#which is really sad and fairly classist

[biatels]

Where did you watch Tesis? I can't seem to find it anywhere and I typically avoid pirating due to paranoia but it intrigues me so I'd consider pirating it

I'm glad I convinced you to watch tesis bc of Chema (literally look at his face!!!). At least here in Spain it's available on Netflix and then some other platforms (but you have to pay. I wouldn't tbh.)

I've been scouring the Earth and couldn't really find anything tho :( BUT i found this: https://ok.ru/video/6115372305099 And I really really don't know where to find it with subs :((

If you have access to a vpn and a netflix subscription, then i recommend trying a spanish account (i don't know if latin america has access to it, it would be interesting to hear about it!)

It's really weird it's not more accessible, some consider it a Fundamental movie in our cinematography. much to think about.

[junkshop-disco]

Did you watch the Guy/Thomas scenes? Just wondering if it changed your opinion at all. I can't decide whether to watch them or if it'll upset me :(

I did. Under here for anyone still (somehow) dodging spoilers.

Tbh I quite liked some of the scenes themselves and the actors do a good job with the little they're given (although the colouring makes everyone look like Ross in The One With The Spray Tan Mishap, good luck gif makers). But I am still... sort of confused/uncomfortable about how ambiguously it's pitched? The music is doing a lot of heavy lifting to suggest the storyline is romantic but despite the likability of Guy in the other scenes, if I was at work and someone came into my office, sort of offered me a job and then felt me up, I would punch them. And I can't quite shake that feeling of not knowing what this is supposed to be: romance, work offer, some kind of job with benefits arrangement, or just sexual harassment Thomas is too weary to fight against or sees some kind of opportunity for escape in.

Regardless of what I think of the plot, I would like to be certain what the plot actually is, you know? If it's a romance, have Thomas kiss him and make it clear? If it's not, leave off with the workplace groping unless you're making a point about period-typical workplace groping? That Thomas himself seems confused about the nature of their relationship in the scene with Mary does not help and makes the whole thing come across like one big hedged bet, so if you're hoping for closure by watching the scenes or the film, you're probably not going to get it.

It feels to me like whether you're into this storyline for Thomas or not, you've got to bring a lot to it yourself in order to have it be satisfactory. To be sad for Thomas, you've got to imagine his feelings about leaving Downton and what happened with Richard because they're not really explored. To be pleased for Thomas, you've got to imagine him a future where this pans out somehow: his joy and hope is not on the screen. None of this is new for Thomas or indeed DA generally, of course, but JF has somehow pulled out of the bag a storyline that feels deeply indifferent to Thomas, which imo is the greatest injustice of all whatever your feelings about the content of this film. I can't tell you whether watching the scenes will upset you more or not because I watched them and I'm none the wiser myself.

And not to ramble off, here, but I actually think this touches on a wider problem for me with how JF sees and writes romance as an almost entirely social contract. He repeats the pattern over and over that romantic fulfilment is tied to moving up socially or becoming rich and will deus ex machina things out of his ass to make it happen. See: Edith could've had a perfectly nice romance with Bertie as an agent and continued the writing/editing career she enjoys and provided a counterpoint to Mary's life at Downton, but instead, out of nowhere Bertie is suddenly promoted to one of the most important people in the country despite it being in-verse unlikely and hinging on the death of a person we've never seen onscreen. See also: Molesley has always wanted to make something of himself and finds fulfilment as a teacher but that's not enough for JF, he has to suddenly become a screenwriter before he can be with Baxter, who would've happily married him when he was a delivery boy. There's this sense that meeting a person you love isn't enough: it has to come in a package of being whisked away to something JF considers better and more glamorous and that's nearly always oriented around money and viewed through a deeply classist lens.

Characters who don't follow this pattern tend to get shafted. See: Mary gets a whirlwind romance and a marriage with Henry, overlooking her reservations about his standing, and then he ghosts her on a fairly epic scale for two films and may as well not exist. See: Tom and Sybil marry, live a more ordinary life, and then Sybil dies. The Bateses start with the upgrade package: Bates gets left a house (by his presumably working class mother, but let's just handwave that) and so then they can marry, but the price for this is they will both go to prison for different murders, sexual violence, and a series of miscarriages.

The happiest relationships portrayed are the ones tied to financial or social gain on the part of one person, with Robert and Cora as the blueprint. I'm not saying these kinds of matches are unrealistic or ahistorical when it comes to the aristocracy, but the issue for me is that when you apply the same thinking to working class people, especially working class queer people, you're saying something completely different. You're saying: you don't get to be happy unless someone with more money and status chooses to pluck you out of your life. And with Thomas specifically, you're saying: discovering a community of queer men on your doorstep doesn't matter. Meeting someone from that community doesn't matter (because I do think we're supposed to read Richard as knowing about the existence of Turtons even if he's too circumspect to be a regular). Only proximity to glamour and money matter, making yourself complicit in the system that oppressed you is your only chance at any sort of freedom.

When you look at it like that, in JF world, Thomas could only have ended up with Richard if Richard was somehow revealed to have been a minor royal all along. Which JF couldn't do because he'd basically given that plot to Tom and Lucy.

As a working class queer, I have a massive problem with this underlying current that only social and/or financial climbing can bring contentment in relationships. It doesn't recognise that often part of queerness is seeing that all the systems, not just the ones about sexuality and gender, are complete bullshit. Which is a position and an understanding Thomas has espoused throughout. Guy hints at sharing this viewpoint with his 'don't call me sir' request (which Thomas rejects, incidentally), but his offer is written in such a wooly way that again, you have to do the work yourself to see it as a meeting of minds rather than a conditional, vague promise of enhanced freedom based on servitude and complicity in a bunch of bullshit systems. It just feels really... anti-queer to me, in a way that’s very little to do with how I feel about Guy as a character or even the decisions made around Richard, and far more to do with what the procession of disposable working class men (including Jimmy and Chris) says about the route to happiness and fulfilment presented.  

Anyway this has become a dissertation so I'll stop. Whatever you decide, good luck anon and my inbox is always open for venting <3

[floralovebot]

I'd love to read more about what you think about how often they get in trouble! And since you said Riven would get flack for Musa's songs, do you think he'd get flack for having dated Darcy?

FUCK YEAH DUDE

Fair warning, this is a bit long!

So, for the Winx, I said that most to least likely to get in trouble was Musa, Stella - Bloom, Flora, Tecna, and then Aisha. And for the Specialists, I said Riven, Sky, Brandon, Helia, and then Timmy. Again, I do think who's the most hated greatly depends on the planet and culture, so how often they get into trouble also depends on this (for instance, Stella having a more laid back approach to certain things may get her in trouble on Zenith, but not on Solaria).

Musa: The classic problematic. It's not that she's a bad person, she's just in the news a lot. Sometimes it's about another heartbreak song, sometimes it's about a fight she had with Riven in public, sometimes it's about her dry humor and sarcasm being interpreted as mean, and other times it's about some vague tweet she wrote and never deleted. She advocates for a lot of good stuff and definitely uses her platform to try and change things so she's not the worst celebrity out there, but she also tends to speak before she knows everything and that can occasionally be a problem. She fiercely defends the others when they get into trouble and constantly vagues "news sources" (aka drama sites) so people still view her as a little negative by proxy. (Also, some people think her being a fairy of music gave her an unfair advantage in the music industry and that she isn't actually talented.)

