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amphtaminedreams · 4 months

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Valentino RTW F/W24-

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Best of the Year (So Far)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So that’s it’s for now girlies:-)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lauren x

#Fashion week #pfw #paris fashion week #high fashion #fashion inspo #haute couture #style inspo #style #roberto cavalli #alaia #etro #gucci #marni #ottolinger #oude waag #tom ford #Chloé

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andrewmoocow · 1 year

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Steven Universe Snake Eyes chapter 7: Gods and Monsters (originally published on October 9, 2023)

AN: And so, we enter the biggest bomb I've ever dropped in one of my stories since I revealed that Haruko Haruhara was saved from her destroyed home planet by Rick Sanchez and eventually betrayed him for Atomsk before meeting Dipper and Mabel Pines. The origins of the Gem race has been one of the biggest mysteries in all of Steven Universe with tons of fans giving their own ideas on it, even as far back as the first season. I've pondered that too sometimes, but there are some parts of the series that are best left to the imagination. Well, until now that is! In this version of Steven's universe, the story of Gemkind shall finally be revealed for all to see, and you all have front row seats to a glimpse at a whole universe's worth of backstory and quite possibly the biggest threat Steven will face yet.

Synopsis: Steven and company meet the creator of all Gemkind and learn of an evil far greater than Black Rutile.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl

Aurelio Voltaire as King Cobralan Serpentes

Shirley Millner as Queen Constricta Serpentes

Neil Flynn as Aescul

Henry Rollins as Captain Boa

Jennifer Paz as Lapis

Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Grace Rolek as Connie

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Patti LuPone as Yellow Diamond

Lisa Hannigan as Blue Diamond

Christine Ebersole as White Diamond/Gem

Sarah Stiles as Spinel

Peter Cullen as Titanium

Frank Welker as Tungsten

David Kaye as Steel

Corey Burton as Chromium

Bumper Robinson as Gold

Scott McNeil as Iron

Jeffrey Combs as Mercury

Hailee Steinfeld as Zinc

Jason Marsden as Prince Nosiop Jormagundr

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Keith David as Pyth

Matthew Moy as Lars

Zach Steel as Ronaldo

Atticus Shaffer as Peedee

Cissy Jones as Princess Naja Jormagundr

Enuka Okuma as Rhodonite

Kathleen Fisher as Fluorite

Erica Luttrell as Padparadscha Sapphire

Ashly Burch as Rutile Twins

Jeff Bennett as Murinus/The Sheriff

Featuring Samantha Newark as The Lapidarist

And Joel Grey as King Serpentes I

---

The date, 420,000 years ago. The place, the prehistoric planet that would someday become Serpentes, the capital of the Slytherophidian empire. Before it would become the mighty metropolis that thrived on forcing species from across the universe to compete, Serpentes was a small scattering of snake people colonies dotting the planet's countryside, all under the shaky rule of one monarch, its namesake king Serpentes the First. Serpentes typically spent time away from his subjects on expeditions to explore the planet and learn its history, as he proclaimed himself a scholar. But there was one discovery that would change not just the history of his home planet but the entire universe as well.

"Found anything yet, sire?" a Slytherophidian dressed as a cowboy asked while spitting into a bucket. "We've been out here for weeks and still haven't found any ancient ruins and all that! Might I suggest we quit the tomb raider business, cut back on searching uncharted lands and temples of doom, and go home already?"

"No, Murinus, there has to be something we're missing. I know it!" Serpentes muttered to himself while examining the map in his hands. "We just need to keep looking!"

"Look, Your Highness, I can totally get your eagerness to explore, but I'm happy with just kicking back and letting you do all the work." Murinus said before turning his tail into feet and kicking them on a rock. "Hey, do you see a light somewhere over there?"

"A light? Where?!" Serpentes excitedly replied while gazing out into the horizon. "By Jove, I think you're right! We must go there immediately!" To the king's delight, he could see a faint beam of light ejecting from an ancient temple hidden in the distance. "Come along, Murinus!"

