#like im not short enough that my ill fitting clothes are hugely noticeable

[fatlarde]

i dont mind being short until im reminded that none of my clothes fit right and i look just Slightly a mess

[the-septic-maniac]

How you would possibly fair against Danganronpa Characters Part 1

So im bored as hell. What if I analyzed how you might fair against Danganronpa characters in a fight. Lets start with Trigger Happy Havoc. I will try take some things into account like their abilities and their physical body.I will also try to put into account how you could go against them even with these factors that might put you at a disadvantage. Also im putting this here right now. SPOILERS AHEAD! So let’s begin shall we?

Lets start of with the boys. Chihiro Fujisaki will be the easiest out of the boys as one they aren’t that strong on top of the fact that they are a short 4 feet 10 inches or 148 cm. He also isn’t going to get away easily as well as he is wearing what look to be Mary Janes and those are tough shoes to run in.You will will pretty much have the advantage against him during the entire fight. 

Makoto Naegi is also easy as he is only about 5 foot 3 inches or 160 cm. But while that doesn’t put it exactly in his favor, his keen intellect might do it. Makato has shown that through out the the series, that he can notice small things and details. With that, if he was to use his intellect in a fight he might be able to take you down. But with everything else you will likely have the advantage the only thing that you have to worry about is him running away as he does have sneakers on (unlike most of the freaking cast).

Hifumi Yamada will be the first one you might have difficulties with not because of his strength, speed or knowledge. No, your main issue with him is going to be weight. He weights over 340 pounds or almost 160 kg. This means that he doesn’t have to physically fight you to win. He could just sit on you and it’ll be over because otherwise if he did try to fight he would be at a huge disadvantage as his weight would likely get in the way and he would trip and fall over and possibly hurt himself so use that to your advantage.

Yasuhiro Hagakure’s one and only advantage is his height. he stands at a even 6 feet or 180 cm. This means he likely has a bit of a reach as well. Now there have been moments that have shown that he does have a reasonable amount of strength as evidenced by the fact that he straight up pick up Kanon Nakajima one time and sprinted with her in hand while running away from Masaru and Kotoko of the warriors of hope but this could be partly given credit to adrenaline which is one heck of a hormone. he also isn’t that smart so deceiving him would be easy to gain the upper hand against him.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru as a couple of things at his advantage. First, the dude is jacked. Like did you freaking see his muscles during the sauna scene. Two, his determination.  He is likely going to take you down if you are not careful as he does seem pretty strong willed and not just physically in which that makes a deadly combination. Now one of the things that I have on the back of my mind right know is knowledge. He is smart but combat wise I don’t know if he knows anything much about how to fight or if his dad taught him. But another thing is like I mention is his muscles meaning he keeps himself pretty fit. As for beating him you’ll likely need to try and get around him and surpise him. And like most of the people on this list don’t allow him to grab anything as that will likely give him an advantage.

Last three boys here we go. Byakuya Togami is where things get really hard as he has height and knowledge against you. he stands at 6 feet 1 inch or 185 cm. With height he likely has a longer reach on top of the fact with his knowledge he would likely know where to hit you and make it hurt or knock you out. Oh also he has really long legs meaning that if he needed to run he could likely do that as his strides would be vey long and allow him to go farther quicker. Now as to beat him, I would likely say stay low (Imma say that a lot by the way) and insure that he doesn’t get ahold of something.

Mondo Oowada is a little easy to analyze but he would likely be hard to fight. One he is tall as he 6 feet 2 inches or 187 cm. Two he is pretty strong. Three he can last a long time in a fight because of his endurance as proven by the sauna scene in which he had ALL his clothes on. Now he is a bit of a meathead as he has little to no strategy tp his madness nor does think straight half the time when fighting (just like a couple of boys on this list do). Fighting him is hard as he has more of a reach is likely stronger that you. So my main thing for this s like most of the other tall boys on this list. Stay low and disarm them if you can.

