#alex bale reference

[saprophytetoyshop]

what if i was a muse and u were a nonhuman entity and i lived in ur basement and you feed me raw meat and in return i give you baby sensory videos and make out w you

[inky-evergreen]

Rakrakrakra

[fand0mswithbunny]

She's everything, and he's just Will.

[erinbeast-artisty]

Call of Duty with Plants

Ghost – Great with succulents, can leave them for a while and not worry about them dying.

Soap – Black thumb, no luck at all with trying to grow anything.

Gaz – Is great with orchids, but horrible with any other plant. His orchids blooms are some of the prettiest you’ll ever see. (Pretty like him.)

Price – Has amassed lots of foliage plants from the 141 members, his office call look like a jungle greenhouse if he doesn’t regularly trim them all.

Laswell – Loves her Amaryllis from her wife, beautiful red bloom and clover plants. (The rest of the 141 have clover in their plants because of this.) (It’s the STD of the plant world and they joke of this)

Farah – Has an African violet (That she may refer to as Alex…)

Alex – Just like Soap, no luck. He forgets to water them.

Nikto – Great with his bonsai tree, finds it calming to prune them, he has two; a Juniper and a Japanese Maple.

Rodion – Sunflower, he likes watching it move as it chases the sun throughout the day. Also like how big the grow.

Roach – Farmer, grows veggies, herbs, and a few fruit trees at home. Brings home some of the harvest to the 141. They all love it. Nothing like fresh homegrown fruit to munch and fresh herbs and veggies to cook with.

Minotaur and Bale – No interest in plants but finds it amusing to watch Rodion with his giant sunflowers and are thankful Nikto can cut something other then other people.

Nikolai – He has a little cactus in his helicopter, glued in place. It’s a trooper with all it goes through with Nikolai’s adventures

[shai-manahan]

ALRIGHT!!! LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO MY SEEMINGLY DEPRESSED, SELF LOATHING CAFFINE + PAINKILLERS COMBO ADDICT FOR A CHILD

NAME : Nikita Sakalauskas

NICKNAME : Nikki (by his close ones like Alex, Vincent, Finn and the likes), little shit or smartass (Bertnard)

ABOUT THEM : in a nutshell, he can only be described as a burnt out hopeless caffine + alcohol fanatic with a less than appreciated quippy mouth filled with snarky + blunt quips that he will end him up dead sooner or later. as someone who has been gaining notoriety quite a lot lately for his title as the Ripper, Nikita is a force to be reckoned with for his massive web of connections, his ability to use words as weapons and ofcourse, his physical strength. formerly the partner of Finn Wesley, Ripper shares a rather shaky relationship with a mother who knows too much but reveals too little and a brother (plus God father) who are much keen on hiding things from him, he can't help but feel left out from most matters, which has led to him keeping secrets from his remaining family. usually a calm and patient person who knows when to be polite(the first encounter with Alonzo where he wiped the smirk off of the mans face) and when to be a little shit, especially when he is dealing with people he is not quite fond of (*blatantly points of Bertnard*) Nikita absolutely LOVES pushing their buttons (no wonder one can often find him and Bertnard on the verge of breaking into a fight with the former gleefully punching holes into the latter's sore spots and ego). this laid back attitude dosen't simmer away when in the presence of his brother either and the two cam be frequently seen engaging in playfully serious conversation on some relatively small and insignificant topic in one of those very few peaceful moments when they are acting more like a family and not arguing about Nikita. but try as he might, Nikita is also capable of being extremely cruel and will not hesitate to kill if its justified or under circumstances where he is trying to protect someone (referring to the car chase route where he chose to shoot down his pursuers in a bid to protect him and Richard). however underneath that infuriating facade is a man who struggles with the fear and insecurities of a hopeless ambition that he hoped to achieve at the expense of his own colleagues. all those talks about changing the city with his partner was for what? he questions himself, blaming himself for all the incidents surrounding him and his companions, taking accountability for all of them despite having no connections or role to play with most of them. he chases the affection and validation of a mother who will probably never give him any(in his opinion), and atop that the latest events like the betrayal of Finn, disappearance of Richard and the sudden death of Bale hasn't helped either. he can't help but be skeptical of his own brother and godfather, lying as a means to keep distance from them despite the closeness they shared as children. and the psychological war between his heart and mind is what's making things worse for him. as he recounts his previous meetings and conversations with Finn, Nikita wonders where he went wrong. his mind wants him to hate Finn for what he's done, it wants him to loathe and despise his existence as a whole for not keeping the promise they made all those years ago to never let go and for disregarding his own feelings as well. and as he might agree with his mind, in the corner of his mind he cant help but feel hopeful. hopeful that Finn might tell him why he did it, the warmth they shared all those years ago refusing to burn out as he recounts the countless moments they shared their vulnerabilities and ambitions alike. he wants to hate Finn but he cant and this is what makes him the fool he is and shall always be, as he says so himself.

WHEW WELL THAT WASN'T S0 BAD WAS IT? *ignores the super long essay i wrote about him in excitement* I HOPE YOU LIKE MY CHILD :D

(p.s. you can use this faceclaim as a reference for his appearance ;) https://pin.it/44nd7sh )

Okay, I did not expect it to be this long but I'm loving every detail 👀 I think your snarky MC will be delighted to know that I'm planning to add more dialogue options they can use on the existing chapters lmao. Also, Nikita feeling left out is actually a very good reasoning for why he's starting to lie to his family, too! I'm starting to wonder what your MC will decide when he meets this one character . He might become... susceptible.

And oh man the MC's future encounters with Bertrand.....

Anyway, I was actually kinda surprised since I didn't expect that there were more than a few who chose to kill Bale's men during the prologue. Most of my friends who tried the game told me they didn't trust that choice at all since I'm the author (😞) so they played it safe lmao; this is probably around the third time I knew of someone who chose that option. It's interesting.

I hope Nikita manages to find some healing in the future, though. He seems to be having a tough life (I am looking away here). Maybe we'll also see how calm he can keep himself when the next update comes :).

Thank you for sharing!! 

[louisiananeedsme]

The Alexandria Times #1 (ARCHIVED)

The Louisiana Times Games: WORDLE CONNECTIONS

Those Ocean Leafy Eyes: 

“I actually had the chance to have green eyes” says writer Alexander on their evergrowing tangent about them having had the chance to have green/coloured eyes many generations ago. “So— actually, my grandfather from my mother’s side— may he rest in peace— actually had green eyes, but my grandmother had brown eyes” as genetics do, their grandmother’s powerful eyes paved the way for their children’s features. And… yes, they might’ve gotten their hopes up—according to our sources (my mum)— by expecting at least ONE of their children to have green eyes, that dream slowly stayed as it was, a dream. 

“But, at least my mother had hazel eyes, those are pretty, but nope. ” as a remark to their father’s black hair and eyes.

“i think if i did have either green or hazel eyes, i would’ve been fucking unstoppable”

“On another note, i actually could’ve also got blue eyes as well, as some of my cousins do'' while this may seem unrelated, keep in mind the fact that my uncle married his cousin —(disgusting i know please do not comment my parents aren’t like that so don’t you worry)— so somewhere along the way, they could’ve got blue eyes, but again as genetics do, the stronger and darker ones always take the lead. What you should take away from this is to never marry a person for the colour of their eyes because u will be astoundingly disappointed. 