"Me and my big mouth," Murinus said to himself as his king dragged him along toward the temple as the beam got even brighter the closer they got. Upon arriving at the temple, the beam of light was at its absolute brightest, and Serpentes couldn't be more excited.

"Hm, I must say, this would make a nice castle to live in." Serpentes mused as the duo entered the temple, which was filled with crystals and rocks jutting out of the walls and the ceiling. But the most peculiar inhabitant was a large, crystalline being gently clutching a bubble housing a strange gemstone. "And who might you be?"

"Almost there, my child. Almost there." The being whispered to her bubble before she turned to discover Serpentes and Murinus in front of her. "More snakes? You shouldn't be here."

"Do not worry, giant woman. We come in peace." Serpentes calmed the being down. "My name is Serpentes, the king of the Slytherophidians. And this is my companion, Murinus. Say hi, Murinus."

"Howdy." Murinus tipped his hat to the giant woman. "Say, what's that you got in there, madame?"

"Oh, this?" the giant said, presenting the gemstone inside her bubble to the two Slytherophidians. "I've been working on it for the past couple of eons. I call it Gem. It is an advanced lifeform that possesses extraordinary powers unseen by mortals, but I'm not sure how I can test it to make sure it won't harm anybody with how powerful it is."

"Then, why don't I help you take care of it?" King Serpentes offered his assistance. "Maybe I can set up a way for it to grow and control its powers so that everyone can watch and see how strong it is."

"That is a wonderful idea, Serpentes." The giant agreed with the king and shook his hand, sealing the deal.

"By the way, I don't think I ever got your name," Serpentes said.

"My name?" the giant replied. "My name has been lost to time, but you may call me the Lapidarist."

In the present day, Steven and the Crystal Gems were being taken through the Jormagundrs' castle towards a hidden doorway by the royal guards, all having no idea what to expect when King Cobralan said it was time for them to learn the truth. As the trip grew longer, the group was soon joined by different sets of guards escorting Greg & Connie and the Diamonds.

"So, uh, what are we doing?" Greg asked nervously. "I was going to cheer you up after your big fight with Black Rutile, but then suddenly, these guys told me they had something I needed to see."

"Do they have a birthday surprise planned for Steven?" Peridot added just as curious.

"I don't know." Yellow Diamond answered. "But whatever it is, I don't think we'll ever be the same after today."

"You are indeed correct, Yellow Diamond," Aescul said as he led the group through the dark corridors hidden within the castle walls to a mysterious chamber that closely resembles the Crystal Temple back on Earth. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet your maker. Hee, I always wanted to say that."

"Wait, our maker? As in the creator of all Gemkind?!" Pearl squawked in shock as the Gems and humans bore witness to a massive, crystalline being kneeling before them, its face utterly blank except for a large diamond on it and wild, spiky hair not unlike White Diamond's.

"Hello, my children." The giant said. "I am the Lapidarist. I am the creator of all Gems."

"Dude, this is so sick!" Amethyst yelled in amazement. "We're face to face with our actual god here!"

"Correction, she is our god as well." Titanium declared as he and the other Metals emerged from the shadows of the chamber to meet their sister race. "So the rumors were true. Our creator still lives."

"Hello there, Miss Lapidarist." Steven greeted the Lapidarist. "My name's Steven Universe. Uh, do you like being called Miss, or do you prefer any other pronouns?"

"On the contrary, my friend, my species has evolved past the need for what you call genders." The Lapidarist explained. "But Miss Lapidarist does have a nice ring to it."

"So, this is the mother of all Gems?" Spinel wondered while scratching her head and sitting on Yellow's shoulder. "How come we never knew about this?"

"Hello there, Lapidarist." White Diamond said sourly as she glared at the creator of the Gem race. "Fancy seeing you again after millions of years."

"Ah, Gem. What a surprise." The Lapidarist greeted White with an inquisitive tilt of her head. "What is it you're calling yourself these days, White Diamond? Not sure if I like the name."