Leon Kuwata is the last one up and let me tell you something. Outside of Mondo, Leon is last person out of all the boys you want to have a blunt weapon on hand as knows how to freaking swing that kinda shit around(FYI I DO GO ON A TANGENT ON LEON AS THERE IS MORE INFO ON HIS ABILITIES THAT I CAN LOOK UP UN LIKE MOST OF THE OTHERS). Also despite his looks he is pretty strong. He did break Sayaka’s wrist when in battle with her.  Now this could also be attributed to the fact that he did have a blunt weapon at the time but  that doesn’t discount him any less that he is pretty strong. Oh let us not even forget ya better be lucky he doesn’t have anything to throw at you as that probably even worse considering how fast he can pitch a freaking baseball. His pitch clocks in at 160 kph or almost 100 mph. For a high schooler that's impressive. On top of this the bitch can aim. The amount of force that small 5.25 ounce or 148.84 grams ball will exert on your body would be 725.13 kg or 1598.64 pounds of force. That’s 3/4 a little over half a ton heading straight for you if you use imperial. For metric that's about 0.73 metric tons. There is not a lot that you can do against him. He is though pretty oh how to put it...STUPID. Like I love him to bits but the dude can’t keep his thoughts straight and has a tendency to do things on the spot too often. So make him flustered enough and he might retreat and run. But he can run pretty fast even with those platform shoes of his. If not and he has a weapon disarm him as soon as possible as he can and will hit you with it.

Any ways that the boys of THH. Ill do the girls of THH next another time. But anyways have a good day/night!

[makubes]

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑺𝑯𝑬𝑬𝑻

repost, don’t reblog !

𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 !

full name.  Rock Holmes pronunciation.  - nicknames.  just Rock height.   5′5″ age.   wildly verse dependent but I’d say 28 for default zodiac.   libra languages.    Japanese, English, Mandarin, Korean, French, Russian

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

hair colour.    black eye colour.    deep blue skin tone.    pale    body type.    very slim, model-esque with long legs, has a bit of an hourglass shape going on under his clothes but he’s more top heavy.  accent.    depends on which language he’s speaking. for jp he’s trained himself to speak with a tokyo accent. english he doesn’t really have one anymore. in other langauges he sounds a lot more formal and robotic since he doesn’t speak them as much. french is starting to sound a little better but there’s still like, something in the way he talks that makes it noticeable that it’s not his first language. dominant hand.  right posture.    kinda flucuates depending on the situation but by default i imagine his posture is pretty proper since he’s had a lot of this kinda stuff drilled into his head as a kid.  tattoos.   ah no... wouldn’t wanna ruin his flawless skin most noticeable features.  His striking blue eyes, or those thick black sunglasses covering them up. 

CHILDHOOD.

place of birth.   Japan. hometown.   Yokohama birth weight / height.   Average first words.  Probably something cute and standard like “mama” siblings.  none. parents.  His bio parents, mother and father, both deceased. Later adopted by Duke Red. parental involvement.   Rock’s bio parents were very active and involved with his development during the short part of his life that they were around. They noticed he was very bright for his age and encouraged that growth by reading more advanced literature to him, such as Sherlock Holmes novels, and allowing him to read easier books on his own. Unfortunately when he was around 4 years old his father lost his job, and unable to face his family afterwards, committed suicide. His mother grew extremely distant after this until eventually she too took her life as well, leaving him alone. 

Duke Red was super involved at first too. Spoiling Rock rotten by treating him to the extravagant lifestyles of the super rich and basically giving him anything he wanted. Even at this time however this didn’t come with certain drawbacks such as very strict etiquette lessons and curfews. Things only got worse tho as Duke Red grew more distant and downright cruel. It got to the point where Rock was basically just living in this huge mansion by himself and if he tried to raise issue he’d be beaten for it. He started to act out for attention figuring negative attention was still better than nothing but was eventually disowned entirely.