BREAKING NEWS: 

What is highlighted in Pink is commentary from my dear friend sofia from when i sent her this article months ago.

According to our sources, rates of teenagers crushing and falling for men whose ages range from (20-60) have increased tremendously, A lot were known from theirpreviously successful roles and still remain relevant such as: Christian Bale, (need him) Known for American Psycho (2000)

and Hayden Christensen, Known For Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)& Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005), However, he has made a recent comeback with his role as ‘Anakin Skywalker’ in the new Ahsoka (2023) series. 

Fans went ballistic over the man, partly because of the “Barbenheimer’ craze, and mostly because he has cheekbones higher than most crackheads. (Need him too)

Teenagers online make sexual remarks towards these men such as but no limited to: 

“I’d take his little boy (not the bomb)”

In reference to the name of one of Oppenheimer's bombs. 

“I’d let him Ultraviolence me”

Referring to singer, Lana Del Rey’s Studio album, Ultraviolence

“Also, his hands are so nice, i want him to ###### ## until i ### so #### i #### #### ## ###### have been ############### ####### into ##### ### ######”

As a remark towards one of the aforementioned actors.

It’s Nice To Remember:

Things that happened today, January 31st throughout the course of history: 

The United Kingdom formally left the European Union, more than three years after the country voted for “Brexit.” (FUCK THEM BRITS I HATE THOSE LAZY FUCKERS) (2020)

American singer and actor Justin Timberlake, who was a member of the hugely successful “boy band” *NSYNC, before launching a solo career, was born in Memphis, Tennessee. (1981)

The American film drama The Misfits, which was directed by John Huston, had its world premiere. (1961)

Austrian composer Franz Schubert was born near Vienna. (1797)

Today is National Hedgehogs day.

Don’t forget to congratulate your hedgehogs.

Guess The Lyric: 

M__t__l_, p_ys__al__ w__k. _os_ b___ b__wing u_ my ph_ne, __t th_y ju__ ain’t y_u. (Louise (formally 'Alex') I do not have time to solve this)

Answer:-- . -. - .- .-.. .-.. -.-- / .--. .... -.-- ... .. -.-. .- .-.. .-.. -.-- / .-- . .- -.- / -- --- ... - / -... --- -.-- ... / -... .-.. --- .-- .. -. --. / ..- .--. / -- -.-- / .--. .... --- -. . / -... ..- - / - .... . -.-- / .--- ..- ... - / .- .. -. .----. - / -.-- --- ..-

[eights-world]

i know people refer to it as the “happy meat farms arg” but i will forever call it the spongebob arg alex bale i love you

[cupilart]

character doodle sketches. Most of them are conceptual and a little bit of me goofing off. They’re buddies suffering from similar-but-not-exactly-the-same curses. The human forms shown here are basically illusions/hacked visuals. 

[angrelysimpping]

tw for sibling kink (?) , mentions of molesting (not actually it just roleplay)

as much as i like the big sibling kink for horny porpose, it has really good opportunities to be soft

calling someone your big sibling because you really love them and appreciate them, because you feel oh so safe around them and want them to protect you, because the bond you have with them is so strong that you feel like theyre your sibling. of course its even more perfect if you also go to your big sibling to teach you how to properly touch yourself because you only like it when they do it, to help you cum because your so turned out its starting to hurt. i feel like the ones that can fit it the most is robin and kylar, but it would be cute to also have that with sydney and alex. i dont think it fits whitney that much, but outside of the horniness that comes with that i think they would feel even more possesive if you call them that, like a big sibling that like to pick up on you but doesnt think twice about fighting anyone that dares to try the same. maybe would even be up to roleplaying about molesting you and it being your little secret with them, that would be really hot imo 🤔

YEAH

Alex, who tosses bales of hay on you then teases you for being so weak. Don't worry, your older bro/sis is here to help you out. What would you do without them? Wouldn't get to sleep well at night, that's for sure. Not without your big sib helping you relax properly after a hard day's work, slipping their hand between your legs as you share a bed.

Kylar would be all over that. Definitely rambling about how your older siblings will protect you. Don't hesitate in asking Kylar to show you anything sexual. They want to make sure you're well taken care of, that all your needs are satisfied.

Robin would adore knowing you look up to them. That you want them to take care of you. They're shyer about the sexual aspects but if you asked your older bro/sis to pretty please help you out, they really can't say no.

Sweet, pure Sydney. They're conflicted when you start referring to them as your older sibling. You really get them, in a way no one else has. They want to protect you, keep you safe. But their feels for you are starting to drift from platonic. They can't show you how to make the pressure between your legs stop. They don't know themself. But they'll try.

Whitney. Whitney who's already into cnc. Who would definitely love to whisper in your ear how "this is our little secret, right?" when they have their hands down your pants in the middle of the hall. Don't get too loud, or people will see you being a slut for your big bro/sis. Wouldn't want that, would you? Be a good little sibling and let your big sib work out all their aggression with your pretty little holes, yeah? But then they're a terror when anyone else tries to harass you because fuck that, only your big bro/sis gets to push you around.

Also, may I bring Wren into this? Wren, who plies you with shots until your loose-limbed and giggling. Who tests the waters by saying you're such a silly little bro/sis/sib and light up when they see you flush. Who tells you that big bro/sis is going to take care of you as they pull you into their lap. Who laughs when you press sloppy kisses to their neck and tell you what a cute little sib you are. Pulls you aside and tells you that your big sib is going to show you how to make someone feel good, how to make yourself feel good. Who walks you out to the edge of Remy's estate and tells you to visit your big sib soon, they'll miss you!

[80s4life]

Character/Movie List

Below is movies and TV shows I like personally and are lsited as a reference. If you don't see something you're interested in, it is not that I don't like it, it is because I most likely forgot it because I love so many movies/shows tbh. Just ask, and I'll answer! And, from the Rules and Regulations page, what I had meant by "mostly" is that I can dabble outside of the acting world and into actors/actresses themselves and/or singers, popstars, etc.

{Another side-note, I am not so much into shows, but mostly movies! Although, there are some exceptions that I love beyond belief!}

MOVIES

Back to the Future Series:

Biff Tannen

Griff Tannen (Maybe, he wasn't the best of the Tannen's imo)

Buford Tannen

Marty McFly

George McFly

Doc Brown

Lorraine Baines

Match

Titanic:

Rose DeWitt Bukater

Jack Dawson

Caledon Hockley

Brock Lovett

Rabrizio De Rossi

Thomas "Tommy" Ryan

Karate Kid Series {1/2/3}:

1-

John Kreese

Mr. Miyagi

Johnny Lawrence

Daniel LaRusso

Tommy

Dutch

Bobby Brown (not so much; don't know him too well)

Ali Mills

Lucille LaRusso

2-

Chozen

Kumiko

3-

Terry Silver (duh lmao)

Mike Barnes (also duh)

Jessica Andrews

Stand By Me:

Vern Tessio

Billy Tessio

Gordie LaChance

Chris Chambers

Eyeball Chambers

Ace Merrill

Teddy Duchamp

Goonies:

Brand

Mikey

Chunk

Mouth

Data

Andy

Stef

Jake Fratelli (he was kinda hot ngl)