"Okay, enough with the introductions, everybody!" Mercury complained. "Now then, big lady, the snake people said they were going to give us answers, and by your name or whatever, we're gonna get some answers!"

"Actually, we prefer to be called Slytherophidians, Mr. Mercury." Captain Boa corrected the curmudgeonly Metal medic. "The Lapidarist has been the royal family's best-kept secret for generations, all the way back to our first king Serpentes I."

"We've been watching your race for a few years now because the Lapidarist wanted to see if Steven truly meant well in making the radical changes he did to Gem society." King Cobralan added.

"Well, I sure did, no matter what certain emotionally stunted terrorists may say," Steven said assuredly, unaware that Black Rutile, Nosiop, and Pyth were watching from afar.

"Hmph, yeah, right." Black Rutile said glumly while the three villains kept themselves hidden. "Just wait until I use the Lapidarist's powers to wipe you out for good."

"So Miss Lapidarist, earlier you called White Diamond by the name Gem," Garnet said. "We'd like to learn more about that; thank you."

"That was the name I was given when the Lapidarist created me," White said, rolling her eyes as she cringed at the thought like a human would when remembering their awkward teenage years. "And a name I've abandoned for eons."

"Well, allow me to enlighten you." The Lapidarist said while altering the entire room like a holodeck to present the Crystal Gems with White Diamond's hidden past.

In the beginning, there was only one. A single black infinitude, so cold and dark for so very long that even the burning light was imperceptible. But then the infinitude found release, and at last, the darkness broke, filling it with shining stars. From these stars came the Lapidarists, who filled this newly born universe with life. On that day, the universe as we knew it was born. Cells, molecules, atoms, from ions to pions, muons to gluons, neutrinos, gravitinos, these were the first planets to be forged by this race of builders, with life blossoming on each one. Life, a precious gift persevering in the face of every obstacle, but it would soon come under attack.

Where there was light to create the first sentient beings, there was a being of pure darkness and evil that sought to extinguish it. A terrible snake-like creature of frightening power known as Squamata devoured planet after planet, millions of voices suddenly crying out in terror before they were just as suddenly silenced. The Lapidarists tried all they could to stop this threat from becoming more powerful. They created many races like the Magmen, the Metals, the Slytherophidians, and the races of the first Universal Lords to combat it. While they successfully sealed Squamata away beneath the future planet of Serpentes, it came at the cost of the entire Lapidarist race being wiped out except for one. Declaring itself the guardian of the monster's resting place, the last Lapidarist isolated itself from the rest of the universe in a hidden temple where it spent millenniums forging the being that would eventually save the universe from their ancient foe. But all of that changed one fateful day.

"Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the first-ever challenger of the Contest of Champions, Gem!" King Serpentes announced as he revealed the Lapidarist's creation to the other Slytherophidians. Gem was a tall, pale-skinned female humanoid with copious amounts of mascara applied and dressed as a warrior, but her most distinguishing feature was a gemstone attached to her forehead. "I had found this creature one day years ago on an expedition to the wilderness of our planet and brought her home with me. That was when I got the idea to have her compete against species from other worlds to see who is truly the strongest in the universe. Now then, release her competition!"

The gates opened, and out came a green, hulking humanoid with massive muscles wearing only purple pants that let out a booming roar. Gem just smirked and pulled a spear from her gem that she used to fight the monster.

"What an astounding display of strength, ladies and gentlemen!" King Serpentes exclaimed as Gem duked it out with the ogre-like beast, showing great tenacity and grace compared to the monster serving as her opponent. "Perhaps if more were to come, we would make this into an annual event where champions from far and wide could come and display their powers, like the Grendel we captured, for example!"

"Just a little bit more, you disgusting Grendel!" Gem exclaimed eagerly as she began stabbing at the monster with her spear, causing it to leak pink blood to the cheers of her adoring fans. "Yes, you all love me!"

"And what a shocker, everyone!" Serpentes exclaimed as Gem finished off the Grendel. "Gem has slain the creature! She is truly an amazing warrior!"

