#pics below for y’all to zoom in on

[what-inthe-goddamn]

Lost Connection

One of my fallout mutuals on insta has a dtiys contest rn, so I made an entry!

[gradientdescent-does-it-all]

Sewing Journal: In Which My Embroidery Projects Become Increasingly Unhinged In Scope, Scale, and Content

Oh boy oh boy, I’m really excited about this one, y’all. After that series of smaller-scale experiments, I’ve finally pulled it all together to set up this fabulously visceral, gory panel by @barbatusart into the embroidery project that I’ll be doing off-camera for the next 2 months of Zoom calls.

In case it’s not clear from the picture, this thing is BIG. Like, 2 feet tall “big”. And although I can generally fit the embroidery frame onto my desk just off-camera, my coworkers have gotten used to knowing I’m always sewing just-offscreen and are in the habit of asking me to show what I’m doing. So I, uh, may need to keep a decoy project on hand to show them. Showing this one to my colleagues may qualify as ‘oversharing’.

If you wanna watch the daily progress pics of this one, I’ll have ‘em up over on the side blog @gradientdescentthreads . And if anyone’s interested in the combination of quilting and applique that went into setting this up, check it out below the cut!

Ok so this project started by slightly editing the original comic panel to pull out just the black and white line art into one layer, and the geometric color blocks into another. The original image used color sparingly so this wasn’t a very difficult task. I then printed both out to the exact same scale; these form the basis for the 2 layers of patterning that went into the overall composition.

Cutting up the print-out of the background was an easy route to a quilting pattern.

…And then, heart-breakingly, I cut up that nice quilt panel, using the paper print-out of the foreground as a template. Taking the lessons I learned from my smaller test projects, I used double-sided iron-on interfacing both to reinforce the fabric as well as attach it to the white underlayer cleanly. Then I got busy with a washable marker and a light box to trace the design. Finally, since the colored fabric was too dark for me to see through the light box, I printed out one final version of the design onto Stick-n-Stitch and overlaid it onto the red and black areas.

Why not save the time and just use Stick-n-Stitch for the entire design, you ask? Well, purely personal preference, but I feel like hand-tracing a complicated design helps me understand it better, kind of a dry run for rendering it in thread next. And also drawing those big gnarly teeth is just FUN.

[haruhi1087]

UA Dorms

Ok, first and foremost a huge thank you to my discord ppl for helping me figure this all out and find screenshots because I swear Hori was drunk when he made these dorms and I eventually just gave up, but we did figure a lot out!

So here y’all go. I use this dorm layout for Zero-verse, but not for Last Black because I hadn’t figured it all out by that point.

The Common Area:

The Zero-Verse Room Assignments:

Below the line is my huge rant explaining the dorm layout and why Horikoshi had to be drunk when he made it. Seriously, it’s months later now and I’m still bitter about how long this took to figure out. I hope this post helps all other fic writers and spares y’all the pain we went through.

So let’s start with what we can learn from the outside of the dorms.

Ok, so first off after the third floor the building splits at the front! That’s why when they’d doing their tour they have to go all the way back downstairs after that point and then come back up. Also important are the two doorways! The dorm is split by gender and the two doorways reflect that. However! The boys and girls do not have to enter separate doors and there is no wall downstairs that separates that area by gender. I’ll get to how we know that in a second. First! Here’s the actual dorm layout:

Alright, here’s where that ‘no common area at the front of the building’ becomes important. First off, there are definitely walls here separating the rooms by gender. The fact that there is no middle area on the 4th and 5th floors tells us that Kouda, Jiro, Mineta, Momo, Souji, and Uraraka have to be the ones by the elevators. The elevators have to be able to go up to the fourth and fifth floor, but the front part of the building doesn’t have a common area where the elevators would go. We also have seen the front left and front right and there’s nowhere for an elevator to be. Also yes, those would be split by gender too, and there would be two of them in the back of the building. 

Proof #1 that Hori was Drunk: Mineta’s room. Alright, Mineta *should* be by the elevators because he’s in the back. His room during the dorm tour *is* at the end of a hallway, but that hallway has a blank wall (see below). In addition, the girls very clearly walk away from his room to go to the other end of the hallway in order to go to the elevators, which we can even see. So either this layout is wrong, or the dorm tour is wrong. I chose the dorm tour and think Hori switched it for the “comedic” effect of the girls running from Mineta, which would be harder to do if his room was right next to the elevator.