Ferris Bueller's Day Off:

Ferris Bueller

Jeanie Bueller

Cameron Frye

Sloane Peterson

License to Drive:

Les Anderson

Dean

Mercedes Lane

Charles

Toy Soldiers:

Billy Tepper

Joey Trotta

Snuffy Bradberry

Ricardo Montoya

Hank Giles

Derek/Yogurt

Scream Movie Series {1/2}:

1-

Billy Loomis

Stu Macher

Dwight "Dewey" Riley

Ghostface

Randy Meeks

Tatum Riley

Sidney Prescott

Gale Weathers

2-

Cotton Weary

Derek Feldman

Mickey

Predator:

Dutch

Blain

Yautja

Escape Plan:

Emil Rottmayer/ "Victor Maheim"

Ray Breslin/ "Anthony Portos"

The Expendables:

Barney Ross

Lee Christmas

Toll Road

Tool

Gunnar Jensen

Bao Thao/ "Yin Yang"

Hale Caesar

Trench

Church

Divergent Movie Series {1/2/3}:

Divergent-

Beatrice "Tris" Prior

Caleb Prior

Peter

Tobias "Four" Eaton

Christina "Chris"

Eric Coulter

Will

Insurgent-

Marcus Eaton

Allegiant-

Matthew

Terminator Series:

T-100/"Uncle Bob"/Terminator

T-1000 "Austin"

John Connor

Sarah Connor

Grace

Dani Ramos

Dazed and Confused:

David Wooderson

Fred O'Bannion

Randall "Pink" Floyd

Ron Slater

Don Dawson

Mitch Kramer

Benny O'Donnell

Rocky Series:

Rocky Balboa

Apollo Creed

Captain Ivan Drago

Zombieland {1/2}:

Tallahassee

Columbus

Berkeley

Witchita

Little Rock

Madison

Lethal Weapon Movie Series {1/2/3/4}:

Martin Riggs

Roger Myrtaugh

Rianne Murtaugh

Leo Getz

Goodfellas:

Henry Hill

Jimmy Conway

Tommy DeVito

Karen Hill

Marvel:

Avengers Heroes-

Iron Man/Tony Stark

Thor

Ant-Man/Scott Lang

Hulk/Bruce Banner

Captain America/Steve Rogers

Hawkeye/ Clint Barton

Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff

Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff

Black Panther/T'Challa

Vision/Victor Shade

Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff

Mantis

Spider-Man/Peter Parker

Doctor Strange/Stephen Strange

Avengers Anti-Heroes/Antagonists:

Yondu Udonta

Loki Laufeyson

Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes

Whiplash

Thanos

Mysterio

Kaecilius

Ronan

Hela

Ultron

Wolverine/Deadpool:

Wolverine/Logan Howlett

Sabretooth/Victor Creed

Bolt/Chris Bradley

Gambit/Remy LeBeau

Cyclops/Scott Summers

(Younger!)Professor X

Deadpool/Wade Wilson

Cable/Nathan Summers

Colossus/Piotr "Peter" Nikolayevich Rasputin

Dopinger

Weasel

Negasonic Teenage Warhead/Ellie Phimister

DC Universe:

Superman/Clark Kent (Henry Cavill)

Batman/Bruce Wayne (Affleck, Bale versions)

Aquaman/Arthur Curry

Wonder Woman/Diana Prince

Harley Quinn

Joker (Leto, Ledger, Phoenix versions)

Deadshot

Captain Boomerang

Enchantress

Rick Flagg

Bane (Tom Hardy)

TV Shows

Stranger Things:

Mike Wheeler

Nancy Wheeler

Will Byers

Joyce Byers

Johnathan Byers

Maxine "Max" Hargrove

Billy Hargrove

Dustin Henderson

Lucas Sinclair

Robin Buckley

Jim Hopper

Steve Harrington

Sex Education:

Erric Effiong

Aimee Gibbs

Adam Groff

Ola Nyman

Rahim

Otis Milburn

Maeve Wiley

Hannibal (Show):

Hannibal Lector

Will Graham

Dr. Alana Bloom

Jack Crawford

Abigail Hobbs

Orange Is the New Black (OITNB):

Piper Chapman

Nicky Nichols

Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren

Galina "Red" Reznikov

Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson

Dayanara "Daya" Diaz

Gloria Mendoza

Lorna Morello

Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett

Alex Vause

Joel Luschek

Big Boo

Maritza Ramos

Poussey Washington

Yoga Jones

Gina Murphy

Brook Soso

Sophia Burst

George "Pornstache" Mendez

Larry Bloom

Polly Harper

Stella Carlin

The Boys:

Billy Butcher

Starlight/Annie January

Hughie Campbell

Homelander

Kimiko Miyashiro

Queen Maeve/Maggie Shaw

Mother's Milk "M.M."

The Deep/Kevin Moskowitz

Frenchie

Stormfront

Becca Butcher

The Walking Dead (TWD):

Daryl Dixon

Merle Dixon

Rick Grimes

Carl Grimes

Lori Grimes

Maggie Greene

Beth Greene

Glenn Rhee

Negan Smith

Michonne Hawthorne

Carol Peletier

Shane Walsh

Paul "Jesus" Monroe

Eugene Porter

Sgt. Abraham Ford

Outer Banks (OBX):

Sarah Cameron

Rafe Cameron

Ward Cameron

JJ

John B

Topper

Pope

Kiara

Shameless:

Frank Gallagher

Fiona Gallagher

Lip Gallagher

Ian Gallagher

Debbie Gallagher

Carl Gallagher

Kevin Ball

Veronica Fisher

Mickey Milkovich

Mandy Milkovich

Svetlana

Jimmy "Steve" Lishman

Karen Jackson

Cobra Kai

Miguel Diaz

Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz

Robby Keene

Demetri

Carmen Diaz

John Kreese (baby version & old version)

Terry Silver (baby version & old version)

Tory Nichols

Samantha "Sam" LaRusso

...AND MANY MORE!

If there is something or someone you like not on this list, feel free to ask or direct message me! For movies like the DC Universe and Marvel, if there is multiple actors of that character and you want a certain one, please make sure that you add that detail!

Rules & Regulations

Masterlist

[lazeolus]

Is there anything ur passionate about but dont have a lot of ppl to talk to about it? If so, could u tell us about it?

ARGs/Unfiction! For sure! And ik a lotta ppl are gonna be like “oh so u got into them via Wilbur/Editor ARG” and NO this is false… I’ve been in the ARG community for 5+ years, much longer than I’ve been in MCYT community! Actually first heard about Wilbur back when editor ARG originally debuted, but I was a fool and didn’t get that into it back then.