"Oh, thank you, thank you all!" Gem accepted the riotous applause as she reunited with King Serpentes outside the arena. "Oh, Your Majesty, I had so much fun today!"

"Perfect, Gem. And you'll be having more fun for years to come." Serpentes said as the two walked away to the temple from whence she came, which was now having a new castle built over it.

"Um, Mr. Serpentes, if I may ask a question," Gem asked her king. "Have you ever thought about letting me explore the planet like you do? Maybe even the whole galaxy, the universe even? I bet there are infinite possibilities for me to explore out there!"

"Now, now, Gem, don't get too excited." Serpentes calmed Gem down. "I admire your enthusiasm, but your one true purpose is here, right at my side and fighting in the Contest of Champions."

"But I just want to explore like you do!" Gem urged her father figure, now sounding an awful lot like a certain pink diamond. "Why can't you let me?!"

"I understand, my dear, but the universe is a vast and dangerous place filled with millions of species that could no doubt either kill you or steal you for themselves," Serpentes explained. "Please understand that this is why you are forbidden from ever leaving Serpentes. Now, I'm off to speak with the construction workers, so you behave yourself, young lady."

Although Gem understood why Serpentes was so protective of her, she felt utterly sheltered in the world she called home. However, while the king did say Gem was forbidden from ever leaving the planet, she assumed he didn't mean more than one of her.

"Wow, White was just like Pink when she was created?" Steven realized as his eyes were opened to White Diamond's past while giving the three Diamonds a smug smirk.

"Maybe that's why you abused her so much because she reminded you of yourself," Connie added wryly.

"Guess it's true what they say. Some people are more alike than you think." Gold giggled at White's embarrassing memory while the Diamond blushed in shame.

"Don't make that face at me, White; don't deny what you were in the past." The Lapidarist chided her creation. "Do you remember what happened afterward?"

"Do you not?" White asked, her eyes widened in genuine surprise as she tried to dodge the question.

"Ooo-hoo-hoo, this should be juicy!" Steel giggled eagerly as White took a deep breath and came clean.

"Yes, I remember what happened afterward," White admitted. "For hundreds of years, I took advantage of a loophole created by Serpentes and created the first Gems."

Using technology stolen from another race that she reverse-engineered herself into what would later be known as Injectors, Gem began using Serpentes's resources to create more beings like her that she would dub Gem. However, this would come at the cost of the planet slowly suffering the effects of these Injectors draining its life energy, causing dozens to die in uncharted parts of the planet. Upon discovering this courtesy of Murinus, Serpentes sought to do something about this crisis.

"Are you sure that Gem could be to blame for all of this?" Murinus said as he and Serpentes marched to the Devil's Palm canyon, named as such for resembling a humanoid hand with a plateau in the center where the palm would be. "At least she ain't running off to explore the universe."

"And that's the problem!" Serpentes exclaimed. "When I said she was forbidden from leaving, this was not what I meant!" Soon, the duo arrived at the Devil's Palm, where they discovered not just one colorful humanoid with a gemstone on her body but dozens upon dozens more of them. "What in the?!"

"SERPENTES!" the new species all cried out in delight at Serpentes's arrival.

"Hey, your Majesty." One of them greeted casually as Serpentes tried moving his way through the sea of humanoids to reach Gem.

"Gem, what is the meaning of this?!" Serpentes yelled angrily at his creation. "Whatever you are doing, you will soon destroy this whole planet! Is this what you wanted, to tear our world apart and then abandon it to find some other planet to terrorize?!"

"No, my lord, this is not what you think!" Gem urged Serpentes. "You forbade me from leaving Serpentes, but you didn't say the same for all these creatures that I call Gems. Nice name, don't you think?"

"Yes, that is a very nice name, but that's not the point, my child." Serpentes said while drawing out a sword from his hip. "I am sorry, but to ensure the safety of our planet, I'm afraid I'll have to shatter you."

"Is that so?" Gem said as she drew her spear with a smirk. "Then come on, enough talk! Have at you!"

"I will do what I must," Serpentes replied as he readied his blade.