Stella - Bloom: I'm putting them on the same level because I think they're both fairly similar in how often they get into drama. As princesses who often get involved in things, their every movement is under scrutiny. Stella handles it a lot better than Bloom due to her media training and being watched since she was young.

Bloom usually tries to stay out of the negative spotlight but that often makes her seem avoidant of important issues. She does speak up about things but it's usually after days of editing and rewriting her words so she gets accused of only talking about something because people wanted her to. She also tends to get nervous answering anything about politics or Domino so that makes people reluctant to listen to her words. Then there's the obvious drama with Sky. While they aren't as public as Rivusa, things get out quickly and when they're in a heated moment they tend to forget about their surroundings. People from Eraklyon tend to hate both of them because Bloom is "too loud and angry and just being rude" and Sky is "forgetting his place and rising to the challenge, not a great sign for a future king". On the flip side, Bloom has saved the magical universe multiple times and continues to do so. Basically, she's one of those celebrities that you either really love or really hate.

Stella is another classic problematic! Again, it's not that she's a bad person, she just gets noticed a lot. People accuse her of being classist and ignorant just because she's royalty. They also hate whenever she spends a lot of money on things like clothing and makeup because it's seen as a wasted expense (since most of her money pre-S3 was coming from her parents). People absolutely see her as a spoiled brat that can't read the room and doesn't deserve to be queen. Stella often tries to prove those ideas wrong in very subtle ways because she knows outright denying them would only further the problem. But just like the others, she spends a lot of time advocating for the good and for the better. She also cares deeply about her friends and it's obvious to everyone, even the people that hate her. So while she is in the news a lot, most people can see through it and support her. But she does still get into trouble for her shopping sprees. Her spending a lot of money on things is largely why people sometimes have trouble being on her side. It's almost always seen as a spoiled princess move and a large factor in why people think she's classist and/or ignorant.

Flora: Flora is interesting because a lot of people initially assume that because she's a very shy and nice girl that she won't get into any drama. So it's a complete surprise when she argues with people online and starts calling people out. She's often fighting for the right thing and she rarely gets her facts wrong, but people hate getting called out and they hate it when someone they think should be quiet and nice goes to town on their ass. Even the people that agree with her often think she's too aggressive in her replies (while others think her tone is fine). Flora also isn't extremely open about her personal life outside of fighting crime with the Winx so that doubles her online persona as being just mean and "too political". People say that she should just stick to watering plants and leave the politics to the actual politicians. She responds by calling them hypocrites since they were just asking for celebrities to use their platforms. She gets called out for thinking she's a celebrity. She responds that she has a large platform and people follow her for her work. It's just a constant cycle and she never runs out of things to say (which isn't bad, but it always gets her into trouble). Tbh, I can also see the exact opposite where Flora just doesn't get involved in anything because she's too busy posting pictures of her plants and random dogs she sees but, I think eventually the need to defend her friends would win out and once she gets a little taste of activism, she wouldn't stand down (yknow how she constantly berates the Winx for wanting to attack the controlled animals? Basically like that. She has very strong moral opinions).

Tecna: I had some trouble with this because I almost wanted to put her last but overall I think her general personality would get her into trouble more than what happens with Aisha. Tecna is often blunt and she doesn't necessarily hide when she doesn't like something. So sometimes reporters will come up to her and ask her a question and she'll just hit them with an "I don't want to talk to you." and then walks away. Tecna doesn't see anything wrong with this because she views being honest to the media as relatively important as they could easily find out if she's lying through spying and technology. Overall, people just see her as a little too honest and she gets into trouble a lot with being open about not wanting to interact with fans a lot or being cautious about press.

Aisha: It's a bit surprising that a princess is the last on the list no? Andros has a very good handle on things like media and press, and while they definitely aren't controlling it by any means, most news sites know not to mess with them. They're very strict on things like personal boundaries and privacy and try to protect anyone who could be affected by the media (celebrities, online personas, royals, athletes, etc). Aisha also has the best media training out of all the Winx and is really good at knowing what to say and what to share. People know just enough about her social life through sns that they aren't constantly asking about it but not enough to try and cancel her for anything. She's almost seen as the goody-goody of the bunch since she just doesn't get into a lot of drama (and when she does it's handled extremely well).

Now the Specialists!

Riven: It's no surprise that he's first I mean cmon. With Musa being the most "problematic" of the Winx, Riven is bound to get his fair share of scrutiny. People absolutely judge him for having a past with Darcy. Although... I really don't think it would be the biggest factor. While he did genuinely like Darcy, she used magic on him multiple times to manipulate his thoughts and then later betrayed him. Riven wouldn't want to put unnecessary hate on all witches, but he'd also be mad enough to eventually allude to what actually happened (he'd never outright say it since it also hurts his pride). Most people accept that he got manipulated by Darcy and assume that the entirety of the relationship was based on that, which Riven doesn't like either, but trying to defend her wouldn't exactly help his case. On the other hand, the relationship he does get hated for is his relationship with Musa. Musa definitely shares the good and cute stories about them too, but her sad/angry heartbreak songs are always the ones that get remembered. People assume he's a lot worse than he actually is and whenever Musa or one of the others tries to defend him, they just assume Riven manipulated them into doing that. However, after S4, people get a lot more understanding of the relationship and there isn't as much hate towards him (he does still get called out for being a bit brutish though).

Sky: I almost put Sky as first, but then I remembered he's royalty and definitely has a PR team. Still, he gets into a lot of drama. The Diaspro/Bloom situation was blown out of proportion and every news site was reporting completely different things. To some, Sky is a dirty cheater that lied to his wife and got some random girlfriend, "who knows how many other girls he's talking to! Someone get his phone records with Stella". To others, Sky and Diaspro were happily engaged before homewrecker Bloom came in. And to others, Sky was just the prince trying to protect his identity and got wrapped into some catfight. No one knows what actually happened with them but a lot of people start to assume Diaspro was in the wrong once it's confirmed Sky is officially dating Bloom. They start actively hating her when she tries to magic her way into a relationship with him. And that's just the relationship stuff! Erakylon's politics are so weak and absolutely crumbling before our eyes. Sky would constantly get asked about specific things to try and break him and it doesn't help that the media sites from the other royal characters are the ones doing it.

Brandon: Is this ranking a bit surprising? Idk? But anyway, Brandon would literally just get hated by proxy. Most of his "drama" includes what's happening with Sky and/or Stella. If one of them is getting into trouble, then people are bringing him into it for absolutely no reason. Brandon knows more about Eraklyon and Solaria's political climates than he will ever need to know. While he doesn't have as much media training as Sky, he does have to follow some rules just so Sky doesn't get into trouble for what he says. That means he can't speak up about as many issues and he certainly can't constantly defend his friends from harsh words. He tries to get away with it by liking comments instead of making his own. It helps a little.

Helia: Helia gets into the same exact trouble that he gets into with the Winx fandom. He's quiet and he shares absolutely nothing about his personal life. He's an artist but he doesn't post about it nor does he talk about it. He avoids talking to the press and when he does its always vague answers that could mean anything. Helia cares a lot about Saladin and Red Fountain's image and we know that what he does affects said image. So he treads very carefully and doesn't involve himself in anything. However, this is largely what gets him into trouble. People hate that he's not open about anything and some even go to the extreme of thinking he's suspicious. While Saladin's legacy largely protects him from this, it doesn't protect him from the media and random people constantly asking about his personal life. Helia also rarely if ever defends the others online (1. as he almost never looks at it and 2. because he doesn't want to get involved). He comforts them and gives advice to their face but no one else sees that so people often call him things like "pretentious, two-faced, avoidant, etc". People are also weirdly suspicious about his relationship with Flora because "it can't be that good right? there's definitely something suspicious about them".