Alright! Now for the left side, which is the area of the common room that we know the most about.

Alright, presuming that the translator for the manga has the plurals here correct, then the dorms have 1 dining area for everyone, but 2 laundry rooms and 2 baths, presumably split by gender.

In the front left, we have a large sitting area with two couches, four chairs, and one table. Then further back we have the dining area and kitchen, along with two small doorways in the back. I’ll get to those in a second with a closer pic, but for now let’s focus on the sitting area and turn to another pic:

Ok! So where is this in the common area? If you compare the columns, that tells us that those are the same windows as the ones on the left side. The wall/window next to shoji looks a little different than the one in the earlier pic, but honestly that could easily be hori being understandably lazy in a panel with a lot of busy details. That means that this gathering occurs right in front of the dorm’s front doors. Which means that there are no gender separating walls at the front of the common area. In other words, it doesn’t matter which front door the boys and girls use.

Also! We’ve seen most of the front area, and these scenes would take up a huge amount of space. If anyone was holding out for the elevators being up here to make sense of Mineta’s floating room, there’s just not enough space here for elevators.

Now in the Xmas pic we have four couches and two tables, and who knows how many chairs, honestly. It also looks like they’ve gotten a table or two from the dining area to put food on. What’s notable here is that this is double the seating arrangement we had in that left corner. The left corner itself now looks empty except for a christmas tree. The easiest solution for the doubled furniture is that there is a lounge at the front right side that exactly mirrors the lounge on the front left side. They’ve moved all the furniture to the center for a big Christmas party. Yay!

Alright! One mystery solved and we know *something* about the right side of the common area despite the fact that we’ve never seen it in canon. Now for the close up on the other half of the left side:

Alright so we have three tables with four chairs each, letting twelve students eat there at a time. The kitchen is small—there’s no island or anything like that, just the one big counter and shelves. EDIT: @raunchyredriot​ pointed out that we get a better overall pic of the kitchen and tables above in the pic of the full left side, which means this is zoomed in on the island in the upper left and the second row of tables. So the kitchen at least has a sink area, fridge, island, and some cabinets, and the dining area has six tables in three rows, seating 24 students.

Now for the puzzling part—the back doorways and that sound effect at the top. The sound effect is for running on stairs, and we see Deku sprint out a second later. Now Deku would come from the *right* side of the dorms since he’s a guy, not the left, which is what side we have here. That means there is no wall separating guys from girls at the back of the dorms, even though the baths are there. In a western society and with Mineta in the group, that seems like a terrible idea, but it’s honestly fairly common practice in Japan for doorways to be right next to each other like this. That half curtain is also very normal for bath doorways, so that tells us the baths are there, despite the fact that the elevator screenshots from about make it look like the elevators should be moved further inward. *aka Proof that Hori was Drunk #2.*

Now where are the stairs that Deku is running down? My best guess is that they’re at the back of the garden. There’s no room for them anywhere else in the back of the building, so it’s a process of elimination thing.

Which still leaves the elevators and laundry rooms. Now since there are two of those, it doesn’t make sense to put them on the right side, but maybe the translator got it wrong and there is only one laundry room and it’s on the right side. I think it could just as easily be that the laundry rooms are small with stacked washer and dryers on the left side of that small doorway we see on the back left. At the back of that little room would then be the elevators leading up to all the dorm rooms.

Now, things we know about the right side: seating area at the front. Elevators, baths, and laundry in the back (or laundry only on the right and parallel to the dining area). Or maybe two laundry areas and they’re both on the right side, and it just ignores the parallelism of the rest of the building. We also know that the right has no parallel dining area.

What could be there? Maybe a door to the garden. We know the area in the middle of the building is one and someone would have to have access to it to tend the plants, but we see plenty of pictures of the left wall and there’s no door there or at the front. If the stairs are at the back of the garden, there’s either a door at the base of the stairwell or there’s a door on the right side.

Other than that, who knows? Maybe hori will show us one day, but I’m not holding my breath. He doesn’t seem to want to think about the dorm layout too much. For my layout, I put a small gym there because it’s a heroics program and that makes sense to me.

If anyone has other ideas, feel free to reblog and add on to this or to reply and share! And fic writers, feel free to steal my layout :D :D I’m making this post to hopefully spare others the pain of decoding Hori’s mess.