As of current he has no family. Fun

ADULT LIFE

occupation. He claims to be an “investigative reporter” but in reality he works for a cheap tabloid magazine. as a child he was a pretty popular ~boy detective~ with tv spots and everything but he’s washed up now, as they say. current residence.    He travels a lot so he has no single solid residence but he has apartments in a few major cities like Paris, New York, and Tokyo.   close friends.  Kuroo Hazama, a close frind since childhood. The only one he hasn’t pushed away. relationship status.   currently single but he’s full of love so financial status.   Rock started blackmailing rich people in his teens so even though he was officially disowned by his father years ago he still has a vast amount of wealth saved up and doesn’t really have to worry about money all that much. driver’s license.   he really SHOULDN’T but yes he does have one criminal record.   im sorry for stretching the page but

SEX & ROMANCE.

sexual orientation.    gay romantic orientation.    really gay preferred emotional role.  submissive | dominant | switch  |  unsure preferred sexual role.  submissive |  dominant  |  switch |  sex repulsed libido.  I mean it’s THERE. He has pinup posters on his fucking apartment walls and masturbates to his own reflection (yes this is canon) but he’s not like super horny all the time you know? very needy at times yes but its not a constant. turn on’s.  He’s pretty kinky tbh. Body worship, biting, blood play, breath play, bondage (gagging and restraints on either him or his partner), bdsm, pet play, orgasm denial, leather and lace, dress up (either his partner dressing him or him dressing his partner), s&m, sticks and stones may break my bones but whips and chains excite meeeeee turn off’s.   overly submissive and gullible people, orgasm denial is only hot when he’s doing it if his partner pulls that shit he gets pissed off, group sex is a huge turn off too, basically he has to be the center of attention at ALL TIMES or he WILL get bored and annoyed. love language.   uhhhhhh i dont know how to explain it exactly but i imagine Rock is the type to initiate things but then he’ll want his partner to support him the rest of the way so that’s why i don’t really strictly label him as a top. also he’s just really supportive and full of love to give  relationship tendencies.   In terms of longterm relationships Rock tends to avoid those, pushing people away because he’s just used to people leaving him and doesn’t wanna have to put up with that again. Short term however it’s not unusual for Rock to go out and have a short fling with a guy just because he’s feeling a little needy and doesn’t wanna commit to anything (tho he’ll still be upset that the other dude doesn’t wanna commit which is like lol). But like YEAH Rock has a really bad habit of self sabotaging all his relationships ogshaofdschxv

MISCELLANEOUS.

character’s theme song.     there’s a lot of songs that I think fit but like tbh the Metropolis OST is right there. hobbies to pass the time.     being an asshole, investigating crimes that he wasn’t personally involved with, blackmailing rich people, investigating the paranormal and supernatural, pissing on public property to assert his dominance, picking up cute boys at bars, caring for exotic animals (deer, snakes, ect), actively looking for reasons to go bother BJ, gambling mental illnesses.   PTSD, NPD, and all the fun stuff that comes with physical illnesses.  doesn’t happen often but he is seizure prone. as an adult he’s legally blind  left or right brained .   idfk what this means or care enough to look it up tbh fears.   he fears death, and more specifically dying alone without making any sort of impact on the world. self confidence level.    He’s extremely full of himself but he also absolutely despises himself its very odd to explain but vulnerabilities.  uhhh im not entirely sure what this means but he’s still very sensitive about the whole family subject and if asked about it he’ll just claim he doesn’t have any? also despite claiming otherwise there are people he cares about a whole lot and he would be really upset if anything happened to them.....

tagged by:   no one i stole it tagging: the girl reading this

[voidselfshipp]

Repay In Kind

Cw: wound mention, food mention.

Ok to rb.

|Summary|: Yoru is aware of how much jerico does for him, so he decides its time to repay her in kind.

Taglist: @tex-treasures @qsionic @the-league-of-vigilantes

-- jerico its just a flesh wound-- yoru said being sat down forcefully on the bed.

--fleshwound my ass-- jeri whispered riling up yorus shirt, making him blush

--W what are you doing?!-- he exclaimed.

--first, im your girlfriend, second, ive seen you without your shirt multiple times, three,shut up or im telling sage

The rift Walker sighed in annoyance, looking away.