"You will try." Gem added before the two went head-to-head in a mini-Contest of Champions. The Gems that Gem created began cheering for their mother figure as the Slytherophidian and the Gem clashed under the scorching afternoon sun, while Murinus saw fit not to get involved in the situation and wait until it got better.

"You can't keep doing this, Gem!" King Serpentes urged his mighty warrior. "This technology you stole from the Metals was designed to harvest resources from planets at the cost of slowly killing them! How did you even find such things?!"

"Steel practically gave them away when the Metals decided they wanted to live in harmony with their colonies instead of committing genocide." Gem revealed while nimbly dodging a sword swipe. "He just happened to dump them all here one day and let me take some for myself."

"I should really tell them to stop using other planets as a garbage dump for their old tech." Serpentes muttered to himself before seeing an opening on Gem and jabbed his sword into her gem, causing a slight crack.

"W-what did you do?" Gem whimpered in fear as her form glitched while Serpentes looked down at his tail in shame at what he had done. "What did you do to me?"

"I'm sorry, my dear." Serpentes apologized while stroking Gem's face. "But I am only doing what is right." With another stab of the snake king's sword, Gem was utterly shattered, her namesake gemstone on her forehead being reduced to four pieces in four very familiar shapes. "Murinus!"

"Yes, my liege?" Murinus asked as he emerged from his hiding spot before being handed the four gem shards. "Oh no, you didn't."

"I want the Lapidarist to find somewhere for these shards and all of these Gems to flourish so they won't cause any more damage to Serpentes." King Serpentes ordered, looking out at all the Gems inhabiting the Devil's Palm Canyon. "I can handle one Gem, but this many would give me a headache."

And so, with help from the Lapidarist, once she was told of what happened, Gem and all of her creations were exiled to an uncharted planet that would one day become the Gem Homeworld. Hundreds of years afterward, the first of Gem's shards would reform into White Diamond, followed by Yellow, Blue, and Pink Diamond over the next couple thousand years, eventually forming the Great Diamond Authority and beginning to conquer a good portion of the universe that the Universal Lords didn't dominate.

Though the Lapidarist was disappointed at what Gem had become, she vowed not to interfere. She had no choice but to watch as the Diamonds wreaked havoc across the universe, conquering and destroying planet after planet as her story was passed down for generations. At the same time, her fallen kinfolk's other creations, such as the Metals and the Magmen, began rising to prominence in the intergalactic community.

"And that is the story of the Gem race." The Lapidarist concluded her story, having blown everyone's minds with the history she revealed to the Crystal Gems once hidden from the public eye. "I am truly sorry that I have been the author of all your pain through my creation of the Diamonds."

"We know you didn't mean any harm, Lapidarist," Bismuth said. "You only wanted to create life, but then it went horribly wrong."

"And we've carried it with our family for generations." Queen Constricta said while everyone was still unaware of who was spying on them.

"This is most interesting." Nosiop muttered excitedly. "Perhaps once we gather our army, we can unleash this snake creature and prove to the Slytherophidians that we were meant to be conquerors!"

"Yes, conquerors," Pyth smirked deviously like he had other plans in mind that didn't align with the prince's.

"As I said, I am truly sorry, but I can make a change." The Lapidarist stated while presenting a mechanical, orb-like device. "This is an Accretionator. A powerful device with the ability to create a strong gravitational pull that can draw in various asteroids and cosmic dust to revive an entire planet. Observe." To demonstrate, the Lapidarist created a hologram of a Gem colony that Steven and Connie recognized, the planet that the jungle moon they once visited as Stevonnie orbited. When the Accretionator was inserted into the planet, asteroids and space dust were vacuumed to the planet's surface, making it as good as new, like it was never conquered and colonized. "Impressive, isn't it? So tell me, do you accept this bargain?"

"Uh, we're going to need to discuss this among ourselves first," Peridot said as the Crystal Gems huddled together to discuss the Lapidarist's offer. "You saw what that Accretionator can do, right? Hundreds upon thousands of worlds revived in seconds! Do you realize what this means?!"