[kickingstonesandbones]

What I’ve gathered from the 3 Episodes bc some of y’all seem confused or asked

Disclaimer: For the past 10+ years, I've made it a hobby of mine to thoroughly analyze fictional characters and plots, so I feel pretty confident in predicting characters. There rarely are plot twists that can surprise me. BUT that is obviously no guarantee that I am absolutely perfect at it and never wrong! Nor do I believe that I am always correct, just quite confident in reading between the lines with characters.

There are some theories and posts I've seen (on different platforms) that, I think, are doing a good job of getting the general gist of stuff, but nonetheless, they all seem to be overlooking minor details that can turn around meanings (like the way Hoshino acts). Also, many of you seem to either be ignoring or unaware of the mindset of older JAPANESE generations (of Insanely Rich Families™).

So yeah, I am just going to put statements/theories I’ve seen and go through them one by one. They’ll be obviously marked, so just read the ones you’re interested in? (Also, I absolutely love a good discourse, so if you have something that would challenge my own theories, or would like to discuss something that I haven’t touched up on in this OR want me to elaborate on something, feel free to comment, reblog, or dm me with your opinion or question! Whatever you’re more comfortable with 😊)

#1 Haru killed the woman. (I see this as a kind of side-comment a lot?)

#2 Hoshino feels 'torn' about Haru. // He has turned cold/harsh towards Haru. // He dislikes Haru now. (Why it’s more complicated than that and also different than you think – explained more lengthily than I intended to, but still shorter than I could’ve lol)

#3 Why that entire first scene in Episode 3 exists.

#4 Because of that scene, WHAT really is Suzue to Daisuke now? (Just brain farts, pls kinda ignore this one haha I just wanted that one theory written down to get back to it)

#5 Older Japanese Generations In General... (aka Daisuke’s behavior in Ep 3 explained)

#6 Daisuke and Haru are NOT as close as some of you might want to believe right now.... Yet, at least. Yet.

Extra: I've seen a post where someone wondered whether Daisuke's and Haru's pasts are somehow connected. (I haven’t seen a single post about the 1998 Files and the Parents in this context, for some reason, and was wondering.)

I’ll put a Read More here because this is going to be long, very long.

#1 Haru killed the woman.

Absolutely not true. (I do see people mention that like “he killed her in self-defense” in case you're thinking "well duh, Sherlock.") Choice of words is ALWAYS important.

In Episode 2 when Haru and Daisuke talk on the stairs, Daisuke relays information about Haru. He says, "you misfired and seriously injured the target" when talking about the reason why Haru is not in First Division anymore.

Now, Daisuke does not seem the type to sugarcoat facts, which means he would not leave out "which resulted in their death" at the end, or just straight up say "you misfired and killed the target." Now, 'seriously injured' means that the woman's life WAS in grave danger and she was close to dying, but she DID NOT DIE in the end. She survived. Being shot in the chest does not mean inevitable death. In fact, you can survive injury to any organ (even the brain) EXCEPT for the stomach (bc inner walls are covered in a protein that protects the stomach from digesting itself -> injury that would let the acid leak from it -> acid will burn away other organs -> you die of multiple organ failure bc you cannot stitch up a stomach)

It hits her in the right side of her chest, maybe even right below the shoulder. It’s hard for me to tell the exact position from the frames. But anyway, it most likely pierced through her right lung, which in itself is already deadly enough. But yeah, she did not die. No one in the anime ever even alludes to it.

I think some people believe he actually accidentally killed the woman because Haru was so devastated by it IMMEDIATELY. No, it wasn’t because of that per se. He was absolutely devastated because he. LOVES. PEOPLE. (As shown by his entire conversation with the boy on the train before he gets off and his faith in the good in people in Ep 3.) And it just left him so shaken that he (seriously) injured an innocent person. (In his eyes innocent because someone who is about to shoot you out of anger/other strong emotions is not necessarily innocent to me but that is an entirely different discussion.) Anyway, I think he was most shocked about the fact that he had pulled the trigger on her out of reflex (because he instinctively knew she WAS going to shoot him DEAD in that moment and his body reacted before he could think about it – as his immediate reaction to shooting her shows).

See the absolute shock in his eyes? Like he only realized what he did right after shooting her. Reflex.