He feels her stich Him up, hands carefully desinfecting his wound, he hisses and jolts back.

Jeri looks up with her brows raised-- stay still, akira-- she commanded and kept desinfecting it.

Theres a soft tender silence, Yoru let his shoulders relax and distracts himself with something else.

--...what happened?-- jeri asked softly stitching him.

Akira looked at her-- I was getting out of a right and the enemys Skye dog-- wolf whatever the fuck, launched at me..., I didnt feel the wound until we were back from icebox...

Jeri nodds and wraps the bandage carefully, taking his shirt and jacket off-- lay down and ill fix this

--youve done enough for me already-- he said looking up at her with his brows furrowed.

-- aki...-- jericó said looking at him putting a hand on his shoulder-- its okay, go rest, you had a bad enough day

Akira nodded and laid down on the bed, their little poodle dog jumps on the bed and curls up besides him.

He hears the whirring of the sewing machine, soft curses in spanish under her breath as she figured out how to fix his clothes.

-- hey...jericó...thank you-- said yoru with his eyes clothes.

Jerico smiled -- your welcome

--Dont you mean YORU welcome

Jerico starts to laugh looking at him-- youre the best!

He takes the compliment and chuckles trying to not bust Open his wound. Happy he could brighten up the mood.

While she works akira picks up his phone and texts something to Phoenix and jett. Asking them to bring something to his room later.

An hour later jerico finished up his jacket and shirt, leaving them besides the bed.

Yoru picked them up, the sewing was seamless-- youre such a seamstress, ひまわり (sunflower) , nobody Will suspect a thing!

Jeri smiled kissing his forehead-- thank you, azulcito (little blue)

-- are you gonna tell me what that means? -- he asked with a brow raised.

-- no-- she grinned and kissed his forehead-- well, me and astra are going out for a bit, you stay here and make sure you dont Open that wound

-- ill try, sage Will rip my head off if she finds out...

As jerico is about to leave yoru adds-- I love you...you know?

--i love you too, aki-- she turns her head and smiles softly, making yoru crumble and blush, looking away

When jerico leaves the compound for good yoru gets off of bed, and Phoenix and jett arrive.

-- hello Man! We got the things you asked for!

Phoenix and jett had huge bags full of food and other decorations.

Jet Hung up the small lights around the bed, and decorated the room, with some flowers and small fake plants.

Yoru was taking a shower with Phoenix outside his private bathroom in case he bursts a Stitch.

He finished his shower and got changed into some nice fitting pjs.

Then yoru and Phoenix prepared the food,jeri texted him when she was about to go back home.

Akiras Friends said their goodbyes and as soon as jeri stepped through that door his slicked back hair poofed Back to normal like a cat.

Jerico gasped at when she saw him,he looked so good;then she noticed the room, the decorations and the food.

-- oh, aki!-- she hugged him tightly smelling his cologne.

Akira lets out a yelp as she squeezes his upper back,he hugs back with his fingers combing through the short hairs on the back of her neck-- thank you...-- she whispered.

They take a step back to look at eachother without breaking the hug-- youre always doing nice things for me, its time I pay back in kind

--Who even helped you set this up?!-- she asked looking around at the flowers, fake plants and food.

--Phoenix and jett-- yoru cut himself off knowing he screwed up.

-- I told them to Keep an eye on you!-- she said-- tell me you didnt burst a Stitch!

-- im okay-- his hands grabbed her arms-- im okay, my love

Jerico sighed hugging him-- okay, okay, -- she buries her head on the crook of his neck.

--Youre always worrying about me, let me worry about you for a bit yeah? The foods gonna get cold and I have your favorite movies lined up, plus, breach is taking care of Anita, so we can be all alone...

Jeri smiled nodding-- youre right, oh shit, is that ramen I smell?

He nodds and both sit on the bed grabbing the bed table/tray with food.

-- I have Icecream mochi, I remember you told me you liked it-- he said casually, feeling her Grab his left arm with her right arm nuzzling him.

-- thank you thank you!!-- jeri said picking up the chopsticks and eating the ramen.