Timmy: Timmy's just a genuinely nice guy that rarely gets into trouble. He chooses his battles (so to speak) very wisely so when he does defend the others online, it's almost always something a majority of people will agree with. Almost all of his social media is about the latest in technology and gaming so he's pretty big in those crowds but most media sites can't really do anything with that. Sometimes people from Zenith see him as weird but they recognize that he's a good match for Tecna so they're okay with him. By the time all of the Specialists are truly in the spotlight, he's already gotten buffer and more confident so those issues from S1 wouldn't be a huge deal either. The others also speak highly of him so no one really doubts that he's a good specialist. For the most part, he just doesn't get into trouble and when he does it's always connected to someone else rather than something he alone said/did.

[merskrat]

Out of all of the things we could be focusing on, radblr is now arguing over pit bulls. While I’m not going to agree with the person (who shall remain unnamed) who said that it’s racist to hate on pit bulls, it’s very telling that another person responded by saying that “only tacky people have pit bulls in my country, they’re for trashy people,” etc, which kind of proves the point that I’m about to make, because there are socio-economic reasons for why these dogs end up being aggressive. When a certain type of dog becomes a status symbol for the lower classes (“tacky” people), those dogs do not receive the proper care, like socialization, spaying/neutering, even shelter (how many of these dogs have you seen tied up in a patch of dirt outside some dilapidated house?). This leads to dogs getting scared and aggressive when they are eventually put in situations that they are not used to (which is basically any situation with a strange animal, a child, etc), and breeding going unchecked, which leads to shelters overflowing with more and more unsocialized dogs. While I was living with my mom and stepdad, I exercised several “aggressive” pit bulls that my stepdad was training for free for the city shelter, trying to rehabilitate them so they could go to loving homes (he was not always successful unfortunately). The reason it was safe for me, a fifteen year old girl who weighed 105 lbs, was because most unsocialized pit bulls are dog aggressive, not people aggressive, and it was perfectly safe for me to interact with them as long as there were no other dogs around.

So while no, I don’t think it’s racist or even classist to point out that pit bulls can be aggressive, I think it’s in really bad taste to just write them off as naturally aggressive or a dog that only “tacky” (poor) people own. If you knew anything about dog psychology or the overbreeding of pit bulls and underfunding of shelters, or the cruelty of human beings, you would realize this. But just as a decent human, you should realize that it’s extremely rude to tell someone who owns and loves one of these dogs that her dog is a killer and that she is irresponsible for owning one. Dogs are literally part of our families and it can be really upsetting for me to hear that my senior dog, who I rescued from crack heads when he was eight weeks old and who has never acted aggressive with anyone or any animal (including cats, kittens, other dogs or puppies, chickens, mama and baby ducks, goats, llamas, pet rats, there’s probably more idk) is a ticking time bomb and it’s only a matter of time before he mauls someone. He also loves babies and kids too despite not even being socialized with them at a young age.

I also want to point out that “pit bull” is not a breed but a descriptor of a group of breeds, several of which are fairly expensive and sought after, like English staffordshire terriers or bull terriers (the dog from the target adds lol). I have a staffy, who falls under this “pit bull” umbrella. I think the dog most of you are referring to is the American pit bull terrier, but again, even those dogs aren’t born killers. They just happen to be a type of dog who often does not receive proper care or socialization.

I just want to say that I’m not even necessarily a “pit person,” I just got the dog that I got. He was tiny and sad and I bought him for $20 off of some crack heads who picked me up hitch hiking. I wouldn’t have chosen a pit bull at the time I don’t think, I don’t think I would even choose one in the future unless I went to an animal shelter and met one that I really vibed with. He was a really well behaved puppy, he was never destructive or anything like that, and I’ve found that he’s really low maintenance. He could sleep all day or spend all day hiking and be perfectly happy either way. I understand that a lot of pit bulls are aggressive, usually to other dogs but sometimes to people. I’m hoping to make you, the reader, understand some of the factors that go into making a dog that way. I would also like you to understand that it’s incredibly rude to tell me that my senior dog who has never hurt anyone is a natural born killer. Everyone who has ever met him loves him. Landlords who wanted to meet him before we move in. My friend who said he helped change her mind about pit bulls. My grandfather who is probably more excited to see my dog than he is me when I come to visit.

Ending by saying please don’t talk shit about my dog. I don’t have a normal dog/owner relationship with him because for years I was with him all day, every day while traveling with him. There was no leaving him at home when I went to work. We traveled by freight and by hitch hiking and went to 48 states together. I’ve had him for my entire adult life and I love him.

[peachhoneii]

DUCKLORE, WOO-OO!!!

Color me excited because this could mean a variety of things. You just don’t know for sure with DuckTales 2017. I’m going to give it a go, anyways.

For those who don’t know, this is a Citizen Kane’s reference. Citizen Kane (1941) is considered one of the most critically acclaimed films of all time if not the greatest film of all time.

“Rosebud...,” is the famous line of Orson Welle’s main character, Charles Kane, but you’re probably wondering what relevance it has for our ducks?

Kane is what Scrooge becomes in Don Rosa’s Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck prior to reconciling with his family. Don Rosa wanted obvious parallels.

Kane and Scrooge came from poor families but rose to success through different means. Kane inherited his wealth, then squandered it while alienating himself from those who loved him. He used and abused them.

Scrooge’s family previously had wealth but had fallen on hard times. He left home to send money to his family while accruing his own wealth through hard work. He stuck to his morals throughout his life, but consequently, let his hardened heart and pride get the best of him. He crossed a moral line and alienated himself from his family, the people who loved him.

Scrooge avoided Kane’s sad fate. Don Rosa’s commentary in his archives reveal he killed Hortense McDuck off after being told he couldn’t use her in his stories. Again, Hortense is Donald’s mother and Scrooge’s baby sister.

In a Letter From Home, Scrooge admits to Matilda McDuck he got too lonely and desperate for someone in his family. He was lonely. He missed his family, and the closest family around was Donald and the boys. It’s very likely Hortense’s death was the catalyst for Scrooge seeking them out.

About Rosebud...as you can tell in the images above, Don Rosa traded “Rosebud” for Goldie. This is significant.

Rosebud was Kane’s childhood sled. This was the time before he was taken from his family, a time of innocence. Although he may not have admitted it aloud, he cherished that time and mourned its loss. 

Goldie...I don’t want to spend too much time on Goldie, because I can and probably will, but Goldie in Don Rosa’s stories is the road not traveled. She represents the life Scrooge could’ve had. She’s the treasure he left behind and regrets bitterly, though he denies it in public.

Goldie was restricted to a period of time before Scrooge’s wealth took root and stuck. In the past, he’d get some money, then lose it for reasons of moral character and nefarious ones outside of his control. The Klondike Gold Rush was pivotal in Scrooge’s development in how he interacted with the world and people, including his family.

He fell in love. Although he chose to leave Goldie, leaving her love confession in the snow, he never fell out of love with her. 

Like Kane, Scrooge mourned his past in the Klondike as well as what could’ve been with Goldie. He mourned her. 

The parallel was so prevalent to Scrooge’s character that Tuomas Holopainen name drops Rosebud in the song “A Lifetime of Adventure.” This is included in the album adaptation of Life$Times. Yes, he composed it. 

