The tournament consisted of different categories, including forms, sparring, and weapon disarming. Forms

By Saif71.com (https://unsplash.com/@saif71)

Forms, also known as "katas," are a series of choreographed movements that showcase the practitioner's technique and control. The participants in this category were all incredibly skilled, with their fluid movements and precise strikes leaving the audience in awe.

Sparring

Sparring is a crucial aspect of any martial art, as it allows practitioners to test their skills in a controlled environment. The sparring matches in this tournament were intense, with participants using a combination of strikes, blocks, and footwork to gain the upper hand. It was evident that these fighters had put in countless hours of training to reach this level of proficiency.

Weapon Disarming

One of the most exciting categories in the tournament was weapon disarming. In this category, participants had to defend against an attacker armed with a stick or knife and disarm them using their own weapon. The speed and precision displayed by these participants were truly impressive, and it was clear that they had mastered the art of weapon disarming.

The Girl Who Stood Out

Amidst all the skilled participants, there was one girl who caught my attention. She was a young teenager, and it was her first time competing in a tournament. Despite her lack of experience, she showed incredible determination and fearlessness in her matches. She may not have won any medals, but her performance was nothing short of inspiring.

Why I'm Proud, But Also Sad

As I watched this girl compete, I couldn't help but feel proud of her for stepping out of her comfort zone and giving her all in the tournament. However, I also felt a sense of sadness because I knew that she would face many challenges and obstacles as a female martial artist. In a male-dominated sport, it takes a lot of courage and resilience for a girl to pursue her passion for martial arts.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Arnis tournament was a fantastic event that showcased the skill and dedication of its participants. While I was proud of all the participants, it was the young girl who left the biggest impression on me. I hope that she continues to pursue her passion for martial arts and inspires other girls to do the same.

[avocifera]

BLIND - bada lee social media au

✶‘ pairings: bada lee x maria vitória delaqua - oc

previous. masterlist. next.

chapter warnings: none, if something slipped feel free tell me about it.

author notes: this wasn’t proofread because i was too anxious to post it so i’m sorry in advance!

As soon as Jam Republic entered the studio for Street Woman Fighter 2, Maria’s head became full of anxiety. Yes, she was excited and grateful for the opportunity but was also scared that she could make people look down on her crew. Plus, she’d be in a room full of beautiful and talented women, this could easily be heaven or hell. Kirsten, always an attentive leader, quickly noticed the shift in the Brazilian girl’s personality and stood by her side, rubbing her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. The moment the international crew entered the corridor and started seeing the doors and messages left on the chalkboards they started to understand that everything was beginning.

Jam Republic wasn’t as well known as a group as some other competitors, some famous for being together for over 10 years, but it didn’t mean they were less skilled and talented than them. Kirsten was an amazing leader and hand-picked each one of the dancers on her crew, all of them having a different style and crucial importance on what made Jam Republic them. The six-membered crew was diverse and had an insane relationship as a group.

Kirsten Dodger, the leader and globally famous dancer had a unique and fierce way of dancing and leading her girls. Attentive and affectionate, she would daily remind her members of the importance of having fun and enjoying every single thing that happened to them above everything. Of course, she had help with leading and helping the others and Latrice was her right-hand woman for that. Born in Australia, Latrice was fueled by a sexy

and powerful dance style that also reflected her enchanting personality.

Ling Zhang, another jammie, is also a well-known name internationally for a reason, her career is filled with experiences in the Royal Family dance crew and numerous works with world-famous artists that explain a little about her fluid and big-on-variety dance style. Self-proclaimed mom of the group, Ling was the one who contacted Emma, a crazy hip-hop dancer who has had the most mind-blowing moves since she was four.

Maria Vitória, the Brazilian of the group was their vitamin and biggest source of energy alongside their youngest, Audrey. Known for battling since a young age and being great in multiple dance styles, Mavi carried a lot of tension on her shoulders, but wouldn’t ever let it affect her fun during the program and she had to thank someone for making sure she never forgot that…Audrey, the princess-like girl who hid bone-breaking moves under her sleeve.