They watch their movies and eat their dinner, once the time for the mochi arrives akira looks at jerico expectantly.

She takes the first bite and her eyes light up-- this Is so good!

He nodds-- I know right, I have some more but just in case we'll eat anotherone tomorrow

Jer nodds and snuggles against his chest being mindful of his wound.

He hugs her waist and lets her head rest on his clavicle watching the movie.

Yoru looks down at her with a soft gaze and brows furrowed, full of love for his caring girlfriend. He smiles and turns back to the TV.

-- it means little blue, by the way-- jerico comments.

--What? -- akira Asks dumbfoded.

--azulcito means little blue, I think it fits you

He chuckles and smiles -- yeah it does, its fair anyway, I call you sunflower...you call me little blue, its fair

She giggles and kisses his cheek making Him blush hard.

--i love you, Aki

-- me too, jeri

[sweetbfs]

as a trans guy i get p dysphoric about my clothes, and ive tried wearing “””guy””” jeans for a while now but i dont think they help me much as passing bc im rather short (5’1”) so they tend to look a little baggy or loose especially when i sit down and i know clothes dont matter but some part of me tells me im not really trying when i want to wear my old jeans that actually fit :// (i also feel bad that my mom buys me jeans n i barely wear them) (i do enjoy the larger pockets tho)

as a trans guy with huge hips and a tiny waist, i’ve had so much trouble finding jeans that fit. not all guys jeans will look masc on you, and not all “girls” jeans will look fem on you. imo the best types of jeans are high waisted, plus if they’re too long i just cuff the ends up once or twice for added Gay Artsy look. in addition, the only thing you can do is try on guys jeans until you find the type right for you. belts help a lot, and you can find cheap and durable ones at h&m or target. as for “girls” jeans, try high waisted styles a size or two up. they should be baggy enough so they’re not skin tight, but not too baggy/loose. tbh i’ve had better luck w “girls” jeans, but you never know! try target, h&m, forever21, or old navy/gap. and don’t feel bad, at the end of the day it’s fabric and some types won’t always make your body look masc. good luck bud! - mod andy

Hey, I´m 5´1 and I have the exact same problem ! The thing about jeans is that you need to look for the right cut. Also, a good rule of thumb is that women´s run small and men´s run large - us short guys wanna aim right down the middle. If I´m in the women´s section I always look for boyfriend, straight leg, or relaxed fit jeans. In the men´s/boys sections, I look for skinny, tapered, sometimes bootlegs, or I try on enough jeans to find something that works.

Find something that can stay up without a belt, but fits perfectly when wearing one. Belts are a really ”masculine” accessory that not only can help you keep from looking frumpy, but that add a streamlined and professional look to your outfit as well. This is a tangent, but I´ve discovered (due to private school dress codes) the magic of belts as of late, and I´d recommend all guys out there pick up 2 belts - one brown, one black (there are some cheap & plain ones at Walmart - just make sure they fit). Also, it´s conventional to match your belt color to your dress shoe color. If you ain´t wearing leather shoes, you can forget about that.

Back to pants ! A fact of life for shorter guys is ill-fitting pant legs. For jeans, the easy way out it to cuff them, James Dean style. Rolled up legs don´t stick out or look frumpy so long as you style them right and that the cut of the jeans allows for a cuff that hangs closer to your legs rather than looking like Kevin Smith´s jorts. If you´re going the cuffing route, cuff them while trying them on in the store to make sure they look alright. If you think cuffing looks bad, you´re gonna have to have them altered.

Altering jeans isn´t as scary as it sounds. The easiest way is to just measure out the right amount and cut them off. It gives a worn and frayed look to the denim, as well as ensuring that you don´t trip on the long legs. If you hate the frayed denim trend, either you or a family member/friend are gonna have to seam the new pant legs - either by hand or by sewing machine. I´m rusty with my sewing skills, but there are plenty of youtube videos that can walk you through the process better than I can. If you don´t have that option, find a local tailor. Taking up pant legs is one of, if not the, easiest alterations out there, so it shouldn´t cost you much.