Crossroads the letters from home The cooling embers of yuletide hearth All the sounds of wilderness The truth in which you roamed Now your lost Rosebud has brought you back home

Yes, I am listening to Cold Hearts of the Klondike as I type this. It’s my OTP song. I love it.

What does this mean for DuckTales?

Hard to say? Comparing Don Rosa’s Scrooge and DuckTales 2017 Scrooge, I’m not certain the parallels work as well as they did previously. 

Don Rosa’s Scrooge is much harder and meaner than DT17′s Scrooge. You could say he’s an entirely new character, and I wouldn’t disagree. Scrooge’s moral code has always been pretty consistent, especially since the show rewrote the Bombie story, which was the reason Matilda and Hortense broke off from Scrooge.

Unless there’s a new story where Scrooge’s moral code has been put into question, I don’t think he’s going to have that moral conundrum Rosa’s Scrooge did, and thus, the parallels aren’t satisfactory. 

However, there’s someone who could fill in.

John D. Rockerduck.

I don’t know enough about his European comic presence. He appeared in one Barks story. He made a cameo appearance in Don Rosa’s Life$Times, but it was his father who had influenced Scrooge.

John Rockerduck, John’s father, was a hard working man who earned his wealth fairly. He married a snobbish, mean woman, who John took after, and he also taught Scrooge a hard lesson about what happens when you become wealthy. Sometimes, your friends turn against you.

John D. Rockerduck is classist, elitist and overall, a horrible person, but he’s a fun character. It’d be interesting to see if the show would try to spin this parallel onto him instead of Scrooge.

He really fits the political aspirations Kane’s character had in the film. I can see it happening with him. I’m down for it if it is true. Not saying John’s going to die. This could’ve very well happened right before getting frozen in a glacier. 

Who knows?

Conclusion

DT17 takes inspiration from multiple sources and uses them to make something new.��There’s no telling whether John D.’s father is going to make an appearance, or if John going to be written with this context in mind.

For all we know, Scrooge may retain his Rosebud connection. As much as I’d love for it to be connected to Goldie, it could very well be connected to his estranged relationship with Santa Clause. I don’t know, but I’m excited to find out.

[ootori-sibs]

Commoners do it better

Day three of @ohshc-week : hurt/comfort or & commoners

Tw for: assault, wh*re mention

Arai was just a normal young man; he had good grades, he had a part time job and a summer job as well. He was bisexual but hadn't even had his first kiss yet, his last crush had gotten into a private academy and had started hanging out with the one percent. He respected her for taking an opportunity where she saw it, apparently she'd even started dating one recently, if rumours were to be believed- he wondered if it was one of those redheads he'd met, or many one of the blonde ones.

His little public school had been invited to watch the Ouran private academy's sports events, just another way the rich liked to flaunt their wealth and talent. Arai didn't really care, he just wanted to see Haruhi again, he still considered her a friend in spite of his previous crush on her, who even keeps crushes from middle school? But unfortunately she was sat over by her club, and Arai didn't really want to disturb them again- last time that happened the twins seemed rather upset at him.

It seemed Haruhi was dating the tallest blonde, if the way he kissed her forehead was any indicator, they made a lovely couple. Another thing Arai noticed is that the young man wearing glasses seemed to be distancing himself from his friends, Arai knew nothing about how these rich folks functioned, but he knew enough about Haruhi to realise that she clearly hadn't noticed, or she'd be making an effort to keep all her friends included. He frowned, leaning over to the girl sitting next to him, "hey, do you know who that kid with the glasses is? The one to the left of Haruhi, about two seats over?"

The girl glanced at him, before looking to where he described, practically swooning, "ooh, that's Kyoya Ootori, he's like, super rich, he's hot too- a member of the hosts club, apparently Fujioka joined that club earlier this year which like, personally I think she's sleeping around cause like, why would a girl hang out with so many attractive guys like that, it's weird I tell you. Fujioka's such a nerd anyway, I don't see what they see in her."

Arai just sighed, not bothering to thank her, the girls still at his school were so rude, so valid. But what she'd said about the boy still stood up, Kyoya Ootori huh… Arai knew that the Ootori group was a very famous company, a monopoly if ever there was one, every big hospital in the area had their name on it somewhere, he was fairly sure his health insurance was theirs as well- he'd have to ask his mother. He figured he'd go watch another event as the football match concluded, Ouran's home team putting on quite the show.

He passed the stands built for the show, there were even concession stands peppered around, guess the rich liked to make money off their guests at any turn, Arai was considering picking up something to nibble on soon, his mother had given him double the normal allowance, considering he was visiting the richest school in Japan. He had his hands in his pockets, just looking around at the pretty cherry trees, it was a lovely clear day out and Arai was so glad he didn't have to study for once. He was just passing the second exit for the stands when he heard noises; the sound of struggling, coming from under the stands.

Arai peers under the stands, oh, some of the Ouran football team are here… and that Ootori kid. The poor guy appears to be cornered, as the captain of the football team leers at him, a couple of inches taller, but standing on his toes to appear more threatening. "-you really think we care about what those idiots have to say? They don't care about you Kyoya, everyone knows there's only one reason anyone keeps you around."

The poor guy seems unbelievably nervous, Arai can see how his hands shake and hear how his voice halters, "I-... My father will-"

"Oh that's right Kyoya, go running to daddy why don't you?" The football captain sneers, chuckling at his own cruel joke. His lackies were holding Kyoya back tightly, no way for the boy to get free of their grasp.

One of the footballers pipes up at that, seeming wholly amused by the whole thing, "oh, I heard he calls Souh daddy~" The whole club laughed at that, one of the boys holding Ootori, shook him roughly, mocking and hurting the boy.

"I- it's not like that, it's not-" he excused it, seemingly more upset at the insult then the pain, Arai found himself frozen in place, watching this scene unfold.

"Oh you whore Kyoya!" The captain laughed- Kuze, Arai had seen his name on a sign near the stands, "does his rat commoner know?" Oh great, they were classist too, though Arai was really more concerned with Kyoya.

Speaking of the boy, he was glancing away, refusing to meet his aggressor's eyes. "I told you Kuze, it's not like that…" he seemed annoyed now, still terrified, but now it was almost as if he was more tired then scared, how long at they been at this? The boy seemed quite worn down.

Kuze grins at him, getting really close to Ootori's face. "Well if you're such a whore, then you won't mind…" and he kissed the poor guy, whilst the other footballers held him still.

Arai glanced around in a panic, he had to do something. His gaze fell on a pebble and he grabbed it without even thinking, throwing it full force at that Kuze boy.

The guy looked over at him, frowning, "excuse me? What the fuck?" All the boys are looking at him now, and Arai feels how his fists clenched, noticing the look of recognition in Ootori's eyes.

"Let him go." Arai forced his voice to sound commanded, though he'd never done anything but follow his whole life.

Kuze just laughed at him, indeed stepping away from Kyoya, but his lackies did no such thing, "oh? What's this dirty fucking commoner playing at then?" He chuckled, hands on his hips, staring at Arai in quite the mocking fashion.

Arai took a deep breath, glaring right back, not letting his gaze falter. He took a measured step forward, not wanting to give away how scared he was. "I said, let him go. What kind of pathetic losers pick on someone weaker than yourselves? There's like six of you! Against one person?"

Apparently these boys had never been called pathetic before, as every one of them seemed surprised by Arai's words, Kuze simply glared, "a commoner? Calling us pathetic? Oh give me a break!" He laughs out loud at that, mocking and cruel, "you couldn't even afford to speak to us."