 #2 Hoshino feels 'torn' about Haru. // He has turned cold/harsh towards Haru. // He dislikes Haru now.

Yes, but no. I don't quite agree - and I don't agree mostly with the explanations given why (but also parts of the statements). And the reason for that is simply Hoshino's different facial expressions and exact choice of words in the interactions between them. To me, he seems like the type who would have an indifferent kind of face most of the time since I literally screenshotted every single scene with him (solely for this analysis lol), and he does have variation in expression, but only a little bit most of the time. His feelings are kinda subtle.

But before I explicitly explain what I mean, let me define something. 'Being torn' about something in general means that one cannot decide between two things, mostly two opposite (or at least quite different) things. And since some say Hoshino 'feels torn,' it would mean he would have two opposing feelings towards Haru, which I honestly don't think is true. It is just one very complex feeling that manifested over time.

Let me start by how Hoshino views Haru.

Haru is Hoshino's senior (senpai). Hoshino is Haru's junior (kohai). As we can see in the flashback in Ep 3 on the rooftop, Hoshino admires Haru. Like, this baby has complete and utter admiration in his eyes.

(He likely also thinks in that moment that Haru is insane, but that is besides the point right now.) He admires Haru for being able to do things fearlessly that he hesitates about. He looks like he’d like to be just like Haru as well. He looks up to him.

Then, the incident of Haru shooting the woman happens. Haru leaves the First Division and 'gets demoted' to the MCPTF. The two of them only speak to each other with higher level (distant relationship) honorifics. (I have a point about Hoshino calling Haru senpai in the first episode, but I will get to that.) Why they fell back into stranger honorifics will get more obvious in my second main point.

In the flashback we get in the third episode,

we get a Hoshino who stays on the side, also looking kind of dejected. I do not think that he is disappointed or angry at that moment. He just stares at his senpai in silence. Since he admires Haru so much, I guess he always wanted to be a cop JUST LIKE Haru, so he is... grieving? with Haru. I don't really know how to put it into words, but you could say he is HURTING by seeing his amicable, precious senpai BEATEN. Do not forget that Takei (Haru’s former superior) also puts a reassuring hand on Haru's shoulder. This interaction shows that they DO NOT blame him. (I am saying this bc I've seen people angry about what Hoshino says to Haru in Ep 3, saying "why would he hate him so much now and be so mean" - he doesn't. He absolutely. Does. Not. Hate. Him. He is frustrated and disappointed, but not hateful towards Haru.)

Having explained that, let me get to my first main point here:

I don't think I need to lay out Haru's work ethics for you guys because they're so clearly shown in the anime. So considering those work ethics of his, I truly believe that Haru ASKED to be removed from the First Division (which is why I put gets demoted in '   ' earlier) and be switched to one where he does not need a gun. Hence, he's now in the MCPTF. We do not SEE him getting demoted after that incident, which is why I firmly believe that that was Haru's decision and that he was persistent about it. When he packs up and leaves

he does not seem sour to HAVE to leave the division, but rather that he still seems to dwell over the reason WHY he's packing his stuff up. (You can see turmoil in his eyes. And that he’s lost in thoughts. He seems regretful, but also kind of set on something.) I mean the train scene really shows just HOW MUCH it still affects him

so I am pretty certain that he's thinking about exactly that and that he does not deserve to be a cop because of what he has done in that exact moment, and so on.

My second main point:

My first main point is exactly the reason why I think Hoshino acts the way he does towards Haru. It explains his expression that we see as Haru packs up his stuff.

He does not look angry.

He is hurt. And disappointed.

He feels let down.

In a sense, also betrayed. Like this isn’t reality.

The oh-so-great senpai, whom he has always looked up to all this time, who seemed so amazing, is pulling in his tail between his legs. Giving up. And running away. Just like that. Just because of ONE mistake. One mistake ALL of them probably would've made in that situation if they had been in his shoes. It made him realize that the senpai he had idolized all this time might not be as invincible as he had thought.

And. It. Hurts. Hoshino. To. No. End. (I mean, just zoom in on the pic and look at those eyes.)

I don't think he has ever let Haru know just how hurt he was just watching him leave and accepting the work he'd do in MCPTF (which is literally just desk work and filling in missing men force, as far as we’ve seen), which probably would mean that he let the hurt foster and foster inside of him until it slowly started to turn into coldness/curtness towards Haru. (Also could be that they fought before Haru left, which would also explain some remarks Hoshino makes.) He was hurt, and he somehow needed to show it.