I know you only mentioned jeans, but I´m going to talk about slacks as well (sorry, like I said, I´m a private school kid). I never wore slacks before this year, aka my first year at Catholic school. They aren´t for everybody, I´ll tell you that much, but I´d recommend at least trying out one pair, preferably cheaply made and without a liner. Again, I get all of mine from walmart. It all depends on your fashion sense, but because my fashion sense lies along the lines of ivy-league dropout, slacks work great for me. Even if you´d never touch slacks with a 10-foot pole for street clothes, they work great whenever you´re going to someplace snazzy and want to avoid the possibility of having only skirts or dresses to wear, so try and find one pair that fits and you think are half decent. As my grandma said: better to have them and not need them, than to need them and not have them.

Because slacks aren´t denim, there aren´t many skinny-jean-like slacks in the women´s section - most are more relaxed. The men´s section tends to have slacks that run wider in the ass than most men´s jeans, at least from what I´ve noticed, so do be mindful of that as well. You can cuff slacks, but tbh I never do and always have mine altered. I´m just the opposite with jeans, if you were curious.

As for where to shop, I can´t recommend thrift stores enough. They´re cheap and have great selection, as well as it´s easier to convince parents to let you try on clothes there that they would think are silly (ie clothes that go along with your gender identity) then it is at a Macy´s or something, at least from my experiences. Also - Walmart is great (g-d knows I´ve plugged them enough in this post), but I also wanna mention Target. While Xmas shopping for my dad, I bought myself a nice dress shirt from their brand Goodfellows that fit great for being a men´s dress shirt, which are usually a nightmare for me. They looked to have some really nice stylish pants that I´d recommend peeping.

I had the same problem with guilt over unworn feminine clothes. Talk to your parents about your clothes ! Tell them that your fashion sense has been evolving as of late, or you want to try the current trend of more relaxed pants. It´s annoying, but it keeps them from buying clothes that make you feel dysphoric, and help improve your chances of your parents buying you clothes that you actually like ! Though I don´t celebrate Christmas, my mother got me clothes that I loved this year as a gift. Last year I hated every piece of clothing she got me, but everything this year was wonderful and masculine, and even though we have to go back to the store because nothing fit (lol), I was genuinely really happy with my clothes.

And clothes do matter. Since coming to the conclusion that I was trans, I gradually changed both my closet and my body language over the past years and they´ve helped me pass a lot better. Despite being 5´1, skinny as a rail, and a junior, I had everyone at my Catholic school (correctly) assuming I was a boy, and (incorrectly) assuming I was a freshman for a good 2 weeks at the beginning of the school year ! Passing doesn´t matter at all, unless passing makes you feel better. It´s a shitty, cisnormative ideal that can be easy to reach sometimes, and impossible to reach other times. But if passing helps alleviate dysphoria for you, as it does for me and a ton of other trans people, then I wish you all the best ! Oh, also, get a watch ! Don´t ask me why it works, I honestly have no idea, but I swear it made me pass like a dream when I started wearing one. Get a decent, gender neutral/manly watch that´s at least medium on the size scale between tiny ”women´s” and giant ”men´s” watches, and you pass SO much better. Drop $20 at, of course, walmart, hit up the jewelry section of your local thrift shop, ask your parents if they have any you might like - just get one.

It´s like 1am here and I spent ages typing out that monster of an answer, I hope that helps and is somewhat cohesive. G´night anon, good luck with your pants !

- Mod Llewellyn

[amandasarmada]

Deleted Scene - “Summer’s Cauldron”

This is a deleted scene from the latest chapter of Summer’s Cauldron, for those curious about what Tina was getting up to when Newt arrives.  It also features a slightly extended version of the prologue, to help set the scene.

NOTE - it is very important that you read the official chapter first, otherwise you’re going to get huge spoilers and the chapter will be ruined for you. :/ No bueno.