He was disgusted, but just kept approaching, keeping a safe distance however. "I find it rather typical that you'd hide behind your parents bank accounts, funny thing about us 'commoners'; we can hold our own without the need to get any family involved." He hoped he wouldn't have to go through with it, but he cracked his knuckles, "you ever been a fight with someone who doesn't even have a reputation to uphold?"

He was shaking in his boots, he knew he'd never be able to fight these athletes in any way, but he just hoped these rich fuckers would fall for his threats. Their eyes certainly went wide, one or two of the footballers stepped away from Kyoya, not wanting to get into a scrap with Arai one bit. Kuze looked slightly taken aback, it was clear he hadn't expected to face such a confident guy today, "ugh, there's no way you could take all of us, don't be stupid."

"Maybe not," Arai admitted with a nod, forcing a polite smile, "but I can certainly ruin those faces of yours, isn't reputation everything for you folks? Most commoners keep weapons and blades in their bags on the daily, the real word is dangerous gentlemen." He spoke the truth, keys and scissors count as weapons right? Of course the real world was a danger, where did they think danger came from? Space? Arai took another step forward, staring Kuze in the eyes with a determination that can only come from being a good man, with a moral compass, "so I ask you again, Kuze: Let. Him. Go."

Shocked at being called his first name, but a commoner no less, Kuze took a step back, a clear sign of weakness from the captain. His team instantly dropped poor Ootori to the floor, and their captain glared. "Fine!" He then turned and spat on the ground near Kyoya, "this fucking commoner won't always be here to protect you, bitch." With that, he stormed off, his team in pursuit.

"Why would you do that..?" Arai glanced down, seeing Ootori knelt on the floor, adjusting his glasses and looking up at him.

Arai paused, crouching down to reach Kyoya's eye level, "well anyone would in that situation, I don't know anyone who wouldn't. Are you alright Ootori?"

He nodded, "I'm fine, it's nothing really." Ootori had sighed, shifting to sit down more comfortably, so Arai sat next to him, nodding.

"Is that a normal thing?" He asked, watching Ootori closely, making sure that he was alright… he noticed how not just Ootori's hands were shaking, but his whole form.

"I'm sorry Arai, could you leave, I fear I am about to uh, experience extreme emotions." Ootori coughed nervously, glancing away.

"Oh, are you about to cry?" Arai hums in thought, smiling softly, "it's ok Ootori, you can cry around me, I won't tell anyone." He put a gentle hand on the other boy's shoulder, feeling him tense up beneath him, Arai paused for a moment before gently rubbing Ootori's back, allowing him to relax.

The rich boy was in tears, but he wasn't crying, at least not how Arai had seen it- Ootori was completely silent, the only sign that he was actually sad were the tears that ran down either side of his face as Arai gently rubbed his back, "it's ok, let it all out, I've got you…" Arai just kept murmuring words of encouragement and comfort, he didn't know this guy well at all but they were both Haruhi's friends, and Arai felt he had to be a decent human being at least. "It's alright Ootori… can I call you Kyoya?"

He nodded, "yes, sure," Kyoya sighed, glancing away from Arai. "So you're Haruhi's friend huh?"

"Yep," he smiled, wondering why Haruhi wouldn't have gone for this one, he's so much more subtle than her other friends, "we never actually spoke in Karuizawa, but I kinda wish we had, you seem pretty cool Kyoya."

Kyoya wiped his tears, brushing his trousers down. "Hm, well I am apparently the 'cool type' according to Tamaki. I apologize for having this be the first time we've spoken."

Arai paused, frowning slightly, "hey, don't worry about it, it doesn't change my opinion of you in the slightest." He spoke the truth, he'd never judge someone for any sort of experience like that, he didn't understand why someone would.

Was that a smile? There seemed to be the barest hint of one on Kyoya's face, the boy finally looking Arai in the face. "I'm glad, I wouldn't want any of Haruhi's old friends to think any less of me, she's quite a lovely young woman, it stands to reason he friends are as well."

"I could say the same to you, but you seem pretty awesome on your own." Arai moved his hand from Kyoya's back to his shoulder, smiling softly up at the guy, "why aren't you with your friends by the way?"

"Hm? Oh well Tamaki asked me to go get the commoners coffee from the club room but uh… I got a little held up, they're probably waiting for me." Kyoya shakily stood up, "do forgive me."

"Oh, can I come?" Arai stood as well, smiling kindly, "I'd love to see where you lot hang out."

"Oh of course, you can come if you'd like." Kyoya began to head towards one of the buildings, adjusting his blazer, "it's not set up so you won't have the full effect, but it's still a lovely room."

"I don't doubt that," Arai happily followed him, acutely aware of how his uniform was nowhere near as fancy as his.

They walked through the hallway, Arai talked to Kyoya about a lot of things; grades, family, the differences between rich and poor. Arai learnt that Kyoya was also a straight A student, he was happy to hear how Kyoya especially hated biology, especially human biology- Kyoya had already learnt almost everything they were teaching this year, thanks to his brothers and family hospitals, Arai simply found that fascinating. He also learnt that Kyoya had two brothers and one sister, all older than him, in return he told Kyoya all about being an only child, he expressed how much having siblings would be great and Kyoya told him exactly how wrong he was.

He'd of course noticed how hesitant Kyoya was to share any information that wasn't common knowledge, but Arai was simply happy to hear Kyoya's opinion on such public knowledge, plus it wasn't like he knew any of this, he didn't go around researching folks. By the time they go to the club room, the third music room on one of the wings, Kyoya had opened up enough to explain he'd been mildly jealous of Haruhi had first, and Arai couldn't imagine how that felt, though he supposed it must have been the same thing that one twin was feeling when he lashed out at Arai back in Karuizawa… Arai had never felt such envy, but he could sympathise.

Kyoya opened the door, holding it open for Arai, "here we are." Arai stepped forward, the first thing he noticed was the smell, warm coffee and roses, it was so… nice. There were roses in every case, and some stray petals on the floor, the curtains were closed but what light came through, bounced off the many gold objects in the room, including the small chandelier and gold adorned ceiling. There was a laptop, probably Kyoya's, on one of the tables, that had five bags neatly placed- Arai had to assume that Haruhi had taken her bag with her, just like Kyoya, they were both so practical like that… that was one of the things Arai had liked about Haruhi.

Kyoya wasn't stopping to stare however, he was used to seeing this room every day, he simply headed over to one of the tables, picking up a jar of instant coffee, "oh, huh, do rich people drink instant coffee too? I thought you guys like, got gold coffee beans or something…"

What was that sound? Oh, Arai had caught him off guard, Kyoya was chuckling. "Gold coffee beans? We're rich, we're not Midas." Oh, he made a little joke of his own, Arai chuckled lightly at that, he loved a little mythology joke. "But really," Kyoya continued, "we do usually use fresh coffee beans and we do have a coffee grinder in the storeroom. It just so happens that the club really enjoys commoner coffee?" He shrugs slightly.

"Commoners coffee?" Arai raised an eyebrow at that, tilting his head slightly.

"That's how most refer to it, I'm aware it's not exclusive to the poor." Kyoya rolls his eyes, tucking the jar into his bag, "I should probably get back to the hosts now, where do you need to be?"

"Oh!" Arai had completely forgotten what his train of thought was before coming across Kyoya, "oh yeah, I was just going to grab a snack or something," he shrugs, "I don't really need to be anywhere right now."

