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memes-in-a-half-shell · 3 years

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Business AU - Working Late, Part 1

Just a quick idea to test more and play around this AU I’m trying to build. For the sake of taking it easy, I’ll use my OC Vee 😊

Vee didn’t realize how late it was starting to get until she finally glanced away from her computer screen and towards the large windows the building had to offer. The sky was turning to a dark blue, the city’s lights creating a halo around the various skyscrapers. Many coworkers had already left the place and most of the main lights were off, leaving only some bulbs on towards the main hallways here and there for the cleaning team. Well, at least those hours will give me a better pay..., thought Vee as she stretched her arms, trying to ease the stiffness in her shoulders and at the base of her neck. ... All she could think about was getting home and enjoying a nice warm drink to ease her into a better sleep. Or she could always enjoy a nice glass of red wine - the latter much more enticing. Collecting her handbag and coat, her feet instinctively proceeded towards the large room’s exit, until her eyes caught on a glow that wasn’t usually there. It was coming from the nook of a small hallway that led to a room not usually used by any employee. Vee’s reasoning first led her to believe that someone forgot to turn off a switch, but her curiosity actually wondered if another soul was still occupied in this building. She approached the source calmly, taking a peek while still standing by the doorframe of the small space. At first she noticed many tables and shelves, a plethora of paper rolls, books and drawing equipment decorating the room in an organized chaos. Then she noticed him. She had seen the turtle brothers many times ever since she’d been employed barely a month ago. At first it had been a surprise, but now it was simply pure fascination. Vee recognized this one to be Donatello, the tallest of the bunch. His shell was facing her, his attention all on a large sheet of paper laid on a drafting board. The woman couldn’t help watching him for a moment, his movements ever so precise with his scale ruler and his pencil. As he paused to admire his work, Vee studied his form. Even with his white shirt, with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, she could still decipher the subtle shape of his muscles - all thanks to his trainings. He wasn’t as built as his brothers, but he was toned enough to bring a blush on the woman’s cheeks... “You can come forward, I won’t mind.” His voice broke her thoughts. He didn’t even turn around as he had said that, probably feeling observed anyway. Vee suddenly felt embarassed, her audible gasp finally grasping the turtle’s attention. “Oh, uhm, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb your work. ... I saw some lights in the distance and was wondering if someone forgot to turn off something...”

His golden eyes made her trail off her last words, internally melting as she saw the sweet smile on his lips.

“No worries, I know it’s late,” he added. “I’m mostly surprised someone was still working as well.”

“Yeah, that tends to happen whenever I’m too focused,” shyly answered back the woman with a smile.

“What were you working on?”

Vee was silent for some seconds. Am I really having a casual conversation with one of my bosses? she thought with a slight frown. Donatello’s soft chuckle made her realize she was probably taking too much time to answer.

“Please, I won’t bite,” he said. “I’m actually enjoying this break from my work. If you have a minute or two to spare before leaving, I don’t mind having a little conversation!”

The woman conceeded, finally entering the room and taking seat on a chair that was nearby the mutant’s desk. In the process she did not notice the other taking a good look at her, most presumably enjoying her presence. Vee first straightened her back once seated, extending a hand for a shake.

“Well, first of all, hi. I’m Véronique, but you may call me Vee. I’m the newest project manager overseeing the creative team. Everything regarding the company’s outer image has to go through me first.”

“Color me impressed, that’s quite the title,” replied Donatello, shaking her hand. “I do recall seeing and hearing your name a couple of times for the past weeks. You’re our newest addition coming from Montréal, if I stand correct?”

“Indeed! It’s been a dream of mine to come work in New York City, so I am extremely grateful for this job.”

Her hand felt so small in his. Gosh, she could feel her cheeks warm up...

“But I’m blabbering now,” she added, freeing herself from his hold. “I was trying to get through the upcoming evaluations I’ll have to give to the team and revise some designs that are supposed to come out by the end of this month. So it’s crunch time much.”

“Oh I do get that,” smiled the other. “Deadlines can be such a curse. ... I’ve been working late myself as well for a Lower East Side project.”

“What would that be, if it’s okay to ask?”

The turtle gave a better view to his board, revealing some intricate structure designs laid down on paper.

“The Lowline,” he started. “I can quickly summarize it as an underground park that allows sunlight in and vegetation all around. It’s been years since the city had this under work, and I’m trying to push it into completion. ... But there’s a lot of structure issues that needs to be addressed.”

Vee stood up, taking a better look to the drawings. Some calculations could be seen on the sides, but the trickiest parts were clearly the solar collection disks and underground domes that would distribute light. The whole idea in its whole was great, but in the long run it would prove to be a challenge in terms of weather changes and various issues - may they be of human nature or not.

“I’ve heard about it,” added the woman. “And I do hope it’ll come into fruition. It sounds like a great idea overall.”

“Indeed, but I feel like my lines are not organic enough for this line of work,” sighed the mutant. “I’m used to buildings, mechanics, and more ‘structured’ work. ... The city has more of a round and nature-friendly image in mind, so I’m trying to keep that in mind for my designs. Alas my drawings are resembling a prescholer trying to learn how to draw a circle.”

Vee couldn’t help a small laugh at that last remark, smiling as she looked back to the male.

“Don’t be so harsh with yourself, it’s already better compared to some employees around here.” She then pointed some lines. “I could definitely see an improvement here and there if you were to use a compass and smooth the lines, rather than guessing with a ruler and free-handing it. I understand the calculations, but you’ll have to trust the papers’ measure lines for it to truly work and give better measurements for whichever company would handle the creation of those structures.”

“... Have you worked in architecture before?” asked Donatello with a small smile.

“No, but I’ve done plenty of illustration works before and I can recognize the different needs for when you’re drawing buildings, compared to ‘organic’ structures or just plain vegetation.”

Their eyes met, Vee noticing the other’s amusement. She promptly moved away from the drawing, moving away a stray strand of teal colored hair from her face.

“... I’m sorry, I shouldn’t tell you what to do...”

“Oh no, no, I appreciate the insight!” reassured Donatello. “I should ask more of it in the future, in fact. ... Would you mind surpervising my work once this hellish end of the month has gone by? I could even help you, if you accept.”

Did she hear that right? Her slight astonishement made her feel like everything was a dream.

“I wouldn’t mind at all,” she answered. “I’d look forward to it, in fact.”

“Excellent!” added the turtle with a small clasp of his hands. “Then I guess I’m done for tonight and I can rest easy for now.”

He backed his chair a bit, allowing him enough space to stand up afterward. Vee could feel this knot forming in her stomach and throat, truly noticing their differences in size as the top of her head only came up to the height of his shoulders.

“If you don’t mind, we can head towards the exit together? I wouldn’t want you to get attracted to another light source and get lost once more,” he joked lightly.

Vee did a small snort in amusement, suddenly blushing after such display. She did nod through her shyness:

“Yes, that would be fine!”

She tried not to think too much about his smile, his presence such a nice feeling overall... After a small detour to his office so he could collect some of his belongings, they next headed to the building’s exit, and all Vee could feel was as if she was floating on a cloud...

((PART 2))

#it's-a-moi #business au #sorry if there's mistakes #I wrote that fast and now I have to head to bed #I'll do part 2 tomorrow!

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59writes · 3 years

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THE DRAW (PART ONE)

(PART TWO)

if you’re reading this as like an actual fic: first of all I’m sorry. how did you end up here. it’s most definitely 2 am go to bed. this fic was literally made because of a fucking uquiz about “ what kpop boy are you enemies to lovers with”

second of all, ignore any chess mistakes. idk I know legit fuckall about chess, my brother just always bitches about it whenever I want to stop playing because I just have my king left or smth like that because I know I’ve lost. mf reads chess books.

like look: I UNDERSTAND the game and how it works, and the idea that you have to think ahead and plan. but I’m adhd as shit and there’s no such thing as time or planning. ergo, I suck. like I SUCK. I feel like if I applied myself I’d be great but fuck that. I’m a bad chess player and y’all gotta deal.

third: I mention League Of Legends at one point. I’m so cringe yes shut up ok but I’ve been special interest-ing League for several months now and I need to let you know that Josh, y/n, and Jeonghan play a mean jungler/adc/support combo (respectively). I have so many more headcanons typed in my draft or whatever but I know nobody wants to see it so

anyways pls enjoy this train wreck of a fic lol

If you had known playing chess would have led to this bullshit, you never would have started playing in the first place.

You wouldn’t have worked your ass off, wouldn’t have pored through strategy books and watched live-streamed games, wouldn’t have competed for months to become an official grandmaster. Absolutely not. None of that hard work and pride deserved to be wasted on Yoon Jeonghan.

Thanks to your exceptional academics and study habits, as well as your headlining pursuits in chess, private schools crawled to your front door and begged for you to give them money just so they could brag about having you as arm candy. You didn’t care. It was free scholarships, a chance to leave your tiny town, a chance to start anew with people just like you. If you were lucky, they wouldn’t know your fame status, or would be used to the junk by now. Some would probably be even more popular than you.

So you grabbed a paper, scribbled a signature on, and packed your bags.

You had picked an academy for the arts, as logic games apparently counted as one. They figured they could do something with your whimsical essay writing as well, submit you in scholastic contests. It didn’t matter. You were free, and there to play some goddamn chess.

They had a hardcore club there, meeting daily on weekdays and occasionally for casual play on the weekends. Everyone there was excellent, all clever players with quick logic and a competitive edge that you hadn’t seen in a while. It was refreshing, but still not enough of a challenge.

You swept the floor with your classmates, and rose to the top of the club’s rankings within a week.

Of course you lost games here and there, as everyone did, but for the most part any game you began was imbalanced from the beginning. Your opponent could at best only defend themselves, only able to pick off pawns or bait bishops that inevitably ended in a brutal checkmate.

You were top of the class, and for once it took some effort. You felt like you’d earned something, and you were actually interacting with serious chess players who wanted to learn, not fawn over your work. They played fair and every game was fun.

That was until the blond bitch came in.

He sauntered into the class about a month after you’d hit the top of the leaderboard, long blond hair tied back in a neat and slick ponytail. You barely noticed, immersed in a game with another boy, Joshua. You studied the board as your opponent looked up, grinning wildly.

“Jeonghan!” He called out, waving at the other boy.

Jeonghan’s ponytail whipped across his shoulder as he turned, matching Josh’s smile with a killer beam of his own and jogging over.

“‘Shua!” He chirped, playfully wrapping an arm around Joshua’s neck, strangling him while his other hand smooshed Josh’s hair around.

You watched them wrestle for a second before clearing your throat. “Josh, your move.”

“Aw shit.” Josh says, wrestling Jeonghan’s arm away from his shoulder. “Back to the ass kicking.”

You grin. “If you hadn’t made that dumb move literally third turn in-“

“Hey! We are NOT talking about that!”

You snort and glance at Jeonghan, who’s gone quiet, studying the board. He crouches down and whispers in Josh’s ear, both of them scanning the board. Josh finally nods, pushing one of his pawns forward.

“What was that about, Hong?” You ask, capturing said pawn with a neat L from your knight.

“Nothing.” He replies sweetly, while Jeonghan smirks.

“Sure it wasn’t.”

Josh doesn’t reply. The rest of the game is tensely quiet, interrupted only by Jeonghan murmuring into Joshua’s ear every few minutes, a devil on his shoulder.

But it was fine, you were ahead by a few pieces, your bishops slowly inching towards a checkmate. The next move was it, the game in the bag.

And then your queen is gone.

Jeonghan takes the liberty of removing it from the board with a proud smile while Joshua cackles.

The game doesn’t last much longer, soon the both of you down to just pawns and your king, and then just the kings. A draw.

And let’s be honest here: Joshua kinda sucks at chess.

Josh counted it as a victory, though, hitting Jeonghan with a high five that echoed around the classroom like a firecracker. The boys talked briefly while you set up the board again for the next duo and packed your bag, ready to head to your dorm for a much-needed nap.

You wave to Joshua and turn to go, only making it a few steps before someone grabs your wrist. You whip around, ready to tell them off, only to be met with Jeonghan interrupting whatever swear you were about to say with a sharp smile.

“I’m playing you on Monday.”

He lets go of your wrist and turns around, resuming his talk with Josh as if nothing happened.

Rubbing your wrists ruefully, you headed home.