"Yeah, but what about afterward?" Lapis asked. "Are we just going back to how things were before Era 3 started? I think I know someone who would love that."

"Yeah, yeah, Black Rutile and all that," Jasper added sarcastically. "If Steven didn't completely break her body and her spirit, she'd accept the deal faster than you can say, 'Pull the lever, White Topaz.'"

"So what should we do?" White Topaz asked while looking back at the Lapidarist, patiently awaiting their answer. "I don't want to keep our literal goddess waiting."

"Well, ladies, your final answer?" Captain Boa spoke up. "No need to keep a lady waiting."

The Crystal Gems broke their huddle and turned to the Lapidarist. "Look, we're flattered by your offer and tempted by the chance to heal those broken worlds." Pearl declared. "But we just can't do it; the price is too high."

"The entire reason why we became who we are today is because we wanted to freely express ourselves," Amethyst added. "We wanted to live our own lives without anyone telling us what to do or how to do it."

"And we don't want to harm others simply because they are different. Everyone should be able to coexist regardless if they are flawed." Garnet stated firmly. "Like the Diamonds, for example. They have done horrible things in the past, but they're working to make a change for the better, no matter how hard it may be. I'm sure we have made ourselves loud and clear."

"How interesting." The Lapidarist said with a tilt of her head. "I thought I could coax you into complying like you did with so many other individuals, but it seems I was wrong. You prefer to make a change in your own way."

"You're right," Steven replied. "Besides, we once met alternate versions of ourselves from another dimension who were like our polar opposites, and they didn't want to make a change either."

"Should you tell them, or should I?" White whispered to the other Diamonds.

"Tell them what?" Iron asked, overhearing the three Gems' conversation.

"I don't think I like where this is going." Zinc said disdainfully as the Diamonds turned to face the Gems.

"Steven my dear, lately there have been rumors going around of a cover-up we've been performing," Yellow stated shakily. "Well, I must say that the rumors are true."

"What rumors?" Tungsten asked curiously.

"There were rumors that we were hiding the fact we did indeed wipe out organic life on a couple or so planets." Blue Diamond declared. "Well, suffice to say, the rumors were true. We exterminated all life on planets that were trying to fight back, and we hid the truth by saying we would never kill organic life. It's a secret we've been hiding for years, but somehow, the Slytherophidians found out and used it to blackmail us into coming along with them!"

The Crystal Gems all gasped in shock at this revelation. While they were aware that the Diamonds had done many horrible things over thousands of years, they were always told that the planets they conquered were primarily uninhabited, so hearing that a few worlds turned into colonies did house intelligent life was quite possibly just as, if not even an even bigger shock than learning of their species' origins. But no one took this harder than Steven.

"Why am I not surprised you'd hide something so horrible from us?" Steven said gloweringly, trying his best not to lose his temper again. "I wanted to give you three a chance, even after all the horrible things you did to me, us, and everyone. But no, you just keep hiding secrets from everyone, just like my mom did when she was alive. And especially a secret this awful. This is why I'm always so uncomfortable around you because I'm worried that any moment, whenever I turn my back, you'll just go back to your old ways and try to kill me. So destroy all my friends if you want, because I will make you pay for it."

"Steven, you don't understand. We never wanted it to be like this!" White exclaimed as Steven quietly stormed off.

"You pressed the Mom button." Amethyst declared. "You shouldn't have done that."

"Steven, wait!" Spinel yelled as she jumped off Yellow's shoulder and ran off after Steven, leaving the Crystal Gems, the Diamonds, the Metals, and the Slytherophidians alone with the Lapidarist.

"You know, my offer is still on the table." The Lapidarist suggested to the Diamonds.

"We appreciate the gesture, but it will take more than just one device to atone for what we've done." Blue politely declined the offer. "Is there anything else you want to tell us?"

"Indeed, there is." The Lapidarist replied. "There is a prophecy that states that on the day of Ragnarok, there will be a mighty warrior who will emerge from the merger of a group of troubled beings to save all reality from Squamata." She then began to chant the prophecy out loud while her body shined every possible color in existence. "Enlightened warriors of clashing kinships come from afar to banish the Eclipse. Only when united in heart and mind, can they stop the worlds from being aligned."