Hoshino looked up to Haru, and was left feeling let down by his former partner. That stings. Deeply.

(I mean you can literally see the small changes in his eyes. His expressions slightly soften and harden. But the words tend to be more direct and harsh. And honestly, that is the result of disappointment and hurt speaking. But nevertheless, he still lets Haru and Kamei listen in (bottom right corner) even though he does look slightly annoyed; probably because he knows that he won’t be able to get rid of them, especially Haru. So the admiration is still there – probably had never left – which can give him moments where he “gives in”. Also, look at the bottom left corner.)

I mean Hoshino probably used to ALWAYS call Haru senpai for a longer period of time because he NEVER ever calls Haru senpai in the anime except for that one time when Haru startled him in the first episode. People in general react out of reflex and instinct whenever they're startled because reflexes and instincts are not a thing your brain CONSCIOUSLY processes. Those are subconscious responses.

If you don’t believe me, here is the other times Hoshino has called Haru – and when he did, it was literally only “Kato-san” (there aren’t a lot of other examples bc he literally only says Haru’s name like four times so far, but when he is NOT surprised, he addresses Haru like this):

(Completely taken aback by Haru just stealing the ear-piece, surprised face, afterwards not even aware that he did call Haru senpai, which he never does again (so far))

Which means Hoshino did not (more like COULD NOT) think about the way he'd call Haru, so that "senpai" slipped past his lips out of pure old habit. (Which goes to show that they used to be really close.) I'm not crying, you are.

.

I also have to bring up that first conversation on the train in Ep 3.

Kato: “That was rather fast.”

Hoshino: “Why are you here?” (he says Kato-san in Japanese, not “you”)

K: “I happened to be on the train. The perp is male. He said he failed the college entrance exam, so his age is somewhere around 19 or 20. I’m guessing he’s from somewhere around Hyogo.”

H: “How do you know-”

K: “I was sitting next to him, until moments ago.”

H: “Any other information?”

K: “No. I only started talking to him when I was close to getting off.”

H: “Understood. We at First Division will be handling this case. Kato-san, please take your leave.”

K: “It’s alright. I’m not a stranger in his light. Let me do it.”

H: “Do you have any authority to be on this crime scene?”

K: “What do you mean?”

H: “Why don’t you ask yourself that question?”

Look exactly at the changes in their eyes in each single picture here. Notice how Hoshino goes from surprised to somewhat indifferent to challenging? Someone might even argue that he looks angry, hostile, or that it’s resentment in his eyes, but considering that he is asking “Why don’t you ask yourself that question?” it is neither of those, because he is challenging Haru to defend himself. But Haru doesn’t answer, and they just stare each other down for a few seconds.

Just by the way Hoshino says it, and the way Haru reacts and how it immediately triggers the flashback/memory afterwards, I think this might actually be something Haru has said TO Hoshino (about himself) back then when Hoshino might've tried to change Haru's mind on leaving the First Division (that he does not deserve to be a cop, investigate crime scenes like that, etc). At least that interaction and just how Haru reacts to it seems to be implying that to me.

I refuse to believe Hoshino did not try at all to persuade and hold back Haru back then (I mean just that pic of Hoshino staring at Haru when he was packing his stuff and leaving the division literally SCREAMS INTO YOUR FACE), so I believe Haru told him at least SOMEWHAT how he feels about the whole thing, and I think Haru probably definitely said something along those lines. Like, he “did not deserve to investigate crime scenes LIKE THAT” (I mean the trauma and the train scene are literally the same hostage scenario with the culprit having a firearm (even if the kid's was a model gun and not real)) nor that he “deserved to be a cop any longer (because cops wouldn’t hurt the innocent).” He might’ve said something like that to Hoshino, which only frustrates and disappoints the latter further.

So in this complicated mess, what is it that Hoshino is actually feeling? That mixture of hurt, disappointment, betrayal and being let down has manifested itself into frustration. Hoshino is frustrated with Haru.

He’ll probably explode (in Haru’s face) at some point in the anime, too.

(I think Hoshino is an interesting character.)