•••

Of course, his bullshit didn’t stop there.

You did, in fact, play him on Monday. He had you cornered within five minutes.

The next time, in four.

He gathered a crowd a few games in. Every time you’d meet his gaze he’d smirk, eyes brimming with some sort of superiority that made you furious, always endlessly cool and calm. He’d flick his hair over his shoulder every so often, even stopping to talk to spectators while you puzzled over the board, trying to hide your stress.

You were second place by Wednesday.

•••

“You cheated.”

Jeonghan just raises a brow.

“Put the rook back.” You growl, firm.

“Sorry?” He ignores your request, instead poking at one of your previously captured pawns he has resting on the table next to him. “Can you move? I’ve almost got checkmate.”

“My rook, Yoon.” You hold out your hand. “Give it back, or put it back yourself. H6.”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about. Do you resign? If we were using a timer you’d have been disqualified sometime last week.”

It’s taking every ounce of self control to not slap the living shit out of the smug bastard. “Jeonghan, if you don’t-“

“How’s the game going here?” The chess club leader had made her way to your table, grinning widely upon seeing her favorite students.

Jeonghan smiles kindly at her while you curl in on yourself, trying not to explode. “It’s fine, Ms. Lee. Almost done with this one.”

“Are you missing a piece? Looks like the black rook-“

“Must have fallen off the table.” Jeonghan chirps, ducking under the table and returning with the piece in hand. He sets it with the rest of his captured black army, sending a thumbs up at Ms. Lee. “Thanks for noticing, we don’t need to lose any more pieces.” It’s an innocent sentence, but it makes you turn a boiling red. Lose a piece, my ass.

“Well played, both of you.” She replies, patting Jeonghan on the head fondly before walking off. The blond rolls his eyes, ducking his head so Ms. Lee can’t see.

“Jeonghan, you asshole.” You hiss as soon as Ms. Lee is out of earshot. “I saw you take it out of your pocket, you lying-“

“If you’re not moving, I’m going to.” Jeonghan replies, moving his bishop forward to capture your queen. “Checkmate. Good game.”

You can only gape as he grabs your hand to shake it and walks off, approaching Joshua.

That was when you really knew you hated him.

•••

You studied his games from then on, partially to learn, partially to gather evidence. If he was cheating this consistently with other players, you could definitely get him kicked out of the club and subsequently your life once competition season started, as well as learn and potentially steal his strategies.

Infuriatingly, though, every single game he played besides the hellish ones with you were completely fair. No pieces being slipped into his thin hands when nobody was looking, no clock taps that discreetly took a few seconds from his opponent’s timer. Even with Josh, who he was best buddies with: not even a joking steal or a prank of any kind.

It was just with you.

Every single game you played together, he managed to do something to piss you off, if not blatantly cheat. If it was one of the days you had spectators, his harassment would come in the form of heavy looks and obnoxious “I’m waiting”-esque moves: tapping his nails on the desk, raising a brow, checking his watch.

And if you were alone, you basically had to glue your pieces down to the board to stop them from slipping their way into his pockets. It was obvious when he did it, too, always sending you a smile, too innocent.

It was infuriatingly adorable how proud he was of his nasty behavior. And he was focused too: none of his other opponents got the thought and effort he put into outwitting you and attempting to steal things without you noticing. As much as you hated him, you had to admire it.

Which is why it was so hard to finally draw a line and refuse to play with him anymore.

Though he shrugged when you put your foot down, his dark eyes watched you the rest of that club session. Every time you caught him, he held your gaze for a moment before looking away and resuming cheerfully animated conversation with his opponent.

God, how was he so easily likeable?

He respected your decision, though, and didn’t even attempt to talk to you. It was genuinely polar and strange, and it made you lost in thought as the months passed.

You almost missed the absence of anger, as stupid as it was. School had always been boring and simple, and chess with Jeonghan was the only thing to have made you frustrated in a long time, to have truly challenged you in a long time.

Even when you buckled down on trying to get him out of your head, he seemed to follow- being friends with Joshua (and honestly most of the other club members) almost always devolved into chats about the club and “why aren’t you playing Jeonghan anymore?”. Josh often suggested playing video games with the two of them, and you had to refuse (although playing League with Josh was so fun).

It was lonely.

Stupid Jeonghan.

•••

Finally, tournament season started.

Following (what was apparently) club tradition, the entire team dyed their hair between practices. You settled with a simple streak of blue that was stolen from Josh (he went completely teal, the madman).

The next day, Jeonghan came to practice with his blond ponytail gone, replaced by a dark brown undercut, hair bluntly chopped to end around his jaw.

Unfortunately, it suited him.

He saved a blond spot for a bit of Josh’s blue, however, and Josh dyed it for him in the middle of the clubroom, laughing the whole time. They’d planned it, clearly, as you were pretty sure Josh didn’t just carry around dye in his backpack.

Which means he knew you two would match when he did your hair.

It was confirmed by an apologetic shrug when you cornered him while he threw away the dye-stained gloves.

“Give him a chance, please y/n?”

“Hong Jisoo. You know how I feel about that dumbass-“

“y/n-“

“Why are you so insistent on having us talk again? He’s a two-faced-“

“y/n, you’d like him. He’s funny, and genuinely nice. I don’t know why he was acting like that with you, but that was almost three months ago. Give him a chance.”

“You should be glad I like you, you stupid fucking rat.”

Josh laughs as you walk away, fuming.

Unfortunately, you did like that stupid fucking rat, and so when he offered dinner after an out-of-state tournament (he pinky swore he’d pay) you finally gave in.

Jeonghan coming?

lol yea

that ok?

not rlly

I’ll give him a chance tho

:D thank u

you owe me

I’m buying ur food :(

josh we r literally getting fast food

you owe me

lol k >:)

#x reader #kpop x reader #svt #svt x reader #yoon jeonghan #Jeonghan #Hong Jisoo #joshua #chess!au #not even joking lol

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amphtaminedreams · 3 years

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Spring/Summer & Haute Couture Week 2021: Whoops, I’ve Missed a Loooot (Part 2)

Hey to anyone reading,

I’m so sorry for the gap between the last fashion week review post and this one! Argh. I had no idea I posted it as long ago as the beginning of March but I think we can all agree that lockdown has fucked with our perceptions of time completely. I wish I could say the delay in posting was as simple as me being busy but I’ve also started to reflect on whether or not I want to carry on this format of posts for the time being; on the scale of problems, this one is wayyy down there in the very lower quartile of the first world region, but my motivation to carry on this kind of content in the form of long-winded text posts is...meh...not so much there anymore. At first I was thinking the issue was that working on these was my last priority on my daily to-do lists but as I’ve got back into writing fiction, it’s kind of occurred to me that the fact I was putting these posts on my to-do lists in the first place along with things like doing the ironing and contacting student finance speaks volumes. When I’m back from work or winding down, opening up Tumblr and coming back to this draft isn’t something that I think of as a fun stress reliever in the way drafting stories is. It doesn’t feel like I’m using my imagination or my creativity or expressing myself in any way and it’s not much of an escape from day to day life in the way that writing dialogue or exploring characters is. Maybe it’s because I’ve done quite a few of these posts now but I just tend to feel like I’m repeating myself, you know kinda like when you’re writing an essay and trying to fill up a word count; of course there are collections that I do have a lot of opinions on but by and large, sometimes it boils down to THESE CLOTHES ARE JUST FUCKING PRETTY, OKAY?! There’s only so many things you can say about a tulle skirt or an exaggerated collar before you want to strangle yourself with said tulle. I used to think iF VoGUe RuNwaY wRitErs CaN dO iT WhAT's MY exCusE until I realised that 1). Vogue Runway writers actually get paid and 2). for the most part all they do is explain the designer's intentions behind the collections verbatim without giving a critical opinion anyway.

I think a lot of the pressure I feel to justify what are in reality quite simple observations and opinions goes back to some of the feelings I explained in my first ever fashion week review where people who know more about fashion and have a formal education in the subject tend to be kind of gatekeep-y and elitist. It can never be that you appreciate different things about a collection but rather than one of you has taste and the other doesn’t and if it wasn’t obvious, the taste level assigned to you by the powers that be tend to positively correlate with the amount of money you have available to spend on a degree that has a reputation for failing to provide a steady income, which for most makes it an unrealistic avenue to pursue. I know, I know, the pressure is totally self-inflicted and wholly imagined seeing as I have under 500 followers on here and those who do interact with these posts most likely do so for the pictures but I still feel it, and given that I’m going to have enough external pressure to write essays when I return to uni in September, why on earth am I wasting time putting it on myself? When just posting photosets of my favourite looks is not only actually enjoyable for me but is also what other people WANT to see too? Nobody wants to read a self-indulgent paragraph like this when they’re here for the clothes and to be honest, for the most part I don’t want to write them anyway unless it’s something I have strong feelings about or if a collection can only be properly appreciated with analysis. I think I’ve made pretty clear which designers I’m a fan of, do you really need to hear me raving about Gucci or Zimmerman or Miu Miu or Balenciaga again? Is there gonna be anything revolutionary in yet another rant about Maria Grazia? Course not. I mean, if you are reading, you might have to witness those things one last time because I do intend to finish off this season’s review in this format for consistency purposes and because I’ve already got all the notes now but on the whole, I doubt anyone will miss my rambles.

So, with all that in mind, I think after I finish my S/S21 posts I am gonna start just uploading these posts without the written part. I mean, for one, the simplicity of doing this means I’m much less likely to procrastinate making them which in turn means I’ll be able to get them out right after the shows as a kind of summary as opposed to months later when they’re no longer as relevant. This will also give me more time to work on the writing I actually enjoy. Right now I’m going through and editing my 17 year old self’s “grown-up” take on the Pretty Little Liars blackmail murder mystery style plot line which I wrote back when I was completely and utterly obsessed with the show and bitterly disappointed by the last couple of seasons. The writing is pretty mediocre and often hugely cringey to read back now but I am still a fan of the basic plot and I’m genuinely motivated to see if I can make it something actually worth reading, and to get onto that ASAP; this feels especially important right now given that the HBO version of the series’ apparent upcoming release has sent that ever-present writer’s fear of seeing-your-same-storyline-done-better-by-somebody-else-thus-forever-relegating-your-version-to-being-the-poor-imitation-so-you-gotta-get-there-first into overdrive (or maybe that’s just me and my neuroses). Again, it’s a totally unfounded fear based on the fact that the HBO show will probs get millions of viewers whilst I will be doing little more than shouting into the void but anybody who’s used Turnitin to submit an essay that ultimately counts for little more than like 1% of your grade or degree will know that no matter how irrelevant your work is, the concept of failing a plagiarism check, be it via a computer algorithm or one random stranger on the internet’s assessment, is enough to conjure visions of the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse galloping towards you screaming “START THE WHOLE THING AGAIN” before releasing a hoarde of 2015 Chanel vs. Walmart style comparison memes.

Now, speaking of Chanel, I should probably get back into the reviewing.

So for the last time for a little while, here’s Christian Siriano:

Siriano’s designs are a great example of work I feel guilty enjoying. I know that when it comes to quality, the high fashion community have a lot of (negative) things to say and I really can’t speak to that because quite honestly, I know very little about textile manufacturing. Solely from my own point of view though, I do like his work a lot. I wouldn’t claim for a minute that he’s a pioneer in terms of his creations but I would 100% love to wear them and I DO hugely admire his commitment to putting women of all sizes on the runway and designing pieces that don’t simply cater to straight up and down types which is more than can be said for most brands. I get that his collections are pretty formulaic, taking what has worked for the likes of Chanel and Alessandra Rich, De La Renta and Carolina Herrera, Michael Kors too (who is kind of guilty of the same thing himself), but that’s not to say his work is bad. Let’s be real, we’ve been on this planet thousands of years, we’re all taking inspiration from someone, and maybe figures like Kors and Siriano could wait a *little* longer before taking said inspiration but their aim at the end of the day is to sell clothes, not break barriers, a task which although often left to the big name brands, they too often fail at. I’m not going to lie, I’m feeling this whimsical mid-century tea party vibe, it’s elegant and it’s cutesy and My Fair Lady-esque, and you bet your arse I would be absolutely thrilled to wear one of these looks on a summer red carpet. I just can’t say no to anything tulle-maybe it’s that I was on Toddlers & Tiaras in a past life or maybe it’s that I watched too many Barbie Princess films growing up, but I like pretty much everything going on here, especially Siriano is giving us matching fedoras too. Plus, can we take a moment to praise Siriano for his COVID relief efforts? Near the beginning of the pandemic, he turned his studio into a mask manufacturing factory in order to send them out as donations, and I think that is very cool.