Participating in a competition. that big meant a lot to the crew and all the dancers involved, they had the opportunity to showcase their talents that most of the time were kept behind the artists they worked with all while meeting and competing against insanely skilled people. The cash prize and diamond rings were also a pretty good reason to get hyped for. But, at least to Mavi, they were in the second plan whenever she thought about Street Woman Fighter 2.

Inside Jam Republic’s room, the girls seemed to forget the pressure of the experience and share their excitement instead. Emma talked about how she never thought she’d be part of such a crazy show in Korea, while Ling danced along with Audrey, making Latrice and Maria laugh. Kirsten could only look at her members with love and affection, proud of them for still enjoying themselves when she knew they were also super nervous.

The calm and happy moment was abruptly interrupted by the television, the message of how many “no respect” stickers each of them got making the jammies break of people look down on them for being their happy and fun persona. Yes, they knew people would look down on them solely for being an international crew, but that didn't mean it would upset them less to be considered dancers who don't deserve respect.

The atmosphere inside Bebe’s room wasn’t that different, except for their members not being chosen as “no-respect” dancers since they were all hidden in the shadow of their leader, Bada Lee. All the members were pretty calm considering they most likely wouldn’t battle, but their leader was quiet, her brain working harder than ever. Kpop’s favorite choreographer couldn’t help but create plenty of strategies in her mind, already envisioning who must've chosen her to battle against.

“Who do you guys think is the prettiest in real life? My bet is on Lia Kim unnie!” a very hyper Minah exclaimed, jumping up and down on her seat while looking at her members.

“I’m not sure, but I hope to see Maria Vitória battle! Do you guys know she does breaking as well?” Tatter, always the fangirl, asked checking out for the other's eyes.

Everyone was enjoying the moment, talking and imagining what insane battles they would see. Everyone except someone…Why were they obsessed with the women? Ok, they were great dancers but it was a competition, they shouldn't fawn over other contestants.

It didn’t take long for the television to light up with the notice that it was time for Team Bebe to come out and enter the fight zone. Bada quickly got up and prepared her members to officially enter the competition, saying some kind words and reminding them that no matter what happened, they were insanely talented.

As soon as Bebe entered the fight zone, they became amazed by the greatness of the studio, everything was thoroughly planned and it exuded an aggressive aura. The girls gathered together in front of the big screen, watching other crew's opinions about them and only growing more irritated at those who viewed them as “Bada and her shadows”. Although irritated with the comments directed towards them, Bebe also saw that Jam Republic seemed very sweet and weren’t as rude as others with how they expressed their feelings and became even more anxious to meet the international group, hoping they would have a chance to talk to the dancers besides competing with them.

The more crews entered, the more tense the atmosphere became inside the fight zone. Every dancer was slightly irritated about the comments directed toward them, some more than others but always had the same feeling. It also didn't take long for Bada to become a little nervous wreck too, with her intimidated face when Wolf’Lo approached her and her visible gulps whenever she stared at proving everything and more. The entrance of 1million shortly after DeepnDap was like adding alcohol to an already occurring fire, the names of Lia Kim and Mina Myoung becoming way too pronounced as everyone anticipated a possible battle between the two dancers.

Soon the arena was almost full, with only one crew still to enter the zone: Jam Republic. It was safe to say that Ladybounce, Bebe, Manequeen, 1million, Wolf’lo, DeepnDap, and Tsubakill were all at the edge of their seats, anticipating the arrival of the last crew.

Inside the international dance group room the atmosphere was the same and different at the same time, the six women anxious to meet everyone and officially start what was their craziest reality so far. Their leader, Kirsten, gathered all of them at the center of the room, doing a quick breathing exercise and speaking some words of encouragement. Giving them a little slap on the butt, the leader was the last to leave and started making the way towards the fight zone.