"So definitely a fusion then." Garnet declared after a quick analysis of the prophecy.

"Yeah, but of who?" Greg asked curiously.

"That is for you to find out, my mortal friends." The Lapidarist said while reverting her body to normal. "But in the meantime, I sense a great crisis on the immediate horizon."

Elsewhere in the Jormagundrs' castle, Princess Naja was pacing about her room after being locked away by her brother's enforcers for trying to interfere with his plans. "Nosiop can't get away with this." She muttered to herself. "But who can possibly help us in this hour?"

"Hey, anyone in there?" Lars asked as he knocked on the door. "One of the guards told us that somebody got locked up in their room. Can you tell us who you are before we break you out?"

"I'm Princess Naja Jormagundr!" Naja introduced herself to her rescuer. "My brother had me imprisoned here because he's plotting to conquer our race, and he and Black Rutile didn't want me getting in the way! You must tell Steven Universe at once!"

"Don't worry, miss, we got your back!" Ronaldo yelled as he tried breaking down the door by ramming into it. "Agh, my shoulder!"

"Hey, Paddy Sapphire, can you shapeshift us a key hand?" Peedee asked Padparadscha.

"Ooh, Peedee will ask for my help to free the pretty princess!" Padparadscha said before the door opened, revealing Lars, Ronaldo, Peedee, and the Off-Colors on the other side of the door.

"Looks like our princess wasn't in another castle after all," Lars said as he took Naja by the hand and gave her a gentlemanly kiss. "So, what's this about your brother?"

"He wants our race to become conquerors because no one could take him seriously," Naja explained. "He has aligned interests with Black Rutile to further those goals, and I fear they will doom you all."

"Oh dear, not Black Rutile." Fluorite shook her head in disgust. "Nosiop has made the wrong choice. Black Rutile is one of the evilest, cruelest Gems we know."

"Or is she?" Rhodonite wondered. "After her big meltdown to Steven, I'm having second thoughts about Black Rutile."

"Of course, she could also lie to gain people's sympathy." The left Rutile twin suggested.

"That is so like Black Rutile to do that." The right Rutile added.

"So, now, what do we do?" Peedee asked. "Are we just going to wait and see how this goes?"

"Everyone, I have another vision!" Padparadscha exclaimed. "Prince Nosiop Jormagundr is going to make an announcement!"

"Hey, she's right!" Ronaldo gasped before pointing at Nosiop slithering into the stadium. "Look over there!"

At the Ouraborium, Nosiop had returned to his family's viewing box, where he sat on his father's throne alongside the other Universal Lords to make his grand speech. "Today, people of Serpentes, shall be the most glorious day our planet has ever seen." Nosiop declared with Black Rutile and Pyth standing on either side of him. "As of today, I shall now take my father's place as your ruler, for he is not fit to be a king or a Universal Lord. Let this be a wake-up call to you Slytherophidians, the Universal Lords, the Gem race, and the ignorant masses across the entire universe! I shall soon arrive with an entire army of loyal Gems at my side to face down an ancient foe my father has hidden from you for so long! We all must answer to the hand of fate, and fate has chosen me to conquer this world!"

As soon as Nosiop finished his speech with an evil laugh, the entire stadium was sent into a frenzy, wondering if their prince was joking or if he intended to conquer Serpentes. The Universal Lords were left shocked at this declaration, but none were as affected by this as Black Rutile, who looked to one side as she began contemplating her role in Nosiop's plans.

And so, Nosiop pulls off step one of his grand plan. Announce what he's doing to the world and make everyone so scared and confused, they'll have no idea what to do with him. Yeah, talk about dropping a lot of bombs in just one chapter, but this isn't the end of it! Next chapter, we'll be in the homestretch with chaos aplenty and a contemplation of where certain characters will end up by the end. It can only get crazier from here, folks.

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