Then there’s Christopher Kane who once again came through with the most insanely gorgeous prints:

I mean, paint splattering is hardly a new technique but I haven’t seen it done as a print so tastefully before-it eats the Moschino biro scribble print (which apparently was copied too speaking of the tendencies of designers to “borrow” inspiration) for breakfast. It’s shit because there weren’t many looks in this collection and they weren’t really shot in a way that does them any justice but I thought I’d include the few I saved.

Comme Des Garcons is a fave of the high fashion community and one I look forward to seeing at fashion week but can never quite get behind. I appreciate the what-the-fuckery of it all with this show totally being able to pass as a run-through of some kind of nuclear waste themed scare house at one of Thorpe Park’s fright nights. I assume given that and the plastic Mickey Mouse print it’s supposed to be some kind of reference to the part late-stage capitalism has played in the hellish landscape we find ourselves in today? Or something all intellectual? In which case I made my interpretation with farrrr too much confidence. But Anyway! Who knows! I’ll leave the analysis to the fashion students, and give it one word: trippy.

Onto Dion Lee, a brand I truly do get excited to talk about because it’s rare that I don’t LOVE his work.

Without fail, Lee manages to be confidently ahead of the curve without going out of his way to announce it and his genius to everyone with flamboyant shows and exaggerated designs and extortionate prices. He is very much an underdog in the fashion world in terms of big names but you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t love his collections. His S/S21 collection is one of my favourites of the bunch. I love seeing something I’ve never seen before and the palm leaf breast plate is so odd but so cool and so perfectly Dion Lee at the same time; we’ve seen jungle/tropical inspired collections sooo many times *cough cough D&G cough cough* and THIS is how you make them fresh and unique. I mean, never in a million years did I think I’d get behind the resurgence of the gladiator sandal trend but Lee has me changing my mind. This is one of the very rare times you will ever see me using this meme to praise a man but:

I mean, he has Fernanda Ly modelling for him, that the man has taste goes without saying.

Now for a bit of a full circle moment, given that I did actually praise Dior’s haute couture collection in my first ever post; Maria Grazia did GOOD. Well, with haute couture at least.

She’s always pretty hamfisted with her references, there’s no denying, with that Grecian Goddess style RTW collection typifying that statement completely, but luckily she struck gold this time round; as someone who studied the Tudors for A-level history, seeing a modern take on the exaggeratedly feminine renaissance silhouettes with the baroque prints and the deep jewell tones got me super excited especially when you throw in the dreamy tarot theming and the nods to the mystical and arcane. Seeing as the Heavenly Bodies Met Gala (I know, I know, I need to move on) was some time ago now and Cersei Lannister’s *SPOILER* been crushed by a rock (could also be seen as a metaphor for the irrelevancy David Benioff and D.B Wise condemned GoT to when they aired that shitty ending tehe) and so probably won’t be getting a collection based on her costumes any time soon, this is the only fashion take on this kind of period dress I’m going to get…and you know what? I’m okay with that. Thanks Maria, I guess?

Her RTW collection wasn’t absolutely awful either, and slightly better than the past few collections at least. Put a monkey in a room with a typewriter (or show it enough similar well-received collections) and it will eventually write something that makes sense, don’t they say? I like the nomadic feel of a lot of the looks and there’s beautiful layering going on but the aura of exotic opulence unsurprisingly didn’t stick around for long and I found that there was a decline in quality in the midsection of the show that landed a lot of the outfits in either awkward mother of the bride at a beach wedding or The Only Way is Essex Ocean Beach PLT sponsored poolside party territory. The looks picked back up a bit towards the end stretch of the show but I wasn’t a fan of the Gucci style oversized glasses which were so out of place with the rest of the theming that if anything they seemed like a cheap grab at relevancy. So yeah, a middling, subpar Etro-esque collection which is better than usual for Dior I suppose.

Next, Elie Saab, whose S/S21 collection was kinda disappointing, tbh. Oh how the turns have tabled given that positive Dior review and my usual love of Saab’s collections.

I know his dresses lose some of their appeal when we can’t see them in motion but even ON the runway I can’t see myself being dazzled by any of these pieces the way I usually am. They’re lacking the level of detail and craftsmanship I associate with the brand seemingly in favour of block colours and suits and the issue is that the whole Disney Princess fantasy has always been the appeal for me because the silhouettes aren’t interesting enough on their own. They’re not ugly pieces, they’re nice, but does nice really have a place in high fashion when the pieces are so basic in both their design and presentation that the shots could pass as ripped from a catalogue? The strongest parts of the collection were when it did go down the more delicate route with the muted blue suits and the white feather trimmed dresses, the small, ornamental gold details reminding me of a very toned down nod to Schiaparelli’s hardware, but with regards to the bright coloured pieces, I can’t lie-they did look like something you could find in the M&S Per Una holiday section. Then you’ve got the weakest parts, which were just flat out ugly: sheer giraffe print, sweat band style elasticated waits, and long chiffon shirts that I hate to admit read as frumpy. There are times where I’ve not been particularly excited by an Elie Saab collection in the past, but I do think this is the first time I’ve actively disliked parts of it.

Conversely, Erdem’s S/S21 collection was super strong, and solidified the brand’s place in my mind as a dependable source of kooky maximalism, this time round giving us Anya Taylor Joy’s Emma wardrobe on speed. You could tell me Erdem Moralıoğlu had just raided the Bridgerton set’s fitting rooms and put it on a runway and I would 100% believe you and I mean that in a positive way because to give my unpopular opinion, the clothes were the only good thing about that show. The endearingly florid details of exaggerated bows and clashing florals were still there but this time in a way that felt more subtle and self-assured, as if the calming influence of the wooded set’d had a direct hand in the designs, giving the rugged, ethereal feel to the collection I associate with brands like Brock and Simone Rocha, all whilst keeping the parts of Erdem I’m so fond of.

Is it really much of a shock that I included pretty much every look from the Etro S/S21 show? Like, you know that Christian idea of God, like, (the voice in my head is very much taking on the dumb valley girl voice that anybody who reads this is most probably getting too) knowing our souls? I think Veronica Etro knows mine. So no, no surprise. Though there were a few unconventional touches thrown into these looks (the campier prints and nautical theming we see with the 80s beach towel print, for example, reminded me a bit of Versace) the mystical bohemian it girl that Etro designs for would still be highly satisfied. Sure, it might be a wardrobe fit for a holiday less adventurous than backpacking but if she wanted a tropical poolside holiday, this collection is the one, the paisley print chiffon mini and maxi dresses especially. I’m just gonna pretend I don’t see the monstrosity that is leggings worn as trousers-it’s a fashion rule I refuse to abandon-because they are the only stain on an otherwise expectedly gorgeous collection.

Next, an unusually reserved RTW collection from Fendi:

More in line with the wardrobe of a European fashion editor than the glamorous trophy wife (who let’s say uses that facade as a guise to ruthlessly run her husband’s whole business empire from behind the scenes because in this house we do complex female characters only), these pieces are lot “smarter” and more professional looking than Fendi’s typical offerings; where I feel Fendi usually designs for the society girl who wouldn’t mind a front page scandal, these are the kind of outfits a young member of Monaco’s royal family would wear for a positively received but business-as-usual press tour. I know, Fendi is an Italian brand, but this is more Southern France to me. We’re talking some 2nd page shots of a Kate Middleton type on a yacht on the Riviera smiling and waving as her PR team’s ideal scenario. Still, whilst fewer exaggerated silhouettes, animal prints and overtly luxurious fabrics (real leathers, silks and furs for example) mean that the drama’s a little toned down, it’s all still very expensive looking and combines the classically feminine glamour of the past and the minimalism of modernity in the artful manner that we’re used to. Maybe it’s me being a basic bitch but I always love seeing Ashley Graham on the runway too, even if brands to tend to use her as their single token plus size model.

Kim Jones’ debut haute couture collection for Fendi, however, wasn’t a very well received one. I don’t hate it personally but I can see where the criticisms are coming from. Whilst it’s closer to the version of Fendi I’ve come to expect and there were some stunning pieces which completely encapsulated that distinctive aura of luxe and glamour, there were quite a few lazy pieces which could’ve been from any designer. I also felt the collection was a bit upstaged by what seemed to be a who’s who of the modelling world; having Bella, Cara, Kate and Naomi ALL walk in one show was a bit distracting and took the focus off the clothes completely.

Giambattista Valli’s RTW collection was gorgeous as ever; the man has undeniably mastered the art of delivering classic, objective elegance, the kind of designs I feel would make you light on your feet and smell like strawberries and cream the minute you put one on. Whilst as a brand his RTW shows are rarely trendsetting, they reliably produce a plethora of unfailingly graceful and demure pieces, as appealing to your mum and your grandma as they are to young women and little girls, and this collection is another victory lap for Valli when it comes to upholding his signature tea party and artisan cupcake making and rose garden strolling and bottomless rosé brunch appropriate aesthetic. There were a lot of outfits that were bordering on overly juvenile, with structures a little too basic to justify the amount of sequins thrown on, but when it’s good, it’s so sweet that regardless of how to formula it is, I can’t help but fall in love.

Valli’s haute couture collection was stunning too and for sure a more exciting offering than the RTW. There was of course a lot of the signature tulle but it was head-turning, over the top in a way that leant far more towards the experimental than I expected. The photos themselves are 100% believable as a some kind of Vogue behind the scenes editorial shoot on the set of live action Disney princess movie (in between takes of the climactic ball scene if you wanna get specific with the vision); if you are looking for a prettier alternative to the primary colours and disruptive shapes of a Molly Goddard collection, this is the one. It’s giving the themes of excess and abundance I associate with that of the Hunger Games Capitol but through the softer lens of a Sofia Coppola movie, and being the typical cinema loving white girl I am, I’m obviously on board with that vibe.

I did SUCH a 180 on Givency’s S/S21 collection from when I first saw it to writing a review. My initial reaction was one of disappointment, I guess simply because Givenchy has given us so many bold pieces and presentations over the last few years whereas this is more low-key. After properly considering it though as I would any other brand, I came to the conclusion that I do actually really like it. It’s still got the strange, androgynous silhouettes popping up throughout and the futuristic space-age details but with a more down-to-earth, streetwear feel, albeit a very slick, glossy spin on the trends of the rabble (that’s us guys) of course before we go believing it’s achievable. On the one hand, the devil horn accents are a touch Claire’s accessories halloween range but at the same time, done with confidence they’re kind of cool and bring something new and fun to the table in line with the dark theatre of Givenchy’s last few shows.

Now for Gucci, which for the first time I have to say, if I'm attempting objectivity, is not a standout.

Like, can I just start by saying though the format it’s presented in is cute, it’s not ideal as a way of actually showing the collection. I get that the vintage shop bin vibe is a huge part of Gucci’s brand but polaroids make it SO hard to actually see the clothes, and that’s what we’re here for right? I don’t want to give the impression that I don’t like what I see here-the clothes are gorgeous, an idyllic ode to the off-duty wardrobes of Studio 54-ers, bohemian style icons like Charlotte Rampling and young Olivia Newton-John, psychedelic rock guitarists and the inhabitants of San Fransisco’s Haight during the late 60s and early 70s, Alessandro Michele’s favourite period of reference. I can’t pretend otherwise, or act like I wouldn’t want to wear the shit out of this collection. Buut, for Gucci? It’s a little underwhelming. These are the kind of filler looks we get in a typical Gucci show to go alongside the more statement pieces, which this collection is lacking. It’s just that these are designs which usually gets people talking and these pieces don’t do that. It sucks because for most other brands this would be a stand out collection, an immersive, luscious vignette of what people tend to think of as a cultural golden era, but when you’ve had a show that involved models carrying replicas of their own decapitated heads down the runway in the last 5 years, of course something more toned down like this is gonna generate a lot of “is that it?”s.