From Chapter 8, “The Presidential Palace”

Tina had always been good at not being noticed.  She'd first realized it as a child, picking up on the tendency of friends and relatives to always gravitate toward Queenie, while passing over her - it had hurt her, at first, but rather than wallowing over the fact, she'd chosen instead to embrace it, even managing to channel this trait into a fairly lucrative career.  It wasn't ideal, of course, but - Tina was a pragmatist.  She had her talents, turning heads just wasn't one of them.

So it was with some surprise that Tina studied her reflection, carefully considering the woman staring back at her.  The face in the mirror wore far more makeup than she was accustomed to, but as Tina contemplated the results, she had to admit the effort had been worth it.  Her large, carefully done-up eyes seemed to radiate heat, and the remnants of her summer tan gave her a lovely glow, complementing nicely with the burgundy of her lipstick.

But it was the dress that set her apart. It was new, and vital to her plans for tonight.  Deep red and almost impossibly soft, it hung low on her body, revealing planes and curves she normally kept well-covered.  Queenie had altered it specially for her, and it fit as well as any piece of clothing could.

She wasn't usually much for getting so dolled up, generally content with a single dab of lipstick and perhaps some mascara for special occasions – short skirts and gobs of makeup were usually uncomfortable and impractical, and she didn't like feeling like she was on display.

Things were different tonight.  She wanted to be on display.  She was determined to make something happen tonight, for better or for worse.

Newt was leaving again in just under a month, and Tina knew she had a very limited window of opportunity in which to make her wishes a reality – and she planned to seize it.  The time had come to be bold, she'd decided – and her dress was certainly that, she thought dryly.

“Oh, Teenie!”  

Queenie was standing in the doorway, watching her admiringly.  “You're a knockout!”

Tina grinned, turning so her sister could get the full effect.  

Queenie giggled, shaking her head.  “Newt's gonna sink through the floor when he gets a loada you,” she whispered, looking absolutely thrilled at the thought.  Tina flashed her another smile, her confidence mounting as she gave herself another hard look in the mirror.  If ever she had a shot with Newt, it had to be tonight.  She couldn't remember a time she'd looked better.  If she could just keep up this bravado, she might, might, actually be able to initiate something – the key was to stay focused, to stay positive.  There could be no allowing herself to crawl into her shell tonight.  She had to think of it like a job – like being undercover.  She was playing a character, that was all.

Tina took a deep breath, steeling herself as she slipped on her shoes. Show time.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The wine was sour on her lips, as it always was.  Tina sighed, throwing another dejected glance around the hall.  

It was half past eight, over forty-five minutes after Newt was supposed to meet her at the gate, and instead of dancing or laughing or taking a walk along the grounds as she'd imagined they'd be doing about now, she was sitting alone in a corner, sipping clumsily at a glass of wine.  Typical.

Tina immediately felt guilty.  Newt probably had a very, very good reason for not showing up.  Perhaps one of his creatures had fallen ill again, or maybe he'd encountered some sort of trouble with the baby unicorn.  In fact, it might actually be a good idea for her to go and see if he needed help - maybe she was being the inconsiderate one, not thinking to check on him already.

Or maybe Newt had simply forgotten, Tina thought morosely.  She was hardly the type to get men's blood pumping; she knew this about herself.  She'd made an incredible effort tonight, but she supposed she'd been kidding herself, thinking it would make much difference.

Tina took another long sip of wine, finishing off the glass.

And yet – a quiet little voice interrupted, with an air of someone who refused to accept the obvious – Newt had kissed her.  Sort of.  Tina closed her eyes, retreating back to the memory of Newt's lips on hers.  It had been over so fast.  Had it been an accident? Did he regret it?  It was hard to tell; he'd been as courteous as ever, but he also hadn't done anything to suggest what had happened. She knew it probably hadn't been intentional – he'd been kissing her cheek, and then brushed her lips - just barely, and just for a moment.  But it had been haunting her for over a week now.

Tina sighed, accepting a passing house-elf's offer of a refill.  It was her fourth, she was pretty sure, and she probably ought to slow down, but it was the only thing keeping her misery at bay.  The alcohol buzzed pleasantly in her system, making the world seem just a little bit brighter.