But what are ARGs, for those who don’t know? The acronym shortens to “Alternate Reality Game,” and essentially refers to a “puzzle” of sorts that communities of people have to come together to solve. ARGs are very linked to the internet since they became popular during the infancy of the digital age, but they technically don’t have to have any online elements, most just do. A core principle of ARGs is the idea of TINAG, or “This is Not a Game.” TINAG differentiates ARGs from normal fiction/puzzles in that it requires that ARGs must present themselves as real. They act as if they are not fiction, and are real stories happening in the real world. Of course, creators normally violate TINAG at least once or twice to assure people that what they’re participating in is actually a game and doesn’t have real consequences, but any more than one or two breakages of this rule is normally frowned upon. There have also been cases where TINAG was NEVER broken, and these cases led to some uhhh… confusion, to say the least *cough cough* Junko Junsui *cough cough.” I’ll also be using the term “Unfiction” a bit, which just refers to an ARG that focuses more on the story than the puzzle solving aspect (to give popular examples, think of Cicada3301 as being an ARG and Walten Files as being Unfiction)

So yeah, ARGs! Love em! Love em SO much that I actually taught a two-day course on em at my school a few years ago with the help of some friends! I have the history of ARGs + all of the most influential ones memorized thanks to the research I did for that course, and my friends and I even constructed our own small-scale ARG for the students. Was a lotta fun!

My all time favorite ARG/Unfiction is Daisy Brown! It has one of the best stories in any Unfiction I’ve ever experienced and I still remember the rollercoaster of emotions it dragged me through.

Also a big fan of the Twitter ARG gr3gory88 as well as the classic analog horror series that is Local58! And how could I forget about Petscop?

Most recently, I’ve been following along with The Mandela Catalogue as well as Alex Bale’s Spongebob ARG. This isn’t Alex Bale’s first ARG rodeo, and I love his style of creating much more cinematic ARGs that almost feel like movies (uncommon for the genre, which is very much tied to the found-footage style). Catastrophe Crow as well as Gemini Home Entertainment are both also on my radar!

AH and can’t forget about Perplex City! A much more wide-scale, for-profit ARG that was actually made by Mind Candy, the same company that makes stuff like Moshi Monsters. I normally prefer independent ARGs made by smaller creators, but Perplex City just has such a rich history behind it that it’s one of my favs! Bought the original starter set on eBay a few years back and I keep it as a collectors item lol

And of course we all know how much I love Editor ARG :)

I tried to keep this relatively short, but I love ARGs a lot and I think I just ended up gushing a bunch! Feel free to send me ARG/Unfiction related asks or if you just want more info on the stuff I mentioned!

[jewish-privilege]

...There are two related, yet distinct, kinds of anti-Semitism that have snuck into mainstream politics. One is associated with the left and twists legitimate criticisms of Israel into anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. On the mainstream right, meanwhile, political leaders and media figures blame a cabal of wealthy Jews for mass immigration and left-wing cultural politics in classic anti-Semitic fashion.

[Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN)] tweet was a pretty clear example of the first kind of anti-Semitism. Plenty of Jews who are critical of the Israeli government, including me, found her comments offensive...

But it’s also clear that a lot of Omar’s critics don’t have much of a leg to stand on. Conservatives have been trying to label Omar an anti-Semite since she was elected in November, on the basis of fairly flimsy evidence. (...) Trump once told a room full of Jewish Republicans that “you’re not going to support me because I don’t want your money,” adding that “you want to control your politicians, that’s fine.”

The fact that Omar apologized under pressure, and that Trump and McCarthy have never faced real consequences for their use of anti-Semitic tropes, tells you everything you need know about the politics of anti-Semitism in modern America.

...There are two core truths about this incident. First, Omar’s statement was unacceptable. Second, Republicans going after her — including the president — should spend less time on Democrats and more time dealing with the far worse anti-Semitism problem on the right.

...In the day and a half since Omar’s initial comments, a number of left-wing writers have emerged to defend her. They argue that Omar was attempting to point out the financial clout of the pro-Israel lobby — the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC — and not to make generalizations about Jews. The pushback against Omar, they say, is part of a broader campaign to smear a young Muslim congresswoman and silence criticism of Israel.

...It’s true that in some cases, all criticism of Israel or AIPAC, even if it’s legitimate, is labeled anti-Semitic — and that’s a real problem. Omar’s faith has made her a particular target, and it’s fair to want to defend her against these smears in the abstract.

But the specifics of Omar’s tweet make things quite different. In the original context — where she was quote-tweeting [Glenn Greenwald]— she says that US lawmakers’ support for Israel is “all” about money. Yes, it’s a Puff Daddy reference, but she’s a member of Congress and maybe should be a little more careful about the implications of what she says...

There are two problems here: First, the tweet isn’t true. The US-Israel alliance has deeper and more fundamental roots than just cash, including the legacy of Cold War geopolitics, evangelical theology, and shared strategic interests in counterterrorism. Lobbying certainly plays a role, but to say that “US political leaders” defending Israel is “all” about money is to radically misstate how America’s Israel politics work (and discount the findings of the scholars who study it).

Second, and more important, totalizing statements like this play into the most troubling anti-Semitic stereotypes. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, an infamous early-20th-century Russian forgery, describes a plot by Jewish moneyed interests to subvert and destroy Christian societies through their finances. This in turn draws on longstanding European anti-Semitic traditions that portray Jews as greedy and conniving.

After World War II and the creation of the state of Israel, the conspiracy theory shifted. Anti-Semites started using “Zionist” or “Zio” as a stand-in for “Jewish,” using Jewish activism in favor of the Jewish state as proof that they were right all along about the Jewish conspiracy. David Duke, the former Louisiana state representative and Ku Klux Klan grand wizard, released a YouTube video in 2014 that bills itself as an “illustrated” update of the Protocols. The video features footage of leading Democratic and Republican politicians speaking to pro-Israel groups, with the caption “both are in the grips of Zio money, Zio media, and Zio bankers.”

...Omar is, of course, not coming from the same hateful place as Duke is. But by using too-similar language, she unintentionally provides mainstream cover for these conspiracy theories. After her comments, Duke repeatedly defended her, even tweeting a meme that said “it took a Muslim congresswoman to actually stand up & tell the truth that we ALL know” (he rescinded the praise after her apology).

This is not to equate Duke and Omar — which, to be clear, would be absurd — but rather to point out how if you’re not careful when talking about pro-Israel lobbying, you can provide ammunition to some awful people. By saying that US support for Israel is “all” about money, Omar was essentially mainstreaming ideas that have their roots in anti-Semitism, helping make them more acceptable to voice on the left.

...There’s a real dilemma here. Pro-Palestinian activists, writers, and politicians have every right to point out what they see as the pernicious influence of groups like AIPAC. The group is undeniably powerful, and it’s worth mentioning in our conversations about both Israel policy and money in politics. You can and should be able to say, “AIPAC’s lobbying pushes America’s Israel policy in a hawkish pro-Israel direction,” without saying that it is literally only about dollars from (disproportionately) Jewish donors.

At the same time side, there is a special need on the left — where most pro-Palestinian sentiment resides — to be careful about just how you discuss those things. It’s not just a matter of providing ammunition to the David Dukes of the world; it’s about the moral corruption of the left and pro-Palestinian movement. If references to the baleful influence of Jews on Israel policy become too flip, too easy, things can go really wrong.

...When left-wing insurgent Jeremy Corbyn won the center-left Labour Party’s leadership [in Britain] in 2015, the people who inhabited these spaces seized control of the party power centers.

Corbyn, who had once referred to members of Hamas and Hezbollah as his “friends,” opened the floodgates for the language of Labour’s left flank to go mainstream. The result is a three-year roiling scandal surrounding anti-Semitism inside the party.