I owe Hermes an apology. Looking back, I have disliked all their previous collections for the same reason that I now really like this one; maybe it’s in part down to the frustration of still having to whack out the winter coat on occasion in May (fuck British weather and climate change), but suddenly I really appreciate the value of some good quality, versatile outerwear. Hermes is giving us that in spades here and for that, I bow down to them. The pieces on offer are clearly well-made and genuinely practical, and through the minimalist approach manage to retain both an air of timeless sophistication whilst also being youthful and on trend. The leather tactical vest co-ord I can easily see edged up and taking centre stage on one of those insane Seoul street style slow-mo TikToks that were big a couple of months ago and there are several pieces that could tie together a grunge influenced k-style look just as well as they could exist for years on end as the wardrobe staple of a high-powered businesswoman. Designer Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski’s strengths really come through with the simpler looks and it’s the patterned pieces that drag down an otherwise flawless collection; I guess because the aesthetic is very minimalist, the patterns can’t be anything overly decorative but unfortunately this has a bit of a dowdy effect when you pair it with such modest silhouettes. Disregarding those elements of the collection though, it was super good.

It goes without saying that Iris Van Herpen’s haute couture collection was breathtaking; if the fashion community can agree on anything, it’s that this woman’s work is consistently awe-inspiring. She captures the wonder of the universe, the biological structures and kaleidoscopic colours we don’t even register, through fashion in a way that others can only imitate, to mesmerising, truly transcendent effect; I can only assume Van Herpen has mother nature whispering into her ear because how the hell else do you explain her ability to take the kind of microscopic organisms they show you images of in an outdated GCSE science powerpoint and make a dress that resembles one so stunning? Care to explain, Iris? Because if there is some kind of line of communication between the two of you can you please tell the bitch I’m over this weather and that I have cute summer outfits I’m waiting to wear so can she pack this torrential rain shit in? K, thanks xoxo

See it seems shady as fuck to go from IVH to Isabel Marant like this because we are talking 2 designers with totallyyyy different approaches to fashion; Iris Van Herpen is haute couture for starters whereas Marant is commercial, and that’s her thing, but unfair comparisons aside this collection is still a bit of a let down. This is considering I do usually really like Isabel Marant collections based on whether or not I’d wear the pieces, which seems a more appropriate barometer to use to come to a quality verdict. Whilst there were a few of the elegant bohemian pieces my mind goes to when it comes to her brand, the steps outside of that comfort zone didn’t pay off; graffiti print (can be cool if done with some subtlety which apart from a few exceptions was not the case here), cheap looking reflective fabric, and MC Hammer style dungarees, it seems to be an attempt to merge 80s trends with modern urban culture, and an attempt that at times verged on the disastrous. It’s good for a brand to experiment, of course, and appeal to a wider client base than usual, but when it’s bad the unfortunate take away is that the design team don’t have the chops to pull off straying from familiar territory; designers wouldn’t be showing at fashion week if this was truly the case because disregarding the influence of nepotism, fashion is an area you need real talent, perseverance and business smarts to excel in, and so it doesn’t do a team justice when they do fail.

J.W Anderson, on the other hand, really put his best foot forward this season and presented this work in a really cool way too which only added to the positives; whilst the way the shots were edited was funky af, it didn’t detract from the actual outfits, and if we are to see the same limitations when it comes to the F/W collections being released, this is something a lot of designers and editing teams should take note of. The idiosyncratic exaggerated shapes that we see as a recurring feature of Anderon’s collections were still on show but this time round with added femininity, billowing skirts and trailing jewellery that channel the stage looks of Stevie Nicks in a way that’s modern and functional and maybe even fit for the office if you were to work in a more creative industry with a chill boss. Could also work for a coven of witches who practice meditation by bonfires in the moonlight and burn the letters of men who wronged them in some Arizonian desert, so like I said, functional! Who doesn’t like versatility? The only thing I’m not too keen on is the shoes but they’re not so bad that it affects my opinion of the collection and they look comfy I guess.

Lastly, we’ve got to talk about Jacquemus, one of the most influential names in fashion at the moment. And yes, this time round, I’m doing it: I’m buying into the hype.

This collection is gorgeousss! I can see already that a lot of the recurring elements of the show are going to be big summer trends for this year (the cut outs and strappy details on the blouses are everywhere already) even though it isn’t hot enough to have collectively decided the time to start dressing for heat is upon us yet, and that’s always a good indicator of how successful the designer was in their vision and attempts to assess the needs and wants of fashion enthusiasts; whether I’m as big a fan of his work as everyone else seems to be, there’s no denying Simon Porte Jacquemus has always excelled at this practice if the buzz around him is anything to go by. It makes sense given the last year of us all being stuck in and suppressed that a lot of us are already romanticising the summer ahead, anticipating picnics and beach days and general Theresa May running through wheat fields type shenanigans galore, in spite of how dubious an assumption it is to make that British weather will allow for this; Porte Jacquemus has very much catered to this wishful thinking and the popularity of the whole escapist “cottage core” aesthetic, sexing it up a little bit with pieces that hug the body in ways only Mugler knows how whilst being lightweight and relaxed enough to look good with windswept, sandy hair and a little dose of sunburn. I’m talking enough to give you some cutesy freckles and rosy cheeks not PSA on the importance of suncream territory, guys, what is it with those of us on the gen Z/millennial cusp not taking sun damage seriously!? Why do I have to beg so many of my friends to wear it!? Does nobody else remember those photos they’d show you in PSHE in English primary schools of burnt people’s skin under UV lights? Or is that just me being weird and only having such a vivid memory of the images because teachers told us we had to wait until year 6 to see them due they to their “graphic” nature only for my gore-loving self to be extremely underwhelmed when we finally did get that lesson? They showed us a woman giving birth in year 4 for fuck’s sake. THAT was traumatising.

Back to the actual point anyway, with just a couple of negatives, the first of which being that the pieces are very similar to those feminine looks we saw dotted about the Jacquemus menswear collection from last year that were all over fashion Twitter. In Simon Porte Jacquemus’ defence though, it makes sense that those tones and silhouettes would be revisited in a full womenswear collection for that very reason; considering they went down so well and that lockdown gave us a bit of a half-baked summer in 2020, expanding on those elements enough for a whole new collection makes good business sense. We did get some cool additions too, mainly in the form of accessories, with the hardware details on the belts similar to those included in the Givenchy collection and the abstract hair slides being standouts for me. It was all exquisite-the shoes, the jewellery, the styling, everything 10/10. My other nitpick, and I say nitpick not because it’s not important but because it’s an issue that’s hardly restricted to Jacquemus (this casting team are far from the worst offenders, Saint Laurent I’m looking at you), is that I WISH we’d see more diversity with the models. Despite what my body dysmorphia yells at me, I am small, and yet seeing all those fucking minuscule waists made me die a little inside; it’s crazy to me that in 2020 the lack of variety in body types on the runway is still such a problem.

I must have said this a million times but I don’t want to end on a negative note so let me reiterate: this collection was STUN. NING. Plus there were some others I’ve talked about in this post that I’m sure will make it into my top 20 in the final part, Jacquemus, Dion Lee and Etro for sure; we even got some gorgeous pieces from Maria Grazia which I thought was a sentence I’d never type out. Have I said enough to not leave a bad taste in the mouth of anyone who read to the end of this post? I hope so, lol! TBH, it’s impressive given everything that’s going on that the majority of designers did roll out collections in September as usual so serious respect to them and their design teams for that.

In the next post, I’ll fingers crossed be able to include everything from Kim Shui (exciting!) through to at least Off-White (actually pretty good this time?!) and make this whole thing a 4 parter before getting straight on top of the photo posts I’m thinking about doing for the time being for the F/W21 shows. So as usual, if you did read to the end thank you so much and I respect the perseverance you must have to get through all my rambling, lmao. Hope everyone is well and coping okay and again, my inbox is always open for any post suggestions, constructive criticism, or just a chat for anyone who needs a listening ear.

Big love and thank you again!

Lauren x

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dearmrsawyer · 3 years

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i’ve had the music in my car on shuffle for like a year and when i drove home from work on Thursday Habit came up, and i can’t explain the way my body exhaaaaaaaaaled on the very first note. the way all the tension in my body slipped away! i switched to play through Walls for the rest of the drive home, such a comfort!! I still can’t believe like, we have Louis’ album! after so long, now at my service whenever i want, that is so amazing. this week has just been a thumbs down i think. i’m running on minimum and am hoarding all my energy for myself, not giving it to anyone else. and a bunch of people i care about had real sad things happen in their lives and i think we should be allowed to hand the week back to the person in charge and receive a refund.

Thursday was the first day our campus was opened back up to students. Classes are still online but we’re opening the campus/library one day a week, and will steadily increase to normal opening hours. It was so STRANGE to like, interact with human beings in my library lol??? We rearranged some furniture to be more socially distanced and i love the new layout. I need to bring some of the plants back to the library, but i’m waiting on some mats i ordered so the tables are protected from water damage. It’ll look even better when they’re back. i feel soo out of practice with face to face service, like the immediacy of it, i’m going to need to work on exercising those muscles, but gosh i must admit it was nice to see the space being used. i hate coming back without our old receptionist tho. we were the only 2 staff members on the ground floor so we were very close, it sucks being there without her! another staff member will be coming down to sit at reception on the days we’re open, which i’m looking forward to bc she’s great, but it just won’t be the same. i feel like i lost a teammate, we used to say we were the best team in the building bc we didn’t get caught up in the bureaucratic drama up on level 2, so we could get on with our jobs lol. Ugh anyway i need to msg her and see how she’s doing. I wanted to invite her over for dinner when we found a new place, but who knows when that will be!!!

We saw FIVE houses today. We really liked one of them but we’re sure to be priced out. The house we’ve been after for a few weeks, that we were in the final running for, got pulled from the market this week bc the owners changed their minds about selling, which makes me want to get into bed and never emerge lol. We were so close to escaping this hellish market!!! I am so desperate to stop participating in conversations that discuss sums like 1 million dollars on the regular. Please never speak to me about that amount of money again, i don’t want to have to think about that much money, or the idea that anyone else is also dealing with that much money. However, the good news is that a family friend has found us a very serious buyer for nonna’s house, who is also willing to let us rent from them for a few months so we can keep searching for a new house. It’s going to make our lives so so much easier, it’s not a done deal but they’re pretty deadset so it’s just a matter of time. It’s really exactly what we need, its such a saving grace, so i’m trying to focus on that while we go back to square one in the hunt for a new home.

that zouisfest got me so excited, i have a zouis idea i really wanna write so i think i’ll sign up. my only worry is that i really wanted to finish nouis android au, which is slowly slowly slowly crawling along, and i don’t wanna redirect my focus. i’ve decided i’ll aim to have the first draft finished by the time zouisfest signs up open, so i’m not pressuring myself to have it done but i’ll have something very workable to come back to. it might even be really good to come back to a complete draft with totally fresh eyes! i think zouis signs ups open in may and then post in dec, and i feel like that kind of deadline will be helpful for me. its possible this will all implode with everything going on in real life lol, but i think i want to take the chance

#annoyed @ myself for being so emotionally worn out by house hunting bc i'm not even like #managing the situation #my mum's literally handling everything she does so much mentally and physically every day #come on jamila lol. i haven't been doing my long lunchtime walks or nightly yoga for a few weeks even tho i got so into the habit #not to mention the VACCINE situation that i am just #i'm so glad i'm rewatching spn so i can simply not exist in regular instalments every night #sam n dean get me out of here #its also been helpful to do this rewatch rn bc it gives me thoughts that i can come on here and express #and i know that if i weren't posting my feeling about spn i wouldn't be posting my feelings about anything #whenever i get v mentally tired/overwhelmed i tend to stop expressing thoughts so having something that i can't shut up about is good!#tp

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never-sated · 3 years

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Four years ago, after Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election to Donald Trump, one of the most brutal conversations I had was with my then-11-year-old son, who had grown up imagining that the world looked a certain way and discovered overnight that it did not. He was worried that he might someday have to defend children at his school from racists and bigots in the schoolyard, and he feared he wasn’t up to the task. His words at the time broke my heart. He said something like, “I know myself. I’m never gonna be the No. 1 guy to step in. If someone else steps up, I could be the No. 2 guy. But I don’t think I could stop it myself.” We talked a lot in the weeks after about bystander intervention, about being the chip guy on the subway (he just ate chips until a violent situation was defused), and about the beautiful words Mary Beth Tinker once shared with me, about how terrified she was when she wore a black armband to school to protest the Vietnam War. She was the one who explained how sometimes you only have to be “a little bit brave.”