“Excuse me. Miss Goldstein?”

Tina glanced up, her eyes glassy.  A rather handsome member of the MLE was standing before her, looking charmingly nervous as he surveyed her. Dennis D'angelo, she remembered.  She didn't know him well – he'd been three or four years above her in school – but she'd consulted with him on a few cases, and he always smiled at her in the hall.

“Denny. Nice to see you again,” she said, offering him a polite smile. “Are you enjoying the party?”

“Oh, you know.  Beats pushin' paperwork,” he said lightly, hovering beside the table.  “What about you?  Havin' a good time?”

Tina shrugged, doing her best to not look too miserable.  It must have worked, because Denny grinned at her.  “Say Tina, you know this one?”

Tina hesitated for a moment, slightly confused.  “One what?”

Denny blushed, tipping his head toward the dance floor.  “This song.  I thought you might wanna...”

“...Oh.” Tina paused, biting her lip.  Denny was a nice guy, and it must be pushing nine by now.  If Newt really wasn't coming – and it seemed like he wasn't – she might as well try to take her mind off things. She was certainly in no hurry to go home and face Queenie, and sitting alone in the corner drinking her way through a barrel of wine wasn't doing her any good.  She mustered a smile, allowing him to help her to her feet.  “Sure, Denny, that's sweet of you.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Atta girl, Tina.  You're doing great!”

Tina chuckled, shaking her head.  Denny was being polite – she knew the steps well enough, thanks to Queenie, but her timing was off, and she was having trouble keeping her balance.  Her own fault, of course.

“You're quite the Oliver Twist yourself,” she said breathlessly, stumbling a bit as the song picked up speed.

Denny smiled, spinning her.  He was an excellent dancer, but she doubted Fred Astaire himself could have lifted her mood tonight.  She threw a glance toward the door, unable to help herself.

“Everything alright?”

“Hmm?”

Tina started, looking at him curiously.  

Denny smiled, looking a little sad.  “What's his name?”

“...Who?” she said quickly, a little too innocently.

Denny's eyes were understanding.  “Tina, you musta looked at that door ten times since we got out here.”

Tina paused, her heart sinking.  Denny shook his head, still smiling. “Don't feel bad.  I'm glad you've got somebody.”

She looked away, biting back a wry smile.  “The problem is, it seems I don't.”

“He late?”

“Only by about an hour.”

Denny winced, looking sympathetic.  “Something probably came up.  And if not, give 'im the axe, and don't give it another thought.  You can do better.”

Tina managed a feeble laugh.  “Thanks.”

Denny squeezed her hand.  “I'm sure he'll have a good excuse.  A fella'd have to be a real sap, to toss aside a dame like you.”  Denny paused.  “This guy nice to you?  When he's not skipping out on dates, I mean?”

“He's a doll,” Tina assured him.  Her voice was quiet; she thought she could feel a headache coming on.  “He brought me to Atlantisity for my birthday.”

“See? That's pretty snazzy,” Denny agreed, looking impressed.

Tina smirked, lost in memories of the past weekend.  “...and he gave me a unicorn,” she added, as casually as she could manage.

Denny's eyes widened, and they both chuckled.  “Well, ah.  I can't say I'd be able to compete with that.” He shook his head, his voice growing gentler.  “Seriously, Goldstein.  I'm sure you twos'll work it out.”

The song was beginning to wind down; about time, too.  She was starting to feel a little sick from all the bouncing around.

“I hope your fella shows up soon,” Denny added, leading her back to the banquet area.  “And if not, and you get lonely, you come and find me, you hear?  Just 'cuz your guy got held up, ain't no reason you gotta be sittin' all alone, unless you really wanna.”

Tina smiled, her first real smile in almost an hour.  “Thanks,” she said gratefully, squeezing his hand.  Denny winked at her, heading back in the direction he'd approached from, and Tina continued on, already looking forward to finishing her drink.

She paused, coming to a halt.  She'd just spotted a very familiar face, gazing at her from among the crowd.