Dozens of Labour elected officials, candidates, and party members have been caught giving voice to anti-Semitic comments. One Labour official called Hitler “the greatest man in history,” and added that “it’s disgusting how much power the Jews have in the US.” Another Labour candidate for office said “it’s the super rich families of the Zionist lobby that control the world.” The party has received 673 complaints about anti-Semitism in its ranks in the last 10 months alone, an average of over two complaints per day.

...This is why Omar’s tweet was so troubling, and why the pushback from leadership really was merited. If the line isn’t drawn somewhere, the results for Jews — who still remain a tiny, vulnerable minority — can be devastating.

...The way Omar handled the controversy is interesting. Her apology was certainly given under immense pressure, but it reads (at least to me) as quite sincere[, and] this kind of sincere willingness to reconsider past comments is characteristic of Omar. She had previously gotten flak for a tweet about Israel “hypnotizing” the world, and recently gave a lengthy and thoughtful apology for the connection to anti-Semitic tropes during an appearance on The Daily Show.

“I had to take a deep breath and understand where people were coming from and what point they were trying to make, which is what I expect people to do when I’m talking to them, right, about things that impact me or offend me,” she told host Trevor Noah.

This is not the kind of behavior you see from deeply committed anti-Semites. Yair Rosenberg, a journalist at the Jewish magazine Tablet who frequently writes about anti-Semitism, argued on Monday that Omar has earned the benefit of the doubt:

“I’ve covered anti-Semitism for years on multiple continents, and this level of self-reflection among those who have expressed anti-Semitism is increasingly rare. Not only did Omar apologize for the specific sentiment, but she put herself in the shoes of her Jewish interlocutors and realized that she ought to extend to them the same sensitivity to anti-Semitism as she would want others to extend to racism.” 

...This is what it looks like when the system works. A member of Congress says something offensive, most of her party explains why it’s wrong, and then she issues a sincere apology and demonstrates an interest in changing. That is a healthy party dealing with bad behavior in a healthy way.

This is not what you see on the Republican side when it comes to most forms of bigotry — up to and including anti-Semitism.

...Last summer, McCarthy sent a tweet accusing three Democratic billionaires of Jewish descent — George Soros, Tom Steyer, and Michael Bloomberg — of trying to buy the midterm election...

...Around the same time, President Trump claimed that protesters against Brett Kavanaugh were being paid by Soros...

And Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz suggested Soros was behind the so-called “migrant caravan” coming to the US through Mexico, a theory spread when Trump tweeted the video in Gaetz’s original tweet...

This all follows years of Soros demonization in the conservative press, with everyone from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to Fox News anchors blaming the Jewish billionaire for various ills in the United States.

The defense of these lines is the same as the left-wing defense of Omar: It’s not anti-Semitic to simply state facts. But many of these “facts,” like Soros masterminding immigrant caravans, are false. Moreover, creating a narrative in which Soros and other left-wing Jews are puppet masters, using their money to undermine America from within, they are engaging in the same normalization of Protocols-style anti-Semitic tropes as Omar.

What’s more, they’ve done it with virtually no official pushback. The GOP has not reacted to the Soros hate and other anti-Semitic conspiracy theories with the same fierceness with which the Democrats responded to Omar’s comment. There has been no leadership statement condemning the mainstreaming of anti-Semitism; in fact, demonizing Soros has long been part of the overall party strategy. In 2016, Trump released a campaign ad that played a quote from one of his speeches over footage of Soros and former Fed Chair Janet Yellen (also Jewish) that comes across as an anti-Semitic dog whistle...

...“Don’t kid yourself that the most violent forms of hate have been aimed at others — blacks, Muslims, Latino immigrants. Don’t ever think that your government’s pro-Israel policies reflect a tolerance of Jews,” Jonathan Weisman, the New York Times’s deputy Washington editor and author of the new book (((Semitism))), writes. “We have to consider where power is rising, and the Nationalist Right is a global movement.”

...While the Democratic Party handled an offensive comment quickly, Republicans have never shown a willingness to do the same when it comes to right-wing anti-Semitism. There’s a reason most Jews in the United States are Democrats, and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future.

[Read Zack Beauchamp’s full piece at Vox.]

[rain-drop-sky]

ASG baby fic

This was inspired by the 2018 ASG and the hilarious prompts about salty jealous Geno, Sid’s harem of admirers (Boeser, Ovi, et all), and babies on @nomorelonelydays and basically all over tumblr this past weekend. So yeah, I wrote a cracky babyfic. Warning for vague reference to mpreg. 

Read on AO3

Sid is chatting with Alex and pointing out some items on Alex’s phone when a staff member pokes their head into the locker room and asks if Sid’s still around. When he sees Sid waving at him, he smiles and gestures behind him. Sid is confused, wondering if it’s a young fan that he’s leading in but his stomach swoops and a huge grin breaks out onto his face when he sees who comes through the doors.

“Alyosha!” He bounds excitedly towards his grinning son who claps his chubby hands together.

“Da!”

Sid smacks a kiss into Alyosha’s thick golden curls before leaning up and pecking his husband on the cheek. “Hey Geno.” He grins in delight. “I thought you weren’t going to come since it would be rough on Alyosha.”

Geno looks down at him impassively. He hitches Alyosha a bit higher up as he squirms in his arms. “Oh, so you remember have husband.”

Sid laughs as he tugs on Alyosha’s little sneakered feet. “Oh my God, G, are you always going to do this each time I say hi to Alyosha first before I greet you? Because you definitely are way more excited to see Alyosha than me whenever you come home.”

“Not this, I’m talk about if you remember you still have family at home. Watch on TV, look like have so much fun on ice.” Geno glares.

Sid is confused. “Um, yeah? But we just lost to Atlantic so…”

“Not talking about game right now. Talking about skills competition yesterday.” Geno catches the penguin plushy before Alyosha can throw it on the ground, keeping his eyes trained on Sid’s. “Everyone talking about how Sid new best friend is young Boeser. Look so friendly and close. Joining the babies in competition for new Mrs. Boeser.”

“Oh my God, G, are you really mad about that?” Sid says incredulously. “Geno, I literally talked to him for five minutes. Five. Minutes. You’re blowing this out of proportion.”

“No, looked very cosy.” Alex sticks his head between the couple and grins his trademark gap-toothed smile. “Flirting while a married man. Such a terrible role model Sidney. Break Zhenya’s fragile heart.” His mischievous grin melts into something softer when he focuses on Alyosha who is sucking on his toy penguin’s beak and looking at his with large dark eyes. “Hi baby.”

Geno glares and steps back, turning Alyosha slightly away. “Shut up Sanja, I’ll get to you later.” He turns his baleful gaze on Sidney. “Everyone writing about it but I see for myself on tv Sid! So. Much. Flirting.”

“Geno, no, oh my God. Seriously why are you being so crazy about this?” He freezes. Oh shit. He hadn’t meant to say the c-word.

Geno rears back, his expression becoming stormy. “Crazy? Crazy?! Oh yes, I’m so crazy, watching husband from home, cheering for him! Stay at home take care of our baby while you go off have stupid useless fun! Yes, all my fault.” Geno sneers as he rocks Alyosha.

“Oh boy,” mutters Alex.

“No, Geno.” Sid flounders helplessly. “Here, let me take Alyosha, he looks uncomfortable.” He starts to reach out.