When I scroll through social media today, I am gripped by the same fears—of violence and unchecked power—that have made it nearly impossible to exhale for the past few months, perhaps years. I cannot predict what this day, this week, will bring. But what humbles and amazes me is the civic courage I’m seeing, the flexed muscles of so many ordinary people who never believed, in 2016, that they would survive this, much less find courage to step in if they were called upon to do so.

Thousands of people phoned strangers in Philadelphia on Monday to urge them to vote. Some of them never thought they were capable of such a thing. My friends who marched in D.C. just last week to protest the Amy Coney Barrett confirmation were fanned out across the country knocking on doors Monday. My friend Mark is poll watching today in an East Philadelphia precinct that has received credible threats from white supremacists. When I scroll through social media these days, I genuinely don’t recognize some of the skinny First Amendment scholars I knew over a decade ago. They are now suited up to monitor and protect and intervene in the tense circumstances to come. I look at my journalist friends, who have come to treat death threats and bomb threats as the cost of doing business, and at how many of them have written and spoken and fought at their personal and professional peril in these dark times. I see people who have gone from citizens to activists to inspirational T-shirts, from historians and local voting rights activists to someone else’s only hope.

Doctors and nurses and orderlies and teachers. Transportation workers, election workers, and factory workers. None of these people thought they would have to do what they now do every single day. But those muscles and callouses and scars are now part of who they have become. I am looking around at the feeds of folks who never in a million years would have thought of themselves as protesters, marchers, organizers, passive resistors, civil rights attorneys, poll monitors during a pandemic, and I wonder if they see what I saw this morning: that whatever this wretched four years has broken, it has also built so many different kinds of brave, such a thick and rich kind of civic power. It’s the kind of brave that will have people standing in lines for hours, the kind of brave that will have them voting in the face of closed polling places and burdensome ID requirements and even threats of harassment. It’s the kind of brave some people have been doing for a long, long time but a lot of other people knew little about.

I was reminded this morning of Justice Antonin Scalia, in an oral argument in the 2010 case Doe v. Reed. Opponents of marriage equality were challenging Washington state’s practice of publishing the signatures on petitions for a ballot referendum, as part of their public records laws. They wanted the right to try to deny marriage equity, and to do so anonymously. Some of the court’s conservatives suggested that publishing the names of signatories of a petition put them in danger of harassment and threats. Justice Samuel Alito fretted about religious affiliations being published and people storming others’ homes seeking “uncomfortable conversations.” But it was Scalia, tag-teaming with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who insisted that much as we might wish otherwise, “The fact is that running a democracy takes a certain amount of civic courage.” He went on to point out, rather presciently, that “the First Amendment does not protect you from criticism or even nasty phone calls when you exercise your political rights to legislate, or to take part in the legislative process.” He went on, more or less shouting that “you know, you can’t run a democracy this way, with everybody being afraid of having his political positions known!” And—no surprises—Ginsburg had his back throughout. At the time, it was all very hypothetical, but in the years since we’ve heard these arguments, GOP groups have hidden their donor lists under this same theory of protecting themselves from public criticism, while doing immense damage to the institutions of democracy, and more recently to the institution of voting itself. The “civic courage” for which Scalia advocated that day is today apparent in the people who realize that political silence is not a marker of “politeness” but instead can be a hallmark of complicity.

Strapping on a semi-automatic weapon and terrorizing voters isn’t bravery any more than invading a small college town with flaming torches is bravery. Tweeting encouragement for the jailing, kidnapping, and assault of your political opponents isn’t bravery, just as deriding the military while dodging the draft is not courage. Being a bully requires neither courage nor conviction, just the knowledge that you will be protected in your abuse of those who are powerless. But for the millions of Americans who have marched and organized, who have been arrested for the first time, who have knocked on the doors of strangers, who have made the art of the resistance and baked cookies for the resistance, and ended friendships, and stood up to trolls, and explained hellish truths to their kids, and who are still today—as the president incites his bullies—doing the kinds of things they would never have imagined themselves doing, well there is a name for all this activity: It is civic courage, and without it, there would only be bullies to occupy the field.

I have no idea what comes next. I have no illusions that electoral victories will change fundamentally broken systems of power and money and gender and race. This will require decades of work to repair. But take a moment, in the maelstrom of today, to gently thank someone you’ve watched become just a “little bit brave” over these past four years. You may not recognize it in yourselves, but you will surely see it in those around you. And as the person who has penned a dozen “_____ Is Not Going to Save Us,” articles—about the Bob Muellers, and Adam Schiffs and even the Justice Ginsburgs—know that today I see the chip guys all around. You are the chip guys you had hoped to see in the world. I hope you see it too.

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writehardwhumpharder · 5 years

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Suits fic.

So this ended up pretty long, I got a little carried away. I’m not even sure if tumblr will let me post it. I hope you guys like suits as much as I do. Prompt: Okay can I see, like, early Mike just started working at the firm and he's trying to keep up with Harvey's almost non-stop schedule and ends up sick but tries to keep going? Cue "annoyed" (but actually worried) Harvey?

Mike eyed himself in the mirror subconsciously wearing his too-cheap suit, and too-skinny tie. His first couple days had gone well enough, but now he knew what was expected of him and boy was he out of his depth. Sure he could recite the Harvard law book by memory, but that didn’t help much with all the little nuanced details each draft needed. He slipped his files into his bag and slung it over his shoulder then grabbed his bike to lug down the stairs over his head.

By the time he reached the Pearson Hardman building his heart was racing, and not from the 3 miles he just biked through traffic. What the actual hell did I get myself into? he wondered. Mike had made sure to get to the office 40 minutes early in hopes that he’d have time to review the files Louis requested to be done by this morning, but when he got to the office every other associate was already at their cubicles. Only the senior partners weren’t there yet and even they got there a fashionable 15 minutes early. Mike had hardly sat down when Donna came bustling past the cubicles.

“Harvey wants these by lunch but if you’re pressed for time, do this one first. He needs it for a client meeting at 1:15pm which you should attend by the way.” She was gone before he could say good morning. She winked at him as she walked away, making him feel a little better about the cut and dry work of a major law firm. Thank god Louis had taken one good look at him and deemed him capable of only the simplest of cases. He meant it as an insult but on a day like this, he took it with a genuine smile. Before getting buried in his work, Mike opted to take a quick trip to the coffee machine, knowing that for the next few hours he’d be glued to his work station.

The morning went by quickly but Mike managed to finish the file Harvey needed and the easy cases Louis gave him. Despite a few things he had to do for Harvey, he was pretty proud of what he’d been able to finish. It was 1pm the next time Mike looked up from his work, almost time to go meet Harvey. Reading the small print for hours on end was starting to make his eyes sore so Mike was grateful for a short break from it, even if it is just to talk to a client. Mike rubbed his eyes as he crossed the room holding the stack of papers he had prepared. Harvey emerged from his office and wasted no time flipping through the papers.

“Um, good morning. Or afternoon…” Mike mumbled.

“Yeah okay, these are fine but they could be a little cleaner.” Harvey commented, clearly distracted. Mike felt his shoulders sag in mild defeat. For his first week of work “fine” was pretty damn good, but he couldn’t help but feel like he was slaving over files only to stay invisible. Harvey looked up long enough to read his associate’s face. “You know you’re doing really well competing against a bunch of people who actually went to law school.” Harvey teased in a low voice so no one might overhear them. Mike trailed after him towards the conference room already rehearsing in his head what he would say to the client if he had to speak.

Turns out he didn’t. Harvey introduced them both and Mike shook the man’s hand but apart from that he was mostly there to observe and supply information. Mike would hand Harvey a paper with the most important details highlighted every so often as they discussed legal concerns over a faulty product.

“Don’t worry Dave, we’ll stay on top of this. We’ll find a way to cover this long before anyone can file against your company. It’s not my area of expertise but I would suggest issuing a press release with this information as soon as possible.” Harvey said, handing the man a summary of what their plan was in simpler terms. Mike flexed his aching fingers under the table, trying to rub away hours or rather days of hard work. As much of a relief as it was to be able to sit for 30 mins and do next to nothing, he caught himself glancing at his watch multiple times, anxious about every second he didn’t spend working.

After the meeting, Mike dropped off Louis’s files and got to work on the other things Harvey had left him. These would take some research, great, off to the file room it is then. He gathered his things and sat on the floor, scanning through bins of information. If his eyes didn’t hurt before they certainly did now. Words were starting to blur together and he kept sagging more and more out of tiredness until he was basically laying on the ground, propped up on his elbows just enough to be able to read the paper.

—-

At first he wasn’t sure what woke him, a sharp knock, maybe someone was calling his name? He blinked slowly and looked up to see Rachel staring down at him disapprovingly.

“Odd time for a nap don’t you think?” she said.

“Oh my god, Rachel, what time is it?” Mike asked suddenly alert.

“Almost 4pm.”

“Shit, shit, shit. Harvey wants these by the end of the day.” Mike stammered combing through the files to see just how much trouble he was in. If Harvey stayed late today he had a chance of finishing them but he probably had more work for him to do by now anyway. Rachel gave him a sympathetic look.

“Fine,” she huffed, “I’ll help you.” Mike grouped up the documents for her, pairing the papers he was going to use to prove precedent to the sloppy drafts he’d started. Luckily for him she didn’t comment on how bad they were and got to work on rewriting them entirely. Having her there was a welcome distraction to how run down he was. He crossed his fingers hoping that these hellish past few days were some kind of trial by fire and things would settle down soon.

“Okay, these two are done. But that’s all I can help with. You better hurry if you want to catch Harvey on his way out.”

“Mhmm.” Mike responded without looking up, “thank you for the help.” Rachel paused by the door.

“Don’t get used to it.” She said in a tone that was both serious and lighthearted. When Mike finished a few minutes later and leapt to his feet to go find Harvey, he found that both his legs had fallen asleep and fell rather ungracefully back down to the floor. He banged his elbow on the shelf on his way down.

“God damn it.” Mike cursed to himself before trying again, much more successful this time. Harvey’s office was empty but it was just past 5pm so with any luck he’d still be in the lobby. Mike took the stairs for lack of time and scrambled down each floor to the building’s main lobby. Despite going downhill the trip sapped up a surprising amount of energy and he was left panting, one hand leaning on the wall before exiting the stairwell.

Yes! Harvey was still here, he probably only stopped to flirt with the receptionist.

“Ha- Harvey.” he said still a little out of breath, “I’ve got those files you wanted.” Mike said. Harvey took them and shoved them in his briefcase, only to pull out an equally large stack for him.

“Thanks Mike, I was going to give these to you earlier but Donna said you weren’t at your cubicle. I need these by 9am at the latest. And do get some sleep Mike, you look like shit, and we have court tomorrow.” Harvey replied. Mike had completely forgotten about their hearing tomorrow. He ran a hand through his messed up hair and straightened his tie in an attempt to look more professional.

“Sure, Harvey, no problem.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” Harvey said before taking off, leaving Mike standing stupidly by the receptionist’s desk. He offered the girl a sheepish smile before heading back up to the office to grab his things in addition to the new assignments Harvey just gave him, this time taking the elevator.

—-

When Mike’s alarm dragged him out of a restless sleep he felt.. bad. Not in any particular way, just bad. And he had a feeling this was the kind of tired coffee couldn’t fix. He’d been up all night, getting only about 2 hours of sleep, which on second thought was more like a glorified nap. After a few more minutes of sulking Mike dragged himself out of bed, hoping a cold shower could perk him up. He grabbed a dull, dark grey suit from his closet and a crisp white shirt, he had to be in court later so now wasn’t the time to be taking fashion risks. He picked up the navy blue tie his grandma got for him when she heard about his fancy new job. The thought put him a little more at ease despite the worsening headache he had. Mike took one glance at his bike on his way out before deciding to just take a taxi. He’d probably puke his guts out trying to bike to work when he felt so crappy.

Mike threw a $20 at the taxi driver before jogging up to the building, he hadn’t planned for the extra time he’d spent stuck in traffic so now he was borderline late. It was clear Harvey was in no mood to deal with his associates lateness. He tried to go easy on the kid but with his schedule, lightening his workload just wasn’t an option. Jessica was already skeptical of his choice so when Mike showed up to his office looking pale and sweaty he had his lecture already planned out, for appearances at the very least.