#3 Why that entire first scene in Episode 3 exists

I was so confused about that scene in the beginning and had to check whether I WAS actually watching the third episode lol

The main thing I get from it is that it's entirely about INFORMATION. That is probably entirely because the Hong Kong episode got deleted and instead we'll get that in a drama CD? In Hong Kong, Haru probably would've learned that HEUSC is an AI butler, not a real one, and how to use him. (Among other things.) I mean, he somehow needs to first get to learn about HEUSC before he can use him for the whole train scenario later in the episode? And that hadn't been done yet, and probably would've happened in Hong Kong, but we aren't getting that in the anime so that information needed to be given another way. Which is probably why that first scene even exists. If anyone knows well about script writing for that and how that in general works, and knows more about this, please let me know, I am interested in learning lmao

#4 Because of that scene, WHAT really is Suzue to Daisuke now?

I do not want anyone to comment that it was confirmed that they are siblings or some shit. NOTHING has been confirmed. She still could be his wife. She also just could be his sister. Or a cousin. We will get to know eventually, but as of right now, NOTHING AT ALL HAS BEEN CONFIRMED. REMEMBER THAT, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU HATE IT.

I, in general, do not really care for ships. So idgaf if she is his sister or wife, but I DO have a theory of my own. And it is all because of how Daisuke's grandmother introduced herself.

DAISUKE'S grandmother. Not THEIRS. Not Daisuke's AND Suzue's grandmother. ONLY Daisuke's.

So this either means a harsh canon awakening for shippers, or it MIGHT mean something entirely else. (And I have 3 points to make here.)

(1) That she does not accept Suzue as a grandchild. Now, she did not look like she harbors resentment towards Suzue and wished she wasn't present at all or didn't exist. Buuuuut.... Suzue might be an illegitimate grandchild? Like, I know that sounds wild, but hear me out.

Children sometimes look more like one parent rather than the other (or a parent’s side). Sometimes, not always, but often enough. Animes in general do not make love interests or parents look almost identical. (But then again, you could never know with the devs of this one lmao) Soooo... It could be that they either look like their father, or their mother. And the respective parent had an affair, resulting in Suzue. And why I believe it would be Suzue, if one of them actually would be the illegitimate child? Because she is younger than Daisuke, and the way the grandmother treats HIM. (Honestly, if Daisuke would be the illegitimate child, 1. Grandma wouldn't claim him 2. Why would the other parent stick around for two more years to have another child with a cheater?) Which could be why - considering the mindset of older Japanese generations - why she only introduced herself as Daisuke's grandmother. And also why she is so immensely strict with him. In her eyes, he would be the only heir to the family. So she has to raise him to be a responsible man whom she can hand over the company to with peace of mind.

(2) Daisuke and Suzue are actually married. So get over it in this case. (And don't you DARE hate on a great character (again) because of that, otherwise I'll only refer to ya'll as salty hoes from them on.)

(3) We all (read: I) might be interpreting too much into it and it literally means nothing at all, and she just introduced herself that way because they were going to talk about Daisuke because of his new work place and since Daisuke and Haru are partners. For this case, I already have my wig, red nose, and make up ready 🤡

If I am being honest, (1) does not seem too likely to me – just something I randomly thought of. I actually think it’s just simply (3). But I am presenting it for the VERY small chance that (1) could actually be true lmao I bet I will cringe hard at it later

Highly likely: Since Haru would be more involved with Daisuke than Suzue because of work, it could be that she just found it more logical to introduce herself as his grandma, rather than theirs, so yeah… like I’ve said, these are just brain farts and I just wanted to have them written down lol

EDIT: I’ve been made aware that there seems to be an error in the translation. Since it is too much of a pain to add even more pics on mobile, I will just relay the information of the tweet. You can find the link to the tweet in the comments though. My Japanese isn’t that great, so I am dependent on the translation, so errors can occur, which makes me happy when people point something like this out to me. Basically, what Kikuko is actually saying in Japanese is that she’s the grandma, but she leaves out the pronouns - therefore not really saying whose grandma she is - so it could refer to both of them. Like I said, (1) doesn’t seem likely to me anyway lol

#5 Older Japanese Generations In General...

Are strict. Are very conservative. Especially insanely rich families like the Kambe's. Kikuko is NOT strict with him because she has a bad personality or because she is inherently mean or something. (Though she does seem to consider him a bit irresponsible because she calls him selfish)

(Also notice how she asks “so hasn’t he” instead of “he hasn’t been, has he?” which means she always expects him to cause trouble for everyone. This goes to show that Daisuke can never do enough or do good enough for her, which also explains his character a bit since his grandma took care of him since his parents died, but my point here is not to analyze his entire behavior.)