"Oh, can you afford snacks? I'll pay for it, I should probably get something to shut Tamaki up with anyway- don't want him asking where I was." Kyoya headed back to the door, hand on the doorknob.

Arai, ever the quick thinker, responded fairly snappy, "only if you let me buy you coffee some time!"

Kyoya froze, glancing back to Arai, "I… well then, I suppose I'd have to send you a copy of my schedule."

He smiled, surprising even himself with such confidence, maybe it was the adrenaline from scaring off the football club. "Please don't feel obligated to though, I just think it'd be fun…" he shrugged softly, feeling suddenly so nervous once again, there was a reason these boys were considered the beauty elite, even in a school such as Ouran academy- and here Arai was, trying on such a bold move with one.

"Oh I'm not saying no, certainly not, just a very busy man." Kyoya almost smiled at him once again, "besides; I need to schedule things to fit club activities and social events around school."

"Wow, that sounds very exhausting, don't you ever have free time?"

They were walking now, back down the corridors and down the stairs. "I suppose so, but I mostly use that for studying." They spent the entire way back, just talking about school and their studies, Kyoya offered to show him how he kept notes when they met up for coffee, Arai told him he'd like to see his notes, but he'd rather take that coffee date to get to know Kyoya, not Kyoya's study habits. They picked up some pretzel sticks from a concession stand, one pot for Arai, and one that Kyoya planned to use to bribe his friend into silence.

When they got to the stand, they paused, Kyoya looked down at Arai, silent for a moment- by now it was clear to Arai how emotionally constipated the richer boy was, so he didn't mind the silence, filling it himself. "I hope we can have that coffee date soon, Kyoya, you're really cool. I hope those boys don't bother you again."

Kyoya nodded slowly, "thank you Arai, I'll see you then…" and he turned, but Arai wasn't finished.

"Don't you need my number?"

Kyoya glanced back at him, once again getting so close to cracking a smile, "oh, I'll just ask Haruhi." Arai did wonder how he'd explain that to Haruhi, but he didn't ask, he just nodded, happy to have met Kyoya.

Maybe the rich weren't so bad… well they were- but Kyoya was cute.

[micahdotgov]

idk if my other ask went through i just wanted to lyk that the post poking fun at accents is really racist/classist and most of the examples that were being used are words pronounced by southern accents (which are already seen as less educated/stupid/too poor for education) and implying that they "can't pronounce words right" is a classic example of classism. probably not a good idea to reblog posts like that because it also has its history in racism as well (mocking aave, ect), plz do better!

hey, sorry i took so long responding, ive been all over the place today and i wanted to be able to give you a proper response. overall, im sorry. im scottish, and i honestly dont know much about classism and the south in america. the depictions i see are always the stereotypical yeehaw racist redneck, and the sad truth is that i never stopped to think about how that was rooted in classism. now that you’ve mentioned it, i’m thinking about how that stereotype always goes with the “trailer trash” stereotype, and how that is also glaring classist and mocking of people who cannot afford a house. i like to consider myself fairly educated on classism in the uk, so im honestly really disappointed in myself that i didn’t see how much of a hypocrite i was being. in my head at the time, i was mocking the way americans speak, and that was it. im so sorry that it never occurred to me what specific americans i was mocking, and how offensive i was being, and how the accent i was making fun of was primarily used by the working class and non white people. that is completely and entirely on me, i was uneducated and unthinking. as you said, i need to do better. im sorry you had to tell me all this, but i thank you for it.

[tedfashionski]

Seeing Red

I was drawing today and reminded somehow of that depressing development where the sister of David & Samantha Cameron has been appointed editor of the Evening Standard. Like, I’m looking past the implied wider corruption problems in ‘real’ journalism here, but one point she said in her announcement interview really bothered me. She said, something to the effect of ‘Oh, thank god I spent 20 years working at Vogue while David was in politics, because I am just so fond of him and I would hate to have to be critical of him. So I was safe at Vogue.’

That, right there, sums up how far fashion media is from even being able to recognise the functional role of journalism. Oh, thankfully, at Vogue we can hide from criticality and awareness of the political dimensions of the world. All the while, the fashion industry is feeding this planet-killing spirit-crushing capitalist consumerism. But, no, why would it be political? Stop making it political. It’s just clothes.

 K, I’m going to RANT a little about these digital fashion weeks we’ve just been subjected to. I’ll preface by saying, yeah, I get it, it’s hard to be creative in the thick of a pandemic. My standards have been accordingly lowered 20%. I am very generous.

 Chanel and Dior’s lack of energy was no surprise. Although, keeping in mind female designers tend to be more pragmatic as a matter of course, it’s sad the two top women are being so listless. I was pleasantly surprised by Azzaro – it gave a hint of a vibe but was sure of itself. It emphasised that there was no reason for the Chanel & Dior videos & collections to exist, no point of view. The smaller couture players like the Dutch trinity of Ronald van der Kemp, Iris van Herpen, and Viktor & Rolf were a little more canny, you got the impression they were enjoying themselves at the very least.

 Regarding men’s, I do think Rick Owens was actually well judged in its boringness – we don’t need product-based experimentation necessarily. I enjoyed the meta-narrative aspect, it seems to me a good time for that kind of subtle, slightly snide interplay of references. Yohji’s design’s really sang, the video could have worked harder, it felt thrown together and didn’t do the clothes justice. (Side note, that showstudio Yohji review video, 45 mins of failing to say anything, was what finally pushed me over the edge. Dude. Are you guys for real? ‘Where is the avant garde’? If you don’t know, give up already. I’m not even a Yohji fanbear but he deserves better.) Kiko gave us a real stab at a pscho-medieval vibe, and I would’ve written a full review about it cus there’s stuff going on there. But fuck that. If he doesn’t want to talk to us, and show his full vision to the public in a spirit of optimism and faith in the culture, why should I bother with him? Mean and snooty gatekeeping gets mean and snotty graffiti right back.

 Fashion culture (twitter, specifically) wants to be wowed by everything all the time. Then, it complains and says why is fashion week even happening during a pandemic, now isn’t the time for fashion. Another example of our schizo cognitive dissonance as we consume this shit. What do we even want?

 I’ll tell you what I want. I want fashion designers to be engaged in a collective speculative in-depth discussion of what the future feels like right now, as an artform. So, I’m not going to analyse anything as a commercial proposition, because the future features less and less buying shit. In part as I believe that with growing internet dispersal of OG systems, awareness will rise, the vocabulary will expand, and we’ll stop caring so much about the performative aspects of fashion clothing. The interiority aspect will only grow, and that means unique-feeling experiences that are like conversing with a familiar presence. The fashion designer as moot, a parasocial meta-commentator. A friend you don’t actually have to talk to, just talk with, in the culture. That process won’t start from a point of ‘buy my shit’. First, a relationship should be built up, set up and running along. Then, if product occurs it’s incidental. Wow, I’m being a real little weatherbear. Check out my prophecies!

 So, I’m pretty disappointed and depressed about the resentful undertone of much of the work presented to us. Like, they’re crossing their arms and getting all grumpy about how they’re not allowed to carry on like they always do. FFS, you’re FASHION PEOPLE. Change is the name of the game, this shit should excite you. It’s your job to guide each other in an open-ended perusal of future possibilities, and to make recommendations. It’s not just clothes, they’re the medium, the language in which you build the commentary. If all you care about is nice product (*cough*, hedi slimane, *cough* jacquemus), stop calling yourself a fashion designer, because you’re a clothing manufacturer and I don’t care about you.