“Shut the door, Mike.” Harvey said in a clipped voice. “Want to tell me why you’re 15 minutes late and look like you just ran a marathon?” Mike adjusted his tie subconsciously.

“I rode my bike, it’s pretty warm out today.” Mike lied. Harvey was tempted to make a remark about how if he can’t afford a taxi maybe he doesn’t belong here but he knew better. Mike didn’t belong there, and that’s exactly why he chose him.

“Sorry Harvey, I’ve been working really hard to finish these and it’s still before 9am, I- I hope that’s okay.” Mike said. Harvey sighed visibly, looking reminiscent of a disappointed father.

“It’s fine, Mike. Just plan better next time. Be back here in twenty minutes, Ray will drive us to the courthouse and for the love of god, do something to make yourself presentable.”

Mike took that as his cue to leave. At first he headed towards his cubicle but a sinking feeling in his stomach had him walking towards the bathrooms instead. He almost felt hungover, the ache spreading through his body from lack of sleep gave him the distinct feeling of being poisoned. Mike barely managed to keep his composure until he got to the men’s room where he ran the last few feet and collapsed on his knees in front of the toilet. He dry-heaved for a moment, using his brief second of relief to lock the stall door behind him. This time he actually brought up the small bit of breakfast he had. It’s just nerves right? Mike rationalized to himself. He just had to get it together. He didn’t want Harvey to regret hiring him, after all he did try to fire him once already.

As soon as Mike was confident that he was done, he exited the stall and made for the mirror to “make himself presentable” per Harvey’s request. Though Mike had to agree with him, his skin was a dull almost greyish color, which his glistening layer of sweat only helped make more visible. His cheeks were flushed a sickly pink. There wasn’t much he could do besides take a few deep breaths and splash some cold water in his face.

When he met back up with Harvey, he looked and felt worse than he did when he came in.

“Mike I thought I told you to do something about-“ he made a vague gesture to Mike, “that.” Harvey scolded, though Mike thought he detected the slightest hint of concern.

“I did…” Mike said, lacking the energy to make a better argument for himself.

“You know that? Why don’t you sit this one out. It’s not that important, I’m sure there’s plenty of stuff for you to do here.” Harvey said. This was his chance to back out, but Mike was too stubborn to quit just like that.

“No, I’m fine. I want to go, really,” he insisted. Harvey gave him a disbelieving look but he didn’t have time to argue with the kid.

“Fine, let’s go. Ray is waiting outside.” Harvey grabbed his briefcase and walked ahead, leaving Mike to try to keep up with him. He couldn’t help but notice the way his associate leaned heavily against the elevator wall, lacking the youthful energy he always had. He should have his earbuds in right now, listening to some ridiculous playlist to psych himself up. The doors opened before he had a chance to comment on it.

Mike felt truly awful at this point. He was starting to doubt whether or not he’d make it through the hearing. As long as he could stay sitting, everything would be fine. He all but fell into the seat next to Harvey and lazily reached up to grab his seatbelt. Harvey saw his minor struggle and opted to just grab the seatbelt and click it for him.

“Get it together, Mike. I’m serious. ‘Cause if you can’t, I’ll have Ray drop you off at home.” Harvey said.

“No!” Mike whined, “I’ve got it.” he said. They continued the rest of the ride in silence, luckily the courthouse wasn’t very far away.

Harvey strode into the courtroom with his usual confidence and grace. Mike on the other hand stumbled a bit, gripping the edges of the rows of chairs to steady himself. No turning back now. It was a simple case, all they were doing was filing a motion to allow them access to a rival companies records, but you could hardly call any case of Harvey’s simple. He was representing some of the wealthiest businessmen in New York. They quickly took their seats and waited for the judge. Mike could practically feel the sweat seeping through his shirt, he was uncomfortably hot now and the nausea was coming back despite his stomach being completely empty from earlier. He stared down at the desk in front of him and tried to focus on breathing.

“Are you okay?” Harvey asked, no longer trying to hide his concern. Mike just nodded in response, not trusting himself to open his mouth. He started shaking his leg impatiently until Harvey told him to knock it off.

“All rise.” A woman said as the judge entered. Mike forced himself to stand but he kept his hands firmly planted on the table. Harvey walked up to the stand and started talking. Okay Mike, just relax, everything is gonna fine, you’re- oh god. The dizziness was pressing in on him from all directions and his vision started to tunnel. He looked up to watch Harvey, though he couldn’t hear much of anything. He pressed a hand to his stomach and closed his eyes as the dizziness and fatigue made his stomach churn. He was pretty sure he was dangerously dehydrated at this point as well since he’s been running on coffee the last few days. Without Harvey next to him to stop him, he started tapping his foot again and used his other hand to rest his head. Mike knew how he must look but nothing could distract him from of primary goal of not throwing up right there in the middle of the courtroom. Harvey kept looking back to him anxiously but couldn’t disrespect the judge by interrupting him to go check on Mike. Turns out, he didn’t have to. Mike swayed slightly in his chair, his head was too foggy to know up from down and before he knew it he was sliding towards the floor, helpless to stop it.

Harvey heard a thud and whipped his head around to see Mike in the floor, struggling to get on his knees.

“Mike!” he called out to him. He knew he should have sent him home, but Mike was trying so hard to impress him he worked himself to his absolute breaking point. “What’s going on?” He asked, trying to sound calm as he moved the chairs out of the way so he could get to him.

“I- I’m fine.” Mike muttered weakly.

“You’re a terrible liar.” Harvey said as he grabbed Mike and hauled him to his feet. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

“But… but the case.”

“Already taken care of.” Harvey said. Which turned out to be true when the judge’s assistant ran up to them with the signed documents on their way out.

“Feel better.” she smiled. If Mike wasn’t so out of it he would be absolutely mortified right now. The last thing he remembered before drifting to sleep was Harvey helping him up the stairs to his apartment, taking off his jacket and shoes before letting Mike sleep this off. Despite how terribly the day had gone, Harvey knew he made the right choice.

#mike ross #whump #sickfic #sickmike #igotalittlecarriedaway #oops #suits #harvey specter #sleepdeprivation #overworked #exhaustion #wheredidthelast3hoursgo?

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soyster-writes-fanfiction · 2 years

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Progress Check

Main Priority:

Strangers on the Front Line – rewriting (again, i know)

mystery story – 2/???

Side Priorities:

Fuel to the Flame – on hold

Still Breathing in the Ashes – on hold

To You, Ten Years Ago – bakugo extra on hold

wow, i suck, don't i? i have recently (as of a couple months ago) realized that strangers on the front line is under my expectations, and it's been steadily gaining on me that keeping up the way i am currently writing it is a fool's endeavor (ha). so, instead of running that sinking ship any further, i'll be doing another rewrite that will focus more on the actual plot rather than the introspection bits that i seem to have a problem writing too much of. i won't take down anything yet, and i'll post them up when i have at last a couple chapters for proof of concept. thankfully, i have drafted out how i wanted the plot to go, so i won't have much work in the way of planning. i just have to stop myself from sinking into internal monologues again.

as for the mystery story, i have a couple of chapters now written. i want this to be a full release, where i publish a chapter once a week after it's fully written. that way i'll have actual consistency in my schedule as well as something fully-thought-through before i commit to any more hellish rewrites. it's going to be an interesting piece, though the fandom i am writing it for is about five years past its prime. it's definitely a concept i wished i had seen done when the show was just released.

everything else is on the backburner, but they're still in production. i figure that the bakugo extra for to you ten years ago may come out eventually, but that story is finished as far as i am concerned. my rewrite for fuel to the flame may also go the way of the mystery story, with a full release scheduled over many weeks. i'll see how i can get that done. still breathing in the ashes is something i really ought to get back to writing, but i need to give both series (at least the first season of both series) a rewatch before i can get back into writing them.

i know this is a big info dump that probably won't be read, but it's good to word vomit my (eventual) plans for some transparency. i've been super busy with premed courses and it's likely that i will be taking the MCAT this fall and graduating next spring. i don't imagine my workload will decrease in that time, but i want to give my stories some love in the meanwhile.

until next time!

#soysterupdates #soyster

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magpiejay1234 · 2 years

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Somehow, my deleted draft came back. Thanks Tumblr-kun.

As for my computer, it has been running for 2 days with no problem so far. Firmware update was not sufficient, so I needed to reinstall the Bios. This was quite hellish for a week, and significantly cut down my productivity.

So please, update your bios, and if your computer freezes after installing a new Ram like mine did, please reinstall your bios first, before messing with other things.

#personal

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cyberkevvideo · 4 years

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Throne of Night Theory Builds Part 26: Strange Sea Merchants

So THIS is the post I tried uploading last week before crap hit the fan and the computer crash, causing me to lose everything. To say it sucked would be an understatement. But we're finally here.

This particular post is very near and dear to me because it feels like a sense of vindication and I'll get into that in the next half of the post. I’m being careful how I word things, and that I don’t post too much as it karma might bite me in the backside again for being to prideful, even thought I technically have the right to. =P I’m also doing a back up and saving a draft of the article just in case. I don’t want to have to go through this a third time.

Regardless, this post has NEW ART. That’s right. It may be a week late, but it’s still here, and you’ll be able to gaze upon the awesome in just a moment. Also, two stat builds instead of one, and it’s not because there’s an animal companion.

As always, for space reasons, I’ll be cropping the encounter build.

All images shared here were done by the forever fantastic and amazingly talented Michael D. Clarke, aka SpiralMagus

I do not have a Patreon or a Kickstarter, but I do have a Ko-Fi page (linked) for those who are looking to support me monetarily. There is no pressure or obligation to do so.

Finally, before I get to it, I hope everyone’s staying safe right now.

EDIT: I’ve come back and cleaned it up. Even advanced the bodyguards to CR 15 from CR 13.

Back during the release of "Way of the Wicked", before I'd published anything at all, I was mystified by the adventure modules, but something always bugged that an element was missing. Why did the hyper LAWFUL GOOD government and judicial law just stop looking for the most wanted criminals of that time? These weren't petty crooks. They were high level criminals who had done heinous crimes, escaped prison, and probably murdered a league of guards in the process. And among them, might even be an infernal ogre of unknown Hellish influence. Not a single bodyguard or inquisitor apprentice went "I'm going to double check and make sure they're actually dead"? Instead, they just assume they were lost to the swamp. That always seemed odd to be, and honestly very unacceptable. So I designed three bounty hunter brothers that would go after them, including a human ranger/inquisitor, and released it on the public forum, along with my thoughts on WHY these guys had to exist. If not all three, then for sure the ranger/inquisitor. And to my surprise, people agreed. Even Gary agreed. And more surprising, they were taken for other people's games, including Gary McBride himself. The author had acknowledged my efforts, and admitted this was a worthwhile addition. For anyone who doesn't know me personally, for me to have received that kind of validation, especially from the author of something big like the "first evil campaign for Pathfinder 1e", it was an exceptionally big deal. I was had readied myself for only beratement, as that's what I was used to from writers and game masters. So when Book 2 was released, I stepped up again. It threw me off that in a world of devils and angels, and so many religious NPCs, that the PCs were limited to finding a specific black market that could get you specific items, but it could take literal months or even years to get it because most items PCs would want were illegal on the island and would have to come in from the mainland, the long way, because of one side of the island having terrible storms and a giant whirlpool. Why though? It made sense to me that a young and upcoming mercane could easily slip in and sell the PCs some wares. Considering their ability to plane shift and sell to other planes of existence, they certainly wouldn't care if the king's emblem and heraldry was plastered all over armor and weapons. Heck, introduce him in Book 1 as one of the kiosk guys when the PCs are first shopping. Just give him or her a basic hat of disguise and you're laughing. Again, that idea was met with reverence by Gary and others on the forum, and again the character was added to other games.