The Japanese have a culture of respect. Respect your elders. Unconditionally. And grandparents of insanely rich families like Daisuke's also demand respect, which means not talking back, or DISOBEYING THEIR ORDERS. Which brings me to the next point (for which I have written this one because y’all might be misinterpreting Daisuke’s behavior, which is exactly what I meant in the beginning with “ignoring or being unaware of the mindset of older Japanese generations”)...

#6 Daisuke and Haru are NOT as close as some of you might want to believe right now.... Yet, at least. Yet.

Sorry to burst the bubbles.

I see everyone going on about them now being partners, and Daisuke trusting his life with Haru’s judgement.

The second part, yes… kinda at least.

The first? Not so much.

Let me talk about the first half of the sentence first. Like the point before this clarifies – unconditional, non-questioning respect, and no disobedience. Which means that Daisuke would NOT go against the orders of his grandmother. By helping Haru with that case and listening to him, being coached, is literally just him obeying Kikuko. (He might also think that it would be better to just follow before Haru rats him out to his grandma for a second time.)

(I do bet though that that will soon change and be genuine!)

Now, with the part about trusting his life to Haru’s judgement… I am not sure whether I can properly explain this the way I mean it, so I just hope it will make sense. I think Daisuke kind of trusted Haru’s judgement on the boy, but also trusted his own judgement just a little more than that. I think he just made logical deductions from what he witnessed inside (reported that a person was down and that they were probably killed by the boy, then it turns out he is doing all that for his sister’s surgery, then it turns out that gun is not real (after causing a distraction) and nobody is actually injured, but then he gets his hand on a real gun (Hoshino’s) and points it their direction in a panic, and Daisuke notices Haru cannot shoot the boy, so he deducts that if the boy knows that his sister will be safe, he will calm down and the situation will be completely de-escalated, so he steps forward and states he will pay for it (he does not really care about spending money as we all know lol) and stands with confidence because he knows flinching or getting nervous – or even blinking – would make it look like a lie and he would definitely NOT want that). Does this make sense? Like, Daisuke is such a calm and collected person, I doubt he would just absolutely BLINDLY jump into something because of someone else’s judgement BEFORE making sure that their judgement is correct by his own observation of the situation, which would be why he stayed behind Haru and just observed until a certain point where he was absolutely certain that it would be safe to do so.

Though what that DOES mean though would be that Daisuke would probably trust Haru’s judgement without being too skeptical about it soon. (I feel like this might’ve been that part in the Episode 3 Hong Kong PV 3 where a person (looks A LOT like Daisuke, so I’ll just assume it was him) was cuffed and Haru comes to the rescue. It might’ve been that Haru judged that person who ended up doing this to Daisuke to be shady, but Daisuke went ahead anyway and got himself in trouble, which was why he ended up cuffed to something, or something of that sort that would show Daisuke Haru’s judgement can be trusted.) [Edit: I used this simply as a theorizing example of how this could be done in another way with a scene that actually DOES exist (though we won’t be seeing that in the anime anymore it is still canon material) instead of having to make something up, and Hong Kong was just a good example to further show my point.]

Extra: I've seen a post where someone wondered whether Daisuke's and Haru's pasts are somehow connected.

In short: Yes, I think so.

In long: (This theory might be a far reach hahah)

The first time we see Haru enter the office of his division, he is carrying files.

'Unsolved Case Files 1998,' it specifically reads. We know Daisuke's parents have died and he says “it was in Japan” when that one day turned his life around (though we do not have any indication of year yet). I assume they were killed (and that it wasn’t an accident at all) and it is the true reason why he came back to Japan (even though yeeeaaars later bc he needed to be trained)

and why he specifically asked to be in the MCPTF BECAUSE Haru is in it (I’ll explain why soon), instead of the First or Second Division - as the superintendent general had suggested for him to be put into, which resulted in Daisuke declining the offer.