Geno twists sharply away. “Can’t blame media and biased reporters, everyone see and notice. Flower and Tanger text me. Send me Snapchats. Rookies text me if I see what’s on TV.” He pulls out his phone and shoves it in Sid’s face. “Look at Boeser, so big and strong.” Geno mimics as Sid stares cross eyed at the glowing screen. “Sid trading you in for younger hotter model.”

Geno turns Alyosha around and hoists him up to eye level. “See how your father treats us.” He says gravely to son. Alyosha sucks placidly on his round little fist. “Look at how we are forgotten. Do not forget this betrayal, Alexei Evgenievich Crosby-Malkin. You must avenge me with your philandering father!”

“Such big word, Zhenya. Where on earth did you learn that? Are you reading dirty romance novels again?” Alex muses as he makes faces at Alyosha.

“Do not speak to my son.” Geno hisses. He spins to loom over his shuffling husband. “And then as if you not break my heart enough already, you go play house with Sanja. Hugging, smiling, butt pats.” He scowls fiercely at both of them. “Sanja, you have Nicky waiting for you at home, do not touch my husband. And you!” 

He stabs Sidney in the chest with his finger. “I carried your child for 9 months in my body and laboured for days and this is how you. Treat. Me?” Geno is shrieking at this point. “Cuddling inferior Russian husband replacement even when we came into locker room! He’s ugly and grey and no teeth!” Geno thrusts out Alyosha as if he is a holy relic to repel demons. “Look how your father treats us! Look!” Alyosha blinks his large brown eyes, silent. Then he giggles and flails his chubby legs, stretching out his little arms towards Sid.

“Alyosha.” Geno stares aghast at his son. “Alyoshenka, do you not love your Papa?”

“This is better than a Russian soap.” Alex observes.

“Nicky is pregnant.” Sid blurts out. “Alex was asking for tips on how to be a supportive husband and wanted to know what I did to help with your pregnancy. You know how they’ve been trying for a while now.” He looks pleadingly at Geno. “I love you and Alyosha the best, Geno. Nothing ever compares.”

“Sid,” Alex complains. “It’s still secret, let me tell good news.”

“Oh. A baby?” Geno softens. “Congratulations.”

Sid sneaks over and wraps his arms around his still sulking husband. “I missed you guys so much baby.” He stretches up to kiss Geno while stealthily lifting Alyosha’s solid little form into his own arms. “I’m sorry the jokes went over the top and hurt your feelings. I’ll tell the guys to stop.” He bounces Alyosha lightly as he babbles and snuggles his plump cheek against his chest. Sid pats and squeezes his husband’s large hockey ass. “You’re my favourite Russian bear.” He smiles with a glint in his eyes.

“Okay, time for me to go.” Alex speed walks towards the doors.

“You sure?” Geno hugs Sid and Alyosha possessively. “Not looking around at all the young rookies?”

A few small packages smack into their arms.

“Make sure to wrap up!” Alex waves from behind the door. “A dirty locker room is no place to make a new baby. Zhenya deserves better than this.”

“Fu---- Go away Ovi.” Sid says exasperatedly. “Alyosha is with us right now, we’re not going to do anything, God.”

“We should go to the hotel.” Geno’s eyes darken. “Flower is still here and owes us lots of babysitting. I’m make sure you forget Boeser and everyone else.”

“I never-- you know what, okay, let’s go find Flower.” Sid cuddles Alyosha’s warm lax body and inhales his baby scent as he and Geno shuffle out of the room and search for number one Uncle Flower.

[sportsleague365]

Manchester United’s hopes of signing Jadon Sancho have been dealt a blow by Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc. The Dortmund chief recently told reporters “we plan on having Jadon Sancho in our team this season, the decision is final. I think that answers all our questions.” Recent reports revealed the Red Devils have drafted a shortlist of alternative replacements if they cannot sign Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s top target this summer. According to ESPN, Ed Woodward has held informal talks with Barcelona to sort out a deal for Ousmane Dembele. Now Spanish publication Sport claims that, as cited by The Manchester Evening News (via @utdreport), Barca are willing to sell the21-cap France international this summer if Man United meet their valuation. The future looked bright for Dembele by all accounts but the Barca winger has turned out to be a complete-and-utter flop. The £135m signing has struggled to hit the ground running, having only managed nine appearances last season before succumbing to yet another injury. Barca consider him surplus to requirements and will let him leave the Nou Camp on loan with the option to buy. It is believed that the Blaugrana want to sell him for €90m (£81m) in the summer. He has been hampered by constant injury setbacks which has practically been the story of his career to date. Naturally, many United fans blasted the transfer news on social media, with an angry supporter insisting Dembele is “another Bailly” in reference to the injury-prone defender. Another added “what a joke” while one fan tweeted he is “made of glass.” Scroll through some of the scathing reactions so far… His legs are made of string cheese. Not thank you. — Sir Alex Ferguson's United (@GGMUFC7) August 13, 2020 would rather have thomas lemar as the last option atleast he would be able to make the bench.Still feel like Dalot can do a fine job at RW with Bruno in the team — Vishal Mundfan (@vishal111111) August 13, 2020 Another bailly? No thanks — Dotun (@its_Dotun) August 13, 2020 They are insane he shouldn’t cost more than 40m — Izzy ➐ (@izZyutd_) August 13, 2020 Barca are so in a hurry to get rid off Dembele , quality player but too injury prone. Similar situation Madrid are in with Bale. They can look elsewhere thou cuz i don’t see Ole buying Dembele — Man Utd (News and Updats) (@ManutdAnd) August 13, 2020 What a joke, he’s literally made of glass. Stick to Sancho or nowt else. — Mohawk Watch (@mohawkwatch) August 13, 2020 United fans, do you think Woodward should sign Dembele? Let us know down below! Click here to comment on this articleorGive us feedback on your Football Transfer Tavern experience #ManUtd #ManUtdFans #ManUnited

[oscopelabs]

Split Diopter: Looking at Women’s Identities Through a Male and Female Lens by Kristen Yoonsoo Kim

It’s a common stereotype that men are known to be the more aggressive and competitive of the sexes, and that women are far coyer and subtler at the game. Studies have shown that women enjoy cooperation as much as competition, that they find symbiosis in their struggle for dominance. And it’s this complicated, nuanced relationship among women that has often been mined for great psychological cinema. Male friendships inspire buddy comedies and male competitiveness often manifests on the screen in a more literal way, such as through a sporting event, but with women, their bonding is often explored like a fever dream—as a merging of two identities, or one identity diverging into two. It makes for far more fascinating storytelling, but the end result is more often than not skewed towards the tragic.

The examples are plenty. One of the earliest standouts is Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958), in which Kim Novak’s tragic heroine personas Madeleine and Judy send Jimmy Stewart’s Scottie Ferguson into a hypnotic spiral. In Robert Altman’s 3 Women (1977), roommates and coworkers Millie (Shelley Duvall) and Pinky (Sissy Spacek) swap dynamics, and thus dominance, after a climactic incident until they arrive at a new, strange means of co-existence. In Ingmar Bergman’s Persona (1966), the merging of identities between the inexplicably mute actress Elisabet (Liv Ullmann) and her nurse Alma (Bibi Andersson) is illustrated quite literally, with two halves of their faces joined together to form one. It’s nearly impossible to tell whose face is whose at this point, and what scenes are to be taken literally. Then the film burns. These movies can’t help but offer dual realities, too. In Persona and 3 Women, especially, dream sequences blur with real life, and they don’t exactly ask to be distinguished. (For Altman, the idea for the film came to him through a dream.) These movies almost seem to depict dark magic but they aren’t necessarily fantasy films.