I bring up that long-winded story because when I realized who and what these strangers were, my jaw dropped. Everything had come back full circle. Their size, the colour of their skin, and the number of fingers on their hands. They were mercanes. My original idea that I'd put forth way back from the days of "Way of the Wicked" was made a reality here. Whether it was just a coincidence or not, it didn't matter. It felt great to see it in the flesh, so to speak. Merchant strangers from another world drifting on the open waters of the Sunless Sea, and hoping to make a buck, or come across interesting characters with wares to peddle. By this point in the story, the PCs are likely chomping at the bit to access items that they don't have to craft themselves, or get made by the myceloids, maybe the drow, or even hope to find randomly in a pile of treasure. They can literally get absolutely anything they want in exchange for gold, mithral, or gear they've been stockpiling for the past 4-5 books. Which brings up a big point. When do the PCs meet these guys? My thought is that it's likely not that far into Book 5. Probably before the aboleth city is found. There's also the possibility that they're found on the way to the end of Book 5, beginning of Book 6, but for me that's way too long. Honestly, though, the PCs have already been waiting long enough. As such, I made these guy the levels that they are. There's no way they're still the original CR 5 or even CR 6 (fighter 1).

If the PCs can afford it, the secret chest should be able to access whatever it is that they want.

THE VISITING MERCHANT ON THE SEA (CR 15; 51,200 XP) Male mercane abjurer 11/loremaster 2 LN Large outsider (extraplanar) Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +20 DEFENSE AC 26, touch 16, flat-footed 22 (+4 armor, +3 deflection, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, +6 natural, –1 size) hp 222 (19 HD; 6d10+13d6+144) Fort +17, Ref +11, Will +18 Defensive Abilities energy absorption (33 hp/day); Resist acid 10; SR 26 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee mwk falchion +14/+9/+2 (2d6+3/18–20) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Spell-like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +12) 3/day—dimension door, invisibility (self only) 1/day—plane shift (W-DC 18) Abjurer Spells Prepared (CL 13th; concentration +20) 7th—quickened fireball (R-DC 25), mass hold person (W-DC 24), spell turning 6th—chain lightning (R-DC 24), mass bear’s endurance, spellcrash (W-DC 25), telepathy 5th—feeblemind (R-DC 22), quickened magic missile, teleport, wall of force, wreath of blades (R-DC 24) 4th—ball lightning (R-DC 22), curse of magic negation (W-DC 23), globe of lesser invulnerability, greater flaming sphere (R-DC 23), solid fog, stoneskin 3rd—dispel magic (2), fly, haste, hold person (W-DC 20), nondetection, tongues 2nd—acid arrow, cat’s grace, communal protection from evil, create pit (R-DC 19), glitterdust (W-DC 19), resist energy, web (R-DC 19) 1st—alarm, grease, mage armor (already cast), magic missile, shield, stunning barrier (W-DC 20), touch of the sea 0 (at will)—detect poison, mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic, resistance Opposition Schools illusion, necromancy TACTICS Morale Unless prevented from teleporting, the visitor will hide behind the bodyguards and teleport or plane shift them away to safety. STATISTICS Str 14, Dex 16, Con 22, Int 30, Wis 17, Cha 17 Base Atk +12; CMB +15; CMD 32 Feats Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Craft Wondrous Item, Dodge, Greater Spell Focus (abjuration), Improved Initiative, Persuasive, Quicken Spell, Scribe ScrollB, Skill Focus (Knowledge [planes]), Spell Focus (abjuration, evocation), ToughnessB Skills Acrobatics +22, Appraise +22, Bluff +22, Craft +19 (+21 with tools), Diplomacy +22, Fly +12, Handle Animal +10, Heal +20, Intimidate +20, Knowledge (arcana) +24, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +20, Knowledge (engineering) +21, Knowledge (geography) +23, Knowledge (local) +18, Knowledge (planes) +30, Knowledge (religion) +22, Linguistics +18, Perception +20, Profession (merchant) +13, Sense Motive +18, Sleight of Hand +15, Spellcraft +24, Stealth +10, Swim +21, Use Magic Device +20 Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Aquan, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Ignan, Infernal, Terran, Undercommon; telepathy 100 ft. SQ arcane bond (wand), lore +1, protective ward (7 rounds, +3 deflection, 10/day), secret (secret health), secret chest Combat Gear wand of fireball (29 charges); Other Gear masterwork falchion, mithral daggers (4), amulet of natural armor +2, belt of mighty constitution +2, cloak of resistance +2, headband of vast intelligence +4 (Acrobatics, Swim), ring of protection +3, folding boat, scroll of sending (2), masterwork artisan tools, spell component pouch, small silver mirror (worth 100 gp), granite and diamond dust (worth 500 gp), powered lead and platinum (worth 250 gp) SPECIAL ABILITIES Secret Chest (Sp) A mercane can retrieve or hide an extradimensional storage chest, as the secret chest spell (caster level 5th). The mercane does not need an expensive replica chest to use this ability; any chest will do. It can only use this ability on one chest at a time.

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

MERCANE BODYGUARDS (2) (CR 13; 25,600 XP) Mercane fighter (polearm master) 7/rogue (survivalist) 6 LN Large outsider (extraplanar) Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +27 DEFENSE AC 31, touch 15, flat-footed 25 (+11 armor, +1 deflection, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 natural, –1 size) hp 219 (19 HD; 13d10+6d8+121) Fort +19, Ref +15, Will +18 Defensive Abilities evasion, uncanny dodge; SR 26 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 adamantine bardiche +25/+20/+15/+10 (2d8+13/17–20) or +1 cold iron gauntlet +23/+18/+13/+8 (1d4+7) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks polearm training +1, sneak attack +3d6, steadfast pike +2 Spell-like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +11) 3/day—dimension door, invisibility (self only) 1/day—plane shift (W-DC 17) Survivalist Spell-like Abilities (CL 6th; concentration +8) 3/day—mending 1/day—endure elements STATISTICS Str 22, Dex 18, Con 20, Int 20, Wis 20, Cha 14 Base Atk +17; CMB +24; CMD 40 Feats Blind-FightB, Bodyguard, Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Dazzling Display, Dodge, Improved Blind-Fight, Improved Critical (bardiche)B, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power AttackB, Precise StrikeB, Toughness, Weapon Focus (bardiche), Weapon Specialization (bardiche)B Skills Appraise +15, Bluff +11, Climb +14, Diplomacy +13, Intimidate +24, Knowledge (arcana) +14, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +13, Knowledge (planes) +16, Linguistics +12, Perception +27, Profession (merchant) +13, Sense Motive +25, Sleight of Hand +13, Spellcraft +17, Stealth +5, Survival +18, Swim +11, Use Magic Device +20; ACP –3 Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Aquan, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal, Terran, Undercommon; telepathy 100 ft. SQ hardy, pole fighting –2, rogue talent (combat trick, minor magic, snap shot), secret chest Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of resist energy (fire); Other Gear +2 mithral full plate, +1 adamantine bardiche, +1 cold spiked gauntlet, amulet of natural armor +1, belt of physical might +2 (Str, Dex), cloak of resistance +2, ring of protection +1, potion of extended comprehend languages (2) SPECIAL ABILITIES Secret Chest (Sp) A mercane can retrieve or hide an extradimensional storage chest, as the secret chest spell (caster level 5th). The mercane does not need an expensive replica chest to use this ability; any chest will do. It can only use this ability on one chest at a time.

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zutara · 7 years

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Zutara Headcanons Feels- Part II

(Original Zutara Headcanon meme) | (Part I )

I’ve had this ask and another one saved for like 2 years now but I really am not a writer guys, but I’m so tired of looking at the same unfinished draft so here we go, I tried my best. It’s now or never.

I’ll post the second headcannon separately for obvious reasons.

♦ - Quirks/Hobbies Headcanon

01.

It all starts with an old book and a rare flower.

Zuko gives her the heavy tome for her twenty-sixth birthday, Known Plants of The Four Nations: A Study of Medicinal Botany, from what was once his grandmother’s own private library. To accompany it, Toph brings her back a rare medicinal flower from deep within the Earth Kingdom Jiang-Xi caverns. It takes her less than a week to devour the whole volume and although Katara would never admit to it, both flower and book quickly become her second most valued possession.

By the end of the month the water bender master has already put what she’s learned into good practice, effectively creating several new tonics and herbal draughts for her people. She is, after all, a born healer, and the efficiency of her medicine is quickly noted.

The discoveries her newfound hobby bring soon inspire the water bender master to start her own garden; cultivating a wide variety of plants and herbs while creating her own hybrid specimens in order to widen her research.

It’s not long before word of Master Katara’s Garden gets around and sure enough Katara finds herself the recipient of plant life from all corners of the four nations, its senders as colorful and diverse as the plants themselves. Toph and Aang make a point to indulge her every time they travel, but it is Zuko who takes it upon himself to turn her studies into a prosperous national health project.

And that’s when the ‘love letters’ begin---metaphorically speaking, of course.

Or at least that’s what Toph tells her during one of their notorious mud masks –and-cocktails-slumber parties.

“The man has never been good with words so he’s courting you through actions.” Her friend deadpans while pouring another drink for herself. “Only problem is, you keep trying to convince yourself it’s all in the name of friendship.”

It takes Katara three shots of a bitter, awful smelling concoction (of Toph’s own invention, naturally) to finally accept the truth behind her friend’s words---and a couple more to forget she ever did. She eventually tries to argue against the idea, but there’s simply no winning against Toph Beifong.

“Oh, Sugar Queen, you can lie to yourself all you want but you’ll never be able to lie to me! I can feel your heartbeat speed up just at the mention of the poor boy!”

They finish Toph’s hellish contraband and now move on to a bright purple bottle containing some sparkly fruity alcoholic drink Suki sent as way of apology for missing out on tonight. Katara could no longer remember her own name and Toph could no longer properly stand, but onward they went, exhuming truths.

“And you know what the saddest part is?” the earth bender continues, grabbing Katara’s face between her hands.

“That I’m this drunk and I still can’t block out the sound of your voice?”

“No! The pathetic bit is that you’re both pinning after each other while failing to notice the other feels exactly the same way. We all know Sparky digs you! So can’t we just skip over the small talk and jump straight into matrimony!? Iroh wants grandchildren and he isn’t getting any younger, you know.”

And that’s exactly when Katara decides to shove her friend right into the mud pool, drink and all, before promptly stumbling to the nearest shrubbery to throw up.

02.

It’s a miserably hot, humid morning.

Katara sits outside among the flower beds underneath the shade of an old oak, nursing a hot cup of ginger tea for her aching stomach. Toph had left only a few minutes before, claiming breakfast and sparing practice with Iroh, but not before leaving her with one last question about a certain fire bender.

“Is it really that difficult for you to see how much he cares for you?”

She knew the answer before the word even left her lips.

“No.”

She had known it all along. And perhaps that’s what had terrified her.

His feelings had clearly always been there for her to see. Marked in every action and in every kindness; veiled in each hand written note thoughtfully added to the many margins of all the books he had given her throughout the years. Colorfully woven in the way every new envelope full of seeds he sent while apart came with a detailed drawing of what the plant would eventually look like during all its stages.

But most of all she felt it in the way he looked at her, as if she was his favorite unresolved riddle in the entire world. Like a paradox he was now too fond of to give up on.

A soft, euphotic smile dances across her lips despite the sharp stomach pains, the thought of him loving her as more than a friend warming her more than any tea ever could.

03.

Like in all previous visits to her oasis he comes bearing dumplings and green tea. In turn Katara has a trey of his favorite sweet cakes waiting for him, still warm from the oven. He’s discarded his royal tunic for the day and sports his sparing clothing instead, ready to spend the next few hours weeding overgrown flower beds and teaching her more hand-to-hand combat.

They find solace in each other’s company, their conversation flowing easily as usual. Laughter comes just as naturally and Katara decides she rather likes making the young Fire Lord smile, a feat not many can claim to nowadays. Rebuilding the world from the ashes of war and prejudice had taken its toll on the young dragon, as they now called him, but to her he’d always be simply her Zuko. So when he nonchalantly lays his head on her lap to rest during tea time, she runs her fingers through his hair and lays a chaste kiss on his brow without a second thought or care in the world. It’s overwhelming and confusing, yet nothing in her life had ever felt so damn right.

She ignores the little voice inside her head whispering that nothing in her life had ever come easy, and so why should this be any different? But the sun feels wonderful on her skin, there’s a cool breeze ruffling every single leaf in her garden, and there’s a handsome slumbering Fire Lord on her lap; and so Katara pushes the nagging voice away, hoping for better days.

04.