“Oh my god, this is huge! Was season one like that too?” Emma, who binge-watched everything street woman/fighter-related asked, almost sprained her neck while trying to get a whole view of the structure.

“Guys, let’s all put on our bad bitches face to make them scared? Will it work?” Exclaimed a very hyper Ling, earning light chuckles from Latrice and Audrey.

While having fun with her members and their reactions, Maria took the opportunity to search for her already-known faces, fully immersing herself into their ‘bad bitches’ persona merely seconds after. Jam Republic wore outfits that showcased their individual personalities while still having the pink color to represent their unity as a group. Vitória wore a short black jumpsuit with a pink button-up shirt completing her look, the girl wanted to make the art that hung on her body one more surprise at the moment she’d battle.

As they stepped on the stairs, screams and chatter could be heard. To say people were already in love with the women would be a very close call to the truth, everyone was left impressed by how beautiful they were. Being even more specific, everybody was left astonished by Audrey and Maria’s faces. The girls stood side by side, exuding different vibes but capturing hearts simultaneously.

The six girls all gathered in the middle of the room, curious about what people had to say about them. Five of them seemed to be taking the criticism pretty well, but Maria was getting angrier every time something bad was said about her teammates. She didn’t care about what they said to her, Brazil had taught her how to be tuff and she only smirked, earning some “wows” as she did so, but she simply wouldn’t allow others to act as if the rest of Jam Republic were nothings when she knew pretty well that loud mouths acted tame when faced with confrontation.

“Wow girl, so many harsh comments, hm? I bet all this confidence disappears the moment you step foot on a battle against the one you said was nothing but a pretty face.” Maria spoke calmly and without a change of tone in her voice seconds after Gooseul from DeepnDap shared her views on Audrey.

The pink-haired girl was able to listen to the comment and shivered in her seat, hiding herself behind her leader, Mina Myoung.

As soon as the video ended it was announced how many no-respect stickers each of them got. Audrey had the most, six dancers had chosen her, and Maria was right behind her, being selected four times. Jammies only laughed at the numbers, their youngest held two thumbs up and her best smile. On the walk to their seats, they all said hi and bowed to some dancers, really grasping the energy that was created in the fight zone. Maria was very curious about who the judges would be, trying to guess some of them and completely spacing out.

The action wasn’t ignored by the crews next to her and Chocol couldn’t help but to gain a little more interest in the brunette who held such a mysterious and serious aura, but became a hyper version of herself when close to her members. Minah also noticed how the woman had a contrasting side and was quick to whisper her new-found discovery from her members, earning a scoff from her leader who simply didn’t allow herself to view the dancers as anything besides competition.

Bebe was curious about the reason why their leader was acting like that. Sure, she seemed cold and unapproachable at first but wasn’t one to simply brush off the opportunity to meet new people and talented work partners. Could it possibly have something related to her boyfriend? Not all of the dancers were very fond of the man, those personally closest to Bada knew that he had a strong opinion on how women should be.

The atmosphere changed once again when a sound came, announcing the entrance of their MC. The craziness was general as Kang Daniel entered the stage, the man was known for being a great MC and an experienced one. He quickly introduced himself, winning a few more happy chants and finally, it was time to announce the three judges. Monika from Prowdmon was the first to be called and half of the women there simulated a fainting action. The woman entered the stage as elegant as ever, sitting in one of the three chairs that stood right in front of the stage.

“I can’t believe that she’s a judge, had I known I’d bring a wedding ring or maybe a choker with her name on it.” Maria joked and laughed with her members, being taken aback by the second judge’s announcement.

Shownu from MonstaX got on the stage while many girls sang and danced to some of his songs, the man smiling at their actions and following Monika on the chairs. The last judge to be announced was Mike Song and, as soon as his name was said everybody went feral. Jam Republic’s leader exchanged looks with Tsubakill’s Akanen as if they were celebrating the presence of an international judge together. Monika, Shownu, and Mike briefly introduced themselves, promising to be honest and fair judges and it was time for the first mission to be announced. The battles were finally starting.