The Guardian’s Steve Rose referred to these as “frenemyship movies” while critic Miriam Bale coined the term “persona swap films.” Bale writes in Joan’s Digest:

“These films […] are about the friendship between two people, usually women (often a brunette and blonde, and frequently one eccentric/dominant and the other more conventional) who swap personas. It is usually a story about two women, yet is differentiated in tone and logic from something like Thelma and Louise. That film is deliberately a buddy action flick starring two women; there is no swap of supple personality types and there is no magical merge. The films that belong in this subgenre have a recognizable, nonrealist tone, a dream logic. They’re psychological, supernatural and, at their best, illuminate very specific aspects of relationships between women.”

This theme of female identities—and the swapping, merging, and diverging of them—has been a prevailing theme in women-centric thrillers and dramas alike. Barbet Schroeder’s 1992 erotic thriller Single White Female used a makeover plot point for the identity swap moment, with Jennifer Jason Leigh’s character Hedy getting the same bob and dye job as her aspirational roommate Allie (Bridget Fonda). The film’s title has even become part of our vernacular—when you hear that so-and-so is “single white female-ing” someone, you know exactly what that means. Brian De Palma has dedicated a chunk of his filmography to this subject (see: 1973’s Sisters, 1976’s Obsession, 1984’s Body Double, 2002’s Femme Fatale) as did David Lynch (see: 1997’s Lost Highway, 2001’s Mulholland Dr., 2006’s Inland Empire, and both runs of Twin Peaks). Darren Aronofsky brought the theme to the already cutthroat world of ballet with 2010’s Black Swan—a dynamic that not only emerges between the two leads, Nina (Natalie Portman) and Odile (Mila Kunis), but also between Nina and the principal dancer past her prime, Beth (Winona Ryder), who is being replaced. (Beth is also credited as “The Dying Swan.”) More recently, there’s been Alex Ross Perry’s Queen of Earth (2015), about a diverging friendship that funnels its pent-up frustrations into Repulsion-esque mania, and Olivier Assayas’ The Clouds of Sils Maria (2015), with a subtler version of the Black Swan theme of an older woman being replaced by a younger protégée, both in life and the performance within the performance.

But all these movies have another thing in common: They were all directed by men. Perhaps it’s the notion that women use indirect aggression for romantic attention, that have caused curious frenzy in the minds of male filmmakers, but they continue to create and portray female characters who fall under this umbrella of twisted fate (one woman usually dominates or kills or attempts to kill the other, or they both get in trouble). It must be a frightening concept to men—this idea of women having a special bond, of women containing multitudes—and perhaps that’s why many of these movies carry a tragic tone. In a way, these films could be love letters to women, too. Men, spellbound by the secrets shared between women, can’t help but let their minds wander to the mysteries of their link—and while trying to chip away at it, they end up destroying it in their art.

Only very few women directors have depicted that kind of relationship between two women in such a tragic manner (see Josephine Decker’s 2013 film Butter on the Latch and Sophia Takal’s 2016 film Always Shine, which was an Oscilloscope release). Also rare are male persona swap movies; in Joan’s Digest, Bale gives Nicolas Roeg’s Performance (1970) as an example of such, but adds that “for men to enact the motions of this Persona Swap, they must first be feminized.” In Roeg’s film, they don make-up and a wig.

With the exception of Decker and Takal, women are usually less lethal in their portrayal of female friendships that deal with this persona swap. In research for this piece, I collected a large list of films about women and identity and noticed that as opposed to men, women directors were more inclined to make feel-good films about the joys of friendship, or some sort of comedy of misunderstandings. Examples include Vera Chytilova’s Daisies (1966), Susan Seidelman’s Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Nancy Meyers’ The Parent Trap (1998), and Melanie Mayron’s TV movie version of Freaky Friday (1995). Two women who start acting like and becoming each other doesn’t have to be something tragic; it’s reminiscent of the dynamic between best friends. Daisies came out the same year as Persona and while it also plays out like a fever dream, too, with two women who seemingly become one, Bergman’s film is a frightening devouring of each other’s autonomies while Chytilova’s is a delightful us-against-the-world type romp. Women aren’t afraid of these close relationships between themselves; they feel stronger in union, life is more fun when together.

There’s truth to both ends of the spectrum, though. (Women, they sure contain multitudes). I’m not here to discredit the films made by men—some even have creative input from its leading actresses. Sure, there’s an inimitable euphoria of watching Daisies with your best girl friend, but ask any woman and they’ll likely find the motif of Persona or 3 Women or Single White Female familiar, too. Bale notes that “one or several of these films is on the list of the favorite films of virtually every woman director or film critic I know,” and that’s certainly true for myself. Takal’s and Decker’s films are especially fascinating because the female perspective is, to some degree, lived (even if Takal’s husband Lawrence Michael Levine wrote the screenplay for Always Shine). Good news is, this subgenre is endlessly fascinating and isn’t going away anytime soon—what I hope to see is more portrayal of women’s relationships on all ends of the spectrum, especially from more female creators.

[maidendufay-blog]

I.

Emone held Thierry’s hand tighter over her mouth and tried not to laugh. Behind her, her brother had his face buried in the top of her head. She could hear him struggling not to laugh, too.

Of all her siblings, Emone was closest to Thierry- both in age, and otherwise. Henri and Alex were eight and six years older then her respectively, making their struggles seem somewhat distant. And Manon was four years younger- still just a baby, really.

Emone and Thierry went most places together. They came as a pair. If you wanted to talk to one, you’d receive both or neither. Since they usually got into trouble together, though, this made it much easier for their parents to scold them; they only needed to send for one, and both would arrive.

“Just kissing,” they heard Susanne-from-the-village say, giggling.

“Just kissing,” Henri agreed. He sounded strange- breathless, like he’d been running for miles- and Emone snorted. She heard one of the boards in the hay-loft above them creak. “Suze, wait here a moment.” 

She froze. She could tell from her brother’s tone that he had heard her, and he was displeased. Thierry uncovered her mouth and raised a finger to his lips. Go that way, he mouthed, gesturing left around the hay bale that served as their hiding place. I’m right behind you. She nodded obediently and turned to run-

- smack into Henri, who knew almost all of his little siblings’ hiding places by heart.

“What are you two doing back here?” he said. There was no way he could possibly see Thierry yet, as he was still hidden, but he knew. Where one was, the other would be.

Emone looked at him suspiciously. “Where has your shirt gone?”

“Susanne has it.”

“Why?”

Henri groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Because I gave it to her.”

“Is she cold?”

“Yes, Emone. She’s cold.”

“I think,” said Thierry, coming around the hay bale to stand beside his sister, “that they were kissing.”

“So do I,” Emone agreed. “But I don’t see why that involves the removing of one’s shirt.”