 Why are all these videos so boring? Have any of these people heard of editing, rhythm? They do realise you can hire people for this kind of thing, right? The deadening lack of imagination amongst people whose full-time job it is to be creative about the present’s transition into the future is astounding. This really underlines the risks of nepotism and gatekeeping. The only people who can afford to participate are the gutless products of a bloated upper middle class. I don’t believe in that class’s creative capacities for one fucking minute. They’ve got nothing at stake, no guts to go against anything, because their boring shitty system works for them, so why should it change? Ugh, vom.

Where is the communicative power? Nothing is being said, it’s filler for an elite determined to go down with their ship. I’m glad it’s sinking, it wasn’t fit for purpose and I’ll happily stick some extra holes in to make it sink faster.

 I’m going to single out Jonathan Anderson again. Listen, he’s a little pretty boy who’s working so effectively within the system, who has played the game perfectly to the best of his ability. His work is top level, he wins every time. So, I reckon he can be held up as an example. He can take it. I’m looking at the box-shows he did for Loewe and his own brand, and I’m thinking, oh that’s such a lovely take on alt fashion communication. So much heart, and care. Then, what’s the internet equivalent? A little video showing off the box. Some 3d shots & backs of looks and boxes. A little extemporised pitter patter from Jonny. That’s it. It’s still classist as fuck. With garment design there’ll always be limits on what’s possible in terms of digital translation. This isn’t actually garment design though. It’s fashion design. If I’m stuck with a low-grade clip and some jpegs, it’s pretty clear to me you don’t care about your wider fashion community. There should be an open digital experience that feels equally cared for and crafted. And here’s where I get really angry: all these fashion journalists have been delivered this unique, beautiful experience, and what are they doing with it? Where is the thoughtful response? Every single one of these people in this privileged position should be DOING THEIR JOBS (WHICH THEY ARE PAID TO DO, FULL TIME) and WRITE ABOUT FASHION. Not post online, ‘omg lovee ittt, so cutee!’. Anyone can do that. Are you a fan or a professional? This is an embarrassment. I’m stuck analysing some pixels. You’re getting the ‘real’ experience. I know I’ll never be an insider given these opportunities. I chose this path and I’m not going to try and play that game, because the rules are: you get access, in exchange for sacrificing criticality. Because these people, as educated and privileged as they are, don’t understand the value of criticism. Good criticism, the detailed, even handed, unafraid kind, pushes the culture forward. You can’t have a healthy art form without it, it’s essential because it’s the back in the back and forth. I probably could’ve tried to play their silly PR game a bit harder. But I had a nervous breakdown, in part, because I knew I would never be allowed to get close to the art enough to analyse it fairly if I spoke freely as I do now. And freedom is essential. So, pixels it is. Rudeness it is. Because there is work to do to salvage the bottom-dwelling wreck of our fashion dreams so that maybe we can travel somewhere new and better with them. It just sucks that there’s people standing there with the tools to help and no desire to save themselves or anyone else.

[inkskinned]

you used caps n your most recent prose i am shook

i know this is a joke but let me tell you that 100% of the time i use caps it’s bc i typed on mobile; i’m so happy you recognize my usual style! 

the truth is (not to get fake deep) when i started this blog i was ... in a bad place. a swallowed place. i was eaten by what haunted me. i churned out piece after piece after piece after piece. a lot were bad. but they needed to be written, ripped out of me. 

i suffer from ocd. i don’t talk about it a lot, because it feels like a silly thing to suffer from. a very Fancy Disorder. ocd is people who fix things to be beautiful. i live in a mess. ocd is pristine, is perfection. i am not either of those things. my ocd supplies me with a lot of terrible commands, and i follow them. they are not “clean it”, they are secret tiny rituals i have to complete. and i can’t tell you what they are because if i tell you (so says the ocd) they won’t work and i’ll have to find a new magic to help me. it also involves self-denial: i used to restrict constantly, on food and life equally, because i genuinely believed that if i didn’t, i’d be the reason for the end of everybody. it’s kind of a big ask when you feel like literally the whole world will end if you ever indulge in anything - and i do mean the whole world ending.

i was undiagnosed at the start of this blog, and struggling in every way a Youth Can Struggle. and i found that one of the things i Had To Do was get rid of capital letters. i never saw it as a pretentious Art Choice; it was because capital letters had this enormous weight to them that belonged to loudness - they felt loud, sharp, heavy in my head. they belonged to people who had something to say, who were exposed teeth instead of a cower. i wanted my words to be quiet. to be the muted whisper that i felt everything at; the numbness, the entropy. a falsehood, easily-overlooked. it also involved having the same letter start a line twice (even now, i dislike it), the number of lines i was allowed to use, and why so many of my freestyle pieces end in a rhyming couplet (i was plagued by poems that didn’t feel “ended”, would lie awake trying to think of a way to “tie” them). lower case became so important to me, so crucial to how i think, that i would struggle writing papers for school because they required the sharp letters of a voice I couldn’t reach.

over time i got help. six years have passed, and you must be wondering: okay, she talks regularly about how much better she is than she used to be. first of all, am i truly better if i have spent six years of my beautiful life on tumblr? the jury is out (what great opportunities it afforded me versus how much time i wasted, scrolling). but the lower case remains actually for a new reason entirely, another thing i don’t talk about because i just feel sad every time i admit it’s happening: i have a neurological problem in my hands. the problem looks and sounds and feels a lot like arthritis, except my brain is doing it, it’s getting worse, and i’m losing control. small shortcuts like no uppercase letters help me save spoons and have the energy to write, because, gosh, it hurts every time i do. yikes! 

today’s a bad hand day. i know it’s because i might have spent my spoons wildly yesterday (i knew i was borrowing them from today), but it still sucks every morning. writing is hard! writing with mental illness is hard! writing with hands like these? that’s the worst part. so please forgive me for how Incredibly Pretentious my Artistic Choice is, i know it’s annoying! i’d be annoyed too! 

but so many people will derail a really important conversation to literally get on my ass about “ugh i want to support this cause but all the lower case letters are KILLING me” like dude chill you’ll live i promise. all the time, my work gets taken less seriously because i need to take this shortcut - it’s “less professional” to write without uppercase, even though my writing tends to be fairly grammatically correct (okay. when i’m trying to do that).

and i don’t mean to make this into a rant, but i am, because i’m in the Artistic Place of only writing Absurdly Long Pieces at this point, but the tl;dr of this was “I had a mental illness which forced this behavior, only to be backed up by a developing physical disability,” and that isn’t to make you feel bad! it’s my way of saying: this is a large reason i think grammar is complete bullshit and tends to be classist, racist, and a whole bunch of other -ists. 

i’m lucky. a lot of people assume it’s just “writer’s choice!” and that i’m doing it because i’m a darkly edgy person. i’m literally doing it to save myself the .000002% of a spoon. and if you don’t know how important that .000002% is, i’m glad! but i know. and i’m in the blessed position of getting away with it a lot of the time, and having it look like style. 

but how many people, i wonder, just get discredited out of hand, because of something they can’t control? 

[sirendrowns]

REALLY LONG CHARACTER SURVEY. RULES. repost ,   don’t  reblog  !  good  luck  !

TAGGED. stolen lmao TAGGING. steal if u want!!!!

BASICS.