Kang Daniel explained the rules of the first battle, No Respect, and gave the members a quick break so they could change into dance clothes and talk a bit to their crews, and others if they wished to do so. Everybody ran in the direction of their hideouts and the pink girls were quick to throw themselves on the couch, excited to talk about everything that had happened so far.

“So Maria, who was the dancer that you found the most attractive? Anyone you wanna kiss so far?” An agitated Emma asked the Brazilian in a teasing tone, her face filled with crazy kid energy.

taglist! @bluebada @faatxma @bada-lee-ily @smh-anon @boombadabby @lovystar @badasgirlfriend @prilux @alexx-iia @prettygz @princhii @jesuschrist2006 @kdacase @pinksults @neuftaeng @maknaehyucks @imnotriri @aswho1estuff @froufrousnowman @kayascar @moonsvrse @b1ackbunny @badaslali @amararosesblog @taruusmoon

[kingzblogs]

Versatile Jiu-Jitsu Gi: Beyond the Mat

The Jiu-Jitsu gi, or kimono, is an essential item of clothing for students of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). A Jiu-Jitsu gi's principal use is implied by the name, although it has many more applications than only on the mat. 

Practice and Contest

A Jiu-Jitsu gi's primary and most visible use is to be worn during practice and competition in the sport. Joint locks, chokes, sweeps, and positional control are only some of the techniques practiced and executed by BJJ practitioners while wearing the jiujitsu gi. It makes it possible to train and compete under safe and uniform conditions.

Methods Relying on the Gi

Many BJJ moves require the gi to be worn. The jiu jitsu gi is used to get a good grasp on an opponent and limit their range of motion. Jui jitsu gi-based BJJ relies heavily on sleeve control, collar chokes, lapel wraps, and belt grips. The gi's fabric provides for a wide range of grips, helping students hone their control.

Controlling the Temperature

As a training garment, the gi helps keep practitioners at a comfortable temperature. Bjj rash guard is actually very good. Its multilayer construction insulates against the cold and keeps you warm. On the other hand, as temperatures rise, you may wear it loosely for added airflow and comfort.

Cleanliness and Security

The gi is worn for both practical and hygienic reasons during practice. Bjj rash guards are the best. It prevents your skin from coming into contact with the mat, which helps prevent mat burns and skin infections. A healthy training environment relies on the usage of clean and well-maintained gis.

Unique Expression

Jiu-Jitsu practitioners frequently use the design and patches on their gis as a means of displaying their unique style and allegiance to their peers. Many bjj rashguards are modifiable, so martial artists may add patches, emblems, and embroidery to express their unique sense of style or show support for their favorite teams and academies.

Belt Advancement

A practitioner's rank and experience are indicated by the color and style of the belt they wear with their Jiu-Jitsu gi. You can buy rashguard for men online. New belts are added to the gi and worn by students as they advance in rank. The advancement of a practitioner via the belt system is a visible expression of their commitment and development as an artist.

Defensive Tactics

Outside of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a gi can be worn for protection and self-defense. Rashguard for women is indeed used widely. The sturdy construction of the cloth and the stitching provide the wearer an advantage in instances where they need to defend themselves or exert control over an adversary.

Informal Garb

Outside of formal training, some practitioners like lounging around in their gi. Although the gi isn't the obvious pick, people who are dedicated to the BJJ culture can benefit from wearing it every day because of how comfortable and long-lasting it is. Spats are actually very good.

The Jiu-Jitsu gi represents more than simply a uniform for practice; it's also a sign of history, dedication, and adaptability. Its value goes beyond the mat in terms of communication, comfort, safety, and even self-defense. The gi's continued relevance in the world of martial arts and beyond is a tribute to its continuing worth, whether you are a serious practitioner or just someone who loves the gi's principles and practicality.