Henri was clearly trying to remain angry, but he couldn’t help but laugh. “You’ll find out one day, little sister,” he said, tugging on one of her braids in that way he knew she didn’t like. “When you are older.”

“Can’t you just tell us now?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder at Thierry, who nodded; he was curious, too.

“I can’t tell you little babies everything,” Henri said. “You need to learn some things by yourself. Now, can I go back to kissing Susanne?”

“Tell her we hope she warms up soon,” Thierry said earnestly.

Henri snickered. “She will, Thierry, I’ll make sure of it.”

Emone reached behind her and took Thierry’s hand. “We will leave you alone.” She raised her voice and called out, “Hello Susanne!”

Susanne peeped over the edge of the hayloft and waved. Her hair was undone. “Hello!”

“We are going to go,” Thierry said as the two children walked out of the barn hand-in-hand, “and take the dress off of Nonnie’s doll and hide it.”

“No,” Emone said, “because last time we did that, she pulled on my hair. And she is surprisingly strong, for a baby.”

II.

Emone jumped down from the tree that stood by the gate to the farm that the du Fays rented and grabbed Thierry’s arm.

“Where have you been?!” she asked. “I had to play with Manon, and she isn’t anywhere near as fun as you!”

Thierry couldn’t help but smile smugly. “Thanks, Mo. I love you too.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” she huffed.

He gestured for her to come closer, and bent his head to whisper in her ear; “I was kissing.”

Emone pulled away and raised an eyebrow. “A girl?”

“Of course a girl! Emone, really?”

She laughed. “Jesus, who?”

He slapped her playfully on the shoulder. “Don’t swear!”

“Who was it?!”

“..... Idette.”

“Idette!!”

“Shhh!!!” he rushed forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Emone, you mustn’t tell anybody!”

“I won’t, Thierry, I promise.” She looked down. “Your shirt is still on.”

He glanced down. “Yes. It is. I’m not entirely sure what Henri was referring to, that time.”

“Maybe we need to be even older,” Emone suggested.

“Maybe,” Thierry agreed.

III.

Emone was fifteen when she had her first kiss. It was at Henri’s wedding (not to Susanne- that fling hadn’t lasted longer than a few months, and now she was engaged to the baker’s son). His bride had eight brothers, all in attendance, and one of them took a shine to her.

They danced a little, and then they went somewhere away from the festivities. “Have you ever been kissed?” he asked.

“No,” she replied.

“Do you want to be?”

And Emone was curious, so she said “Yes.” 

Curious because what happened to men’s shirts when they kissed? Curious because everyone seemed to like kissing an awful lot, and she hadn’t done it yet so she didn’t know why. She really didn’t care much for Seb, who was annoying and had funny-looking hair, but curiosity got the better of her.

It was the quickest kiss in the world, because Emone pulled away almost immediately. It felt wrong, and unpleasant, and she needed to find Thierry. She feigned embarrassment and ran away.

“Thierry,” she whispered, pulling him away from the buffet table, “I just kissed Seb and it was horrible.”

He pulled her into a hug. “It’s alright, Mo. It just means he isn’t The One for you.”

“I know. And I’m not upset. A little disappointed, maybe, but...” she sighed and buried her face in Thierry’s chest.

He smoothed down her hair. “Is his shirt still on?” he asked.

She laughed into the fabric of his tunic. “Yes, Thierry. Yes, it is.”

IV.

The morning after Thierry’s wedding, he arrived at the palace in search of his sister. The head-maid woke her even earlier than usual- although this wasn’t too much of a problem, as a childhood spent on a working farm meant Emone was used to early starts- and told her to get dressed; there was a strange man asking for her in the kitchens.

Emone feared the worst, and made sure to pin her hair up in such a way that she could just reach up and take the accessory out, if she needed a weapon. Hairpins were sharp.

When she saw Thierry standing awkwardly amid the bustle of breakfast preparations, she breathed a sigh of relief and ran towards him. He caught her in his arms with ease.

“Is everything alright?” she asked. “You said I’d be able to go back to work right after your wedding, but if you need me, I can-”

“Emone,” he cut her off. “I’m alright. So is Idette. We’re both doing wonderfully.”

“I’m glad.” She cocked her head to one side, curious. “What brings you to me here, then?”

“I have made a discovery,” he said. “Is there somewhere we can go?”

Emone brought him to the wine cellar. “No-one is supposed to come down here this early,” she explained. “Now talk.”

“I have discovered what happened to Henri’s shirt, back when we were little.”

“Oh?”

“He was not kissing Susanne. Or... well, not just kissing.”

“Oh,” Emone said, connecting the pieces. “But... in the hay barn?! He was sixteen!!”

“You’re only seventeen now!”

“And I would never... wow. Wow.” she clasped her hands over her mouth. “Wow.”

“I know.”

“But she said just kissing!”

Thierry shrugged. “Maybe they didn’t go all the way.”

“There are things in-between?”

He nodded. “For example, last night Idette-”

Emone clamped her hands over her ears. “No! No, I do not want to hear what you did with Idette! Lalalalalalala!”

Laughing, Thierry tugged her hands away and held them in his. “You’ll have a husband of your own someday, you know.”

“If all men kiss like Seb, I do not think I want a husband.” There was part of Emone still holding out for a classic fairy-tale prince; tall, handsome, with a horse and a beautiful voice and the ability to kiss like the men in stories. But, being realistic, such things didn’t happen to girls like her. “Maybe I will be like Alex, except the other way around. Maybe I will only like women, in that way.”

“I think Papa might cry, if he had two children like Alex.” Thierry squeezed her hands. “You will find a man, and when you do, I want you to tell me. Immediately. You’re to come right to my house in Paris, I do not care what time it is.”

“I will, Thierry. I promise. We tell each-other everything, remember?”

He nodded. “Yes. We do.”

V.

She heard the news from a soldier, who had returned from the war too injured to continue fighting. When the head-maid told her that there was a strange man in the kitchens asking for her, Emone thought it must be Thierry again. But it wasn’t, and her heart sunk when she saw him.

“Are you Emone du Fay?” the man asked. Emone nodded numbly. She knew, somehow, before the words left his mouth what he was going to say. “Your brother is dead.”

The letter had been sent to Idette, since she was his wife, and no-one had thought to tell his sister. They don’t ask, when people join the army, who their best friends are. They don’t think to. They just need to know who to send the letter to, and Idette was his wife. Of course it would be her.

“What have they done with the body?” Emone asked, reaching up to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand. She hated crying- hated it- but tears seemed to have leaked out without her knowledge.

“His wife had him buried in a church in Paris, near their house. The funeral was last Thursday. I’m so sorry, I tried to find you sooner, but it was just so difficult-”

“No,” Emone said, swallowing. “No, thank you. You’ve done everything perfectly, and I’m eternally grateful.”

“The way he spoke of you,” the soldier said, “I expected you to be younger.”

She laughed, and then choked on her tears. “Don’t be fooled. These last few years have aged me a great deal.” Between Henri’s death by plague, and now this... Gone was the giggling little girl, hiding in hay barns and clutching at her brother’s hand. “I shall have to tell the others. Alex lives in the country; I will write to him. But I don’t suppose you’re heading back via a road called le Rue du Caire? My sister lives their- our sister,” she smiled weakly. “Thierry’s, and mine.”