FULL NAME: Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford

NICKNAME:  Lizzy, Liz

AGE: 14

BIRTHDAY: April 18

ETHNIC GROUP: White

NATIONALITY: English

LANGUAGE(S): English, French, passable Latin

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Bisexual

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Biromantic

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Engaged but verse dependent

CLASS: Daughter of Marquess, will marry to be a Countess

HOMETOWN / AREA: London

CURRENT HOME: London

PROFESSION: Noblewoman

PHYSICAL.

HAIR: Waist length when straight golden hair, typically kept up in curly twintails, bold bangs.

EYES: Doe-like, perfect for pouting. Emerald green.

NOSE: Button nose, quite small

FACE: Heart-shaped, full cheeks

LIPS: Slightly turned up in the corners as if smiling, full, often bitten to be a deeper pink

COMPLEXION: Pale, smooth, the product of a strict skincare regimen

BLEMISHES: None

SCARS: One on tip of her middle finger from a burn she recieved as a child from touching the stove (she was told it was too hot, of course she didn’t listen), various little knicks on the bottom of her feet from running around barefoot as a child.

TATTOOS: None

HEIGHT: 5′3

WEIGHT: ~90lbs

BUILD: Coltish

FEATURES: Delicate and kind, the sort of face you just assume is followed by a nice person

ALLERGIES: None

USUAL HAIRSTYLE: Curled pigtails, one strand at the right of her face hanging down, bold bangs across her forehead.

USUAL FACE LOOK: Slightly sad if she thinks no one is looking, a small smile if she suspects someone is.

USUAL CLOTHING: Petticoats, corsets, and ribbons, oh my!

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR(S): Being forgotten, unloved, disliked, or left behind. Her engagement being broken. Disappointing her parents.

ASPIRATION(S) : To be a good wife and mother as an adult, though for now she’ll settle for being the best fencer in England.

POSITIVE TRAITS: Kind, generous, protective, hopeless romantic, willing to let others take the spotlight for her achievements

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Classist, sexist, vaguely racist, homophobic, overly protective, competitive

ZODIAC: Aries

TEMPERAMENT: Melancholic

SOUL TYPE(S): Caregiver

ANIMALS: pls buy her a bird someone

VICE  HABIT(S): Literally running away from her problems and/or temper tantrums

FAITH: She’s very religious

GHOSTS?: Yes

AFTERLIFE?: Yes

REINCARNATION?: No

ALIENS?: No 

POLITICAL ALIGNMENT: Fairly republican because i mean, she rich asf

ECONOMIC  PREFERENCE: She understands the way of the world and that there are strict class systems in England and across the world, just as she understands how high in nobility she is. However, she believes quite strongly that her family deserves it and that others could acheive it, even so, she often gives money to the poor.

SOCIOPOLITICAL POSITION: She believes the world is the way it is now for a reason. The queen is at her head, and she will serve her no matter the order, just as she views her space in the home to be a good wife and mother. She’s much more open to modern ideas in more modern verses, but she is quite set in her ways in victorian england, though she respects others choice to do as they please.

EDUCATION LEVEL: Tutored at home to a reasonable degree. She’s literate, but certainly didn’t go to school past age ten or so. Now, it is strictly about being a lady and her swordwork.

FAMILY.

FATHER: Alexis Midford

MOTHER: Frances Phantomhive Midford

SIBLINGS: Edward Midford

EXTENDED FAMILY: The Phantomhives are the only family she finds herself close to, though she adores the Midford grandparents.

NAME MEANING(S): Elizabeth: my God is an oath, Ethel: noble, Cordelia (French): heart of a lion

HISTORICAL CONNECTION?: I don’t believe she was based on a real person, but I like to imagine her as a sort of Joan of Arc meets Daisy Buchanan meets Johanna Barker

FAVORITES.

BOOK: Emma - Jane Austen

MOVIE: None

5 SONGS: anything that has a dancing rhythm 

DEITY: God

HOLIDAY: Easter, it’s often near her birthday and she loves the big egg hunt

MONTH: July

SEASON: Summer

PLACE: She loves her room, like genuinely loves it to an unhealthy degree. It’s the only place she can truly be herself.

WEATHER: Sunny and bright

SOUND: The tap-tap-tap of a block heel hitting marble floors and the swishing of a petticoat, hopefully at the same time

SCENT(S): Cinnamon, Linen, and Paula’s perfume

TASTE(S): Milk with honey and cinnamon, sweetened tea, pineapple (though she’s only had it once)

FEEL(S): The snugness of a corset, sharing a bed, sitting by a fire, sunlight

ANIMAL(S): any type of songbird

NUMBER: 7

COLORS: Pink, cream, naples yellow

EXTRA.

TALENTS: Fencing, endurance running, sneaking out, needlepoint, singing, piano

BAD AT:  Making decisions, telling hard truths, cooking/cleaning, talking about feelings

TURN ONS:  Put her in her place honestly, just take care of her emotionally and the rest will be taken care of.

TURN OFFS: People with no ambition or people who play hard-to-get. She’s needy.

HOBBIES: Shopping, fencing , dancing, spending time with loved ones

TROPES:  The Damsel (In Distress)

AESTHETIC TAGS: Pastel, Lolita, Luxury, Parisian, Princess

GPOY  QUOTES: “ Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of ”

FC INFO. animated / live action

MAIN  FC(S): Elizabeth Midford /  Viktoriya Novikova

ALT FC(S): N.A. / Okazaki Momoko

OLDER FC(S): Ada Vessalius / Annasophia Robb

YOUNGER  FC(S): N.A.

VOICE CLAIM(S): Haven’t thought abt it tbh

GENDERBENT FC(S): Lowkey just Edward Midford, and then William Mosely for live action

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1: if you could write your character your way in their own movie, what would it be called, what style would it be filmed in, and what would it be about?: It would probably just be called something simple and plain like “Elizabeth”, “Doll”, or “Low Heeled Shoes”, and it would be filmed in a sort of artsy way like the shortfilm Empty Sky. It would follow her struggles as she grew up with femininity, religion, and having to learn the general concept of self love without basing it on others’ approval of her.

Q2: what would their soundtrack / score sound like?: Lots of soft, dainty indie songs following the sounds of Daughter, One Two, Cigarettes After Sex, etc

Q3: why did you start writing this character?: She really appealed to me back in middle school when I got into the show. She was sweet, feminine, and unafraid to speak her mind, which I liked. As I started getting into the manga more recently after a long hiatus, I fell in love with her all over again and all of her nuances that I didn’t notice when I was younger (and before the campania arc, mind you)

Q4: what first attracted you to this character?: She was everything I wanted to be, I found her positively adorable and there weren’t many characters like that. She brought a well needed ray of sunshine to the show.

Q5: describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse: She’s a BRAT

Q6: what do you have in common with your muse?: We both have super overbearing parents who care too much and too little at the same time lmao. also i fence while still being very feminine minded and enjoying hair/makeup/fashion and i like seeing a character do that

Q7: how does your muse feel about you?: Hopefully we’d get along

Q8: what characters does your muse have interesting interactions with?: Sebastians like j e s u s i love the drama. Also rciels have a quite interesting dynamic with her, though i really do appreciate every interaction, it’s much more about the muns that make it special than the characters

Q9: what gives you inspiration to write your muse?:  Sad music, painting, sewing, drinking a bitchin cup of tea, dancing, you name it. also my bf

Q10: how long did this take you to complete?: Like an hour and fifteen minutes, but i took a big sleep in the middle and had to look up a lot of quizzes