He’s beaten her 2 out of 3 matches by the time he calls a truce. They had taunted each other as they sparred, pushing each other harder than they had ever done before. Her joins scream in protest as she tries to move to the nearest chair, and there’s definitely a new bruise on her thigh from her last fall. Zuko follows after her, massaging a sore shoulder and grinning as he went. “I’ll be feeling that kick tomorrow.” He tells her, and it’s her turn to grin. She had returned as much as she had gotten despite her loss.

“I’ll heal it before you leave, you big baby.”

He lies on the floor at her feet, exhausted, smiling at her like any cheeky kid would.

But when the sun retires for the evening, so does the fire bender. Katara suddenly finds herself making insignificant small talk just to keep him a little bit longer but duty and exhaustion eventually win the battle regardless. It was time for him to go.

He towers well over her as he pauses momentarily to tenderly kiss her cheek, hugging her close while whispering a quick good night as he went. She barely has time to mumble a quick reply before he’s gone and she’s left watching his retreating back, chest still aching.

The gossamer feel of his lips on her skin lingers, and although the tress nearby are still merrily dancing in the cool breeze, her whole body feels as if it were on fire.

Katara decides that the next time he dared kiss her, it better damn well be on her lips.

#mod post #disquieted writes #ZutaraHeadcanon #disquieted #I SWEAR I USED THE READ MORE BREAK LINE TO AVOID SPAMMING #zutara

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madbriggy · 4 years

Text

Video Draft #2

MMB News

[Intro starts - a hand holding up a homemade sign that says "MMB NEWS" in bold with my head to the right of it spinning as if to mimic the rotation of the earth - awful trumpet music]

[Simple transition to me sitting at a desk, wearing business casual clothing, looking serious]

Hello, welcome to MMB News at Noon. I am Madison Briggs here with the latest national happenings in 2058.

First up, we have a special announcement from the Bureau of Immortality.

[Pull up a piece of blue paper to read from]

Ever since the mandatory Immortality Act of 2029, there has been some public unrest due to the fact that the Immortality Act only applied to those between the ages of 20 and 32. It was viewed as ‘unfair’ due to concern about not being able to grow old and sit in rocking chairs. As of April 2058, the Immortality Act of 2029 will be revoked, allowing the choice for immortality. Of course, this is generally useless as those between the ages of 20 and 32 are now forever stuck at that age because we all know immortality is irreversible. At least I'll never get wrinkles, right mom?

[toss paper to the ground

Grab another piece of paper, red this time]

We also have an update on The Great Nonsensical War. It’s still going just as it has been for the past thirty years. What are we fighting about? Who knows anymore. Perhaps it is a government plot to curb the population boom of 2032. 15 billion people is a lot for any planet but let’s not get into that.

[sudden disruption that says STOCK ALERT, another had made sign with my head but this time my head is bouncing up and down, comes back to me but suddenly I am wearing a different business casual outfit and holding a random item]

You read that right! It’s a stock alert! Keep your ears open folks, I am only going to say this once.

-Hot Topic stock is up .78%, I guess emo never really dies.

-Walmart stock is down .96% Which is impressive as all Walmarts were shut down and replaced by Whole Foods. Thanks Amazon.

-Taco Bell stock is up 5% It seems that America still loves spending quality time in their bathrooms.

Who even has time to invest in stocks these days, amiright?

[sudden disruption: NATIONAL WEATHER ALERT, another handmade sign, my head is jiggling oddly back and forth]

[Back to me in a raincoat with an umbrella, featuring a green screen replaced with a weather map with poorly drawn fire and rain clouds]

Lucky us America! The forecast for the next 23 weeks is rain! Maybe the hellish fires that have been burning for the past six months will finally be put out! I wish you all the best of luck and remember, keep your pets inside unless they are resistant to fire! Have a wonderful day, madison Briggs signing off!

[Same intro plays as the outro]

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c7thetumbler · 7 years

Text

Life Update Notes: February 11th

So I skipped the past few weeks with this. I had a big blog post all planned out, but after rereading it... It’s just me talking about how last year was for me. It wasn’t a positive post, and I think I’ll keep it in drafts to remind me of things that have been from a more positive perspective.

Anyway, let’s just go with a recap

2 Weeks ago

Spent the whole time trying to line up an apartment, and actually had a bit of a ... we’ll say I panicked a lot when I dropped $300 for an apartment oonly to find out that it was unfurnished and didn’t quite match what I was advertised. Luckily over the course of the week I talked with someone at the complex; they managed to find me a place in the same complex for much cheaper given that the mistake was made because I was told to “just use the online system because we’ve only got 16 people here” when I called to ask questions.

No small amount of stress was had either over a bank issue when switching apartments caused them to lose the $300, but either they decided that it was their fault or they settled it with the bank. Either way, it’s over.

I spent the rest of the week packing up my remaining things in my room. I was only bringing my Corolla on the trip, so I couldn’t bring much; no furniture, just the essentials. My mother took the week I would be driving out as well, which has been both a blessing and a bit of trouble which I may or may not get into

1 Week Ago

Packing completed, said some goodbyes to local friends. I guess it’s a bit strange living in today's’ age; I only had to say goodbye to a couple. Most of my friends either left when I went to college or shortly after returning to pursue their own careers, so ultimately I had a quick lunch with someone at Fullerton and a very short goodbye from another (whom I suspect wanted to keep it short not to make it awkward, but I wish I had asked how he was doing or something). My college friends are, expectedly, up near where I went to college and I’m the kind of person who doesn’t really reach out to maintain connections, even though I know I should. The rest of my friends I talk to online regularly.

After finally finding the right boxes for everything (amiibo have to be separated, of course) I finally got all my stuff packed and ready to drive. One family picnic at the local park (where I ripped my pants kneeling down to try and untangle the idiot dog from his own leash), and my car was packed and ready to go Saturday night.

This Past Week

None of it felt real until Thursday. Or at least, I was tricking myself into thinking it wasn’t because I didn’t want it to be. The drive felt like a typical road trip. My mother is a terrible navigator and does the thing where she looks at google maps and just reads exactly what the directions say out loud rather than telling me what’s on the map. It took 2 days, the second of which We stayed in a very nice hotel about 5 blocks away from my soon-to-be-apartment.

This Hotel was, however, a 5-story tall building with its own parking garage (because parking was a fucking nightmare already) overlooking a busy freeway. It killed any hope I had that this apartment was good. Spent most the night unable to sleep, and it didn’t help that my entire life was basically in one convenient car-shaped package anyone could take from me.

Luckily on Tuesday we moved in. Didn’t really have time to take in the sights; I got my key dropped all of my shit in the apartment, and went on the lookout for a table, chairs, and a futon before 4, when the TWC guy would setup my internet. We would not be able to find a futon, and after several hours trying to navigate the hellish landscape that is Dallas streets and highways (Hey asshats who liked to “brag” about how awful the traffic is there, your traffic doesn’t even compare to LA traffic, it’s your fucking awful, terribly marked roads that are shit. At least in LA they kept the on and off ramps separated from streets designed to run parallel, rather than having 20 feet to merge at 60 mph into a sidestreet that is clogged to all hell because your intersaction have forced turn only lanes)

... Fuck I lost track of that last section. Anyway, We returned at 3 with an Ikea Jokkmokk (table + chairs) which I would spend 2 hours assembling while waiting for the internet guy. And then another hour. And then another. It would be about 7:30 before he would get here and finish setting up the internet, and without a futon we literally just went to the Walmart superstore and picked one that looked like we could jam into the trunk + backseat.

We couldn’t. It was 8:30 at night. We hadn’t eaten since 7 that morning at the hotel’s free breakfast, and here I was trying to hold my composure as I tried to tied my trunk down a rope I just bought for that purpose. My mother snapped; just kind of said “Let’s just go” in that defeated yet accusatory tone of voice that made it sound like I was the one doing everything wrong. I limped the car home in silence with the trunk bouncing on my new futon. It’s not very comfortable, but we assembled it and ran to the McDonald's for food. It was a rough day.

Next was spend shopping for the essentials: groceries, cooking utensils, trash cans, toiletries, etc. This would continue for the rest of the week. On Thursday we took the train I would take to work at the time I would take it. Turns out it’s really convenient and easy; only have to walk a block total. Apparently Texas weather is fickle; it started 32 degrees, then ended 80 by the time we left downtown.

I hate Downtown. I’ll likely never go back further than work. The buildings, all the people; everything seems so claustrophobic. We walked through it, seeing a lot of tourist places (I say a lot, there are like 2) and ended up at the JFK memorial and Museum. At some point in there it felt all real. I would be living in an apartment (it’s actually nice, quiet, and secluded) in the middle of a city which has the infrastructure designed by a toddler who hates you, and working in a skyscraper in a job I’m not even sure I’m qualified for because of the sparse interview process. It kinda killed my mood. We went back to the apartment and just hung out there.

Friday was alright. Dallas Zoo was pretty impressive; got a lotta cool pictures and vids. Fed a young giraffe even!

Had to reach pretty far over the railing to give food to the little guy. It was cool though.

It was later that day when I got a call from my employer, then an email stating she had left a voicemail on my phone asking for my address. But I didn’t get a notification saying I had a voicemail.

An hour later, I learned that I haven’t been getting those notifications for 9 months. 29 messages, most of which were recruiters being jackasses, but some of them being legit responses to my applications, including the seasonal apps I did in October to get some money for Christmas. For gifts. I threw out like 10-15 apps for that very purpose, and I missed what little did correspond with me because my fucking phone didn’t show my voicemail. A factory reset and several hours of headache fixed that but... I just feel so terrible about it now.

Today was a lazy day. with only 1 table and 4 chairs, we’ve just been chilling at my computer and her on her phone. She’s leaving tomorrow, and I’ll be glad to have the place to myself, if only to shit myself for my first day on Monday. Ultimately I’ll be trying to fend off feeling alone with wanting to be alone and vice-versa, because I’m that kind of asshole who needs just the right amount of human contact.

... But I am more than happy with this apartment. My parents will be shipping down the rest of my Possessions in May, but for now I can live with this. I have more space than I know what I could even do with all that stuff anyway. And that’s where I am now.

What I’ve been playing

Fire Emblem Heroes

I hate aggressively F2P games. I’ve had a ton of trouble trying to get into FE in the past. But for some reason this bite-sized mini FE game works for me. I am addicted. I’m not very good at it, but it’s pretty fun, even if I recognize what the progression system is exploiting to get me to like it. It’s fun, and it’s free.

....

That’s it. It’s been a busy few weeks =U

Short Rant on Immigration Ban

I don’t have a rant. Well, a good one; I can rant about politics for fucking years but man I should just leave that alone for now. I will say that /r/T_D resorting to bringing up decade old cases where immigrants killed people in an attempt to support their bigoted viewpoint is fucking disgusting. Especially when it’s blatantly obvious in the comments that they don’t actually care about the victims: it’s all saying Liberals are idiotic cucks that are monsters and questioning who would downvote their posts karma-whoring the death of an american to make a political point.

...

Okay, I will state my opinions on the ban. To me, it’s not about religion; it’s about country of origin. People can’t control where they’re born, and are therefore coming from. To blanket ban refugees from war-torn countries is, in my opinion, the most un-american thing a president can do. This land was *founded* on the values of being a safe haven. Sure, it didn’t work like that for a long time, but this is the land of opportunity. An icon of our values hold this poem:

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

This is what the country is all about. Should we let people in without vetting? Of course not. You know what we’re already doing? Vetting. Pretty harshly, it’s actually really difficult for people to get the paperwork to come here legally. That kinda says more about where our budget should be going: to help this process along and ensure these prospective americans, these poor, huddled masses looking to the land of opportunity and freedom, are integrated efficiently into our culture and values (and laws).

To ban them and tell them to fuck-off because they might be terrorists is bullshit. Yeah; some of them are bound to be terrible people. But you know what? Terrible people live everywhere here anyway. At least with immigration we can at least look at them before they come here.

It’s obviously a more nuanced issue than that, and this is definitely a more emotional opinion than a response, but this blanket banning of foreigners is a charade to get his ever-shrinking base to love him even more, and it’s disgusting to me for that reason among numerous others.

....

Yeah long one, but that’s it! After this week I’ll start again on the Lunos project, hopefully! We’ll see how busy my new job keeps me.

C ya!

#Life Update #Rant #Moving #Immigration ban #Dallas

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