But we don't know much about Haru's family. Actually, NOTHING AT ALL. Now, I think that his parents are dead as well, and that their deaths are connected to Daisuke's parents' deaths. The fact that Haru looks through cold cases (or well, at least old cases), which is only briefly shown by showing the files he carried in the first episode, most likely is meant to be some "foreshadowing/hidden info given” kind of thing. Haru is possibly investigating his parents' (or at least a loved one's) death. His parents' death (if none of his parents were police officers themselves and therefore influenced him in that way) is possibly also the reason Haru became a police officer in the first place (even though he tells Daisuke that it is simply to "nab criminals," maybe specifically the criminals who have to do with that?).

Now, I said before that Daisuke asked to be in the same Division as Haru, not the MCPTF (though he names the division, not Haru’s name but you'll know why I'm saying that by the end of this. I don’t think he has immense interest in the division itself but WHO is IN IT). In the second episode, we get to know that Daisuke has a lot of information about Haru. During the case of Isezaki, we get to know during the interrogation that Daisuke obtains information about a person by having HEUSC scan a person's documentation item

or simply by asking HEUSC. 

We never see him doing that with Haru though (I also seriously doubt Haru would hand him any kind of ID, especially in the beginning lol), which brings me to the point that Daisuke probably already had obtained all of Haru's information before he had arrived in Japan; or maybe at the latest after the Bridge incident though I am pretty certain it was BEFORE arriving in Japan, just that maybe he didn’t know the face? Or maybe he even knew the face but didn’t care. (He probably knew more than just about the trauma and why Haru left the First Division, but Haru did not let him speak any further in that scene. It is unclear though, whether Daisuke would've kept talking or that being all of the information he would have delivered in that moment.)

Because Daisuke might already know from the start that their pasts are connected, while Haru is oblivious to it.

So, Daisuke wants to solve the murder of his parents, and he might think that the key to solving it might be by being around someone/doing it with someone who is also connected to it.

(I have no clue whether I am still making sense bc I haven’t slept and worked on this all night, going through the episodes again and again and at this point I am just extremely tired lol)

Like, I know by the fact that we are only 3 Episodes in that this might sound like a far reach BUT I seriously would not be surprised by this. The thing about storytelling is that at one point you would need to introduce the Motive™ of the story. Since animes have very limited time to tell the story in only 20 minutes, at least ALMOST everything in an episode sooner or later needs to give us that information; and honestly? They could’ve started this anime in ANY other way, but they chose to start by Daisuke telling us about his parents. And I honestly just think that it would be odd if that is not of greater importance in the whole story, so I think that that might be the motive that should be revealed within the first half of the anime. The devs seem like the kind of people who would give small hints for something like this (Daisuke’s parents, the 1998 Files) throughout the entire show and then SLAP it into the face of the ones who are unsuspecting in the second half of the anime, ESPECIALLY since they are so secretive with everything lmao I love them.

I am going to bed now, I’m so fucking tired lol

August 3, 2020

[chromatic-lamina]

I know, I know. It seems like Jora’s been dressing Law lately. I’m still not sure if he’s meant to look like a nicely fashioned Hermès scarf—the kind that Ladies of Leisure purchase for far too much for far too little—or whether it’s some kind of shout-out to Demeter or some other harvest god(dess). 

Probably not three sheaves of wheat or barley at all in that design, but I’d like to know the story behind that seeming jumble of styles. 

Bepo, no doubt, threw the haori? jacket? (it’s not a cape) over his shoulders, so that he didn’t get himself ensnared in a labyrinth of Bacchanal (okay, okay, Dionysian) promise, or some intellectual Cubist chit-chat with Gertrude Stein and co in a Parisian salon, and  I’m sure there’s a lot I’m missing.

Just in case your eyes weren’t kind of jigsawed, not knowing whether to look background, foreground, at Law’s shapely legs, or at the ink on his fingers, his chest jolly roger jumps into the fray as well.  Well, wherever Law goes Cora goes too, and that guy had some interesting fashion choices.

Sorry designers. Sorry story behind the kimono.  I’m happy to learn and I love the movement and set of the piece. Ah well, can’t win ‘em all. And so much art was influenced by Japanese design in the first place, so it’s probably a full circle and, again, I’m just showing my ignorance.

Anyhoo, I picked up these clear files (the pictures above) from the local 7/11 as part of the One Piece Day merch. promotions which I think started August 8, or maybe a bit earlier. And this cup (below), which’ll probably be good for holding a little bit of wine. Though this pic (taken from the net) is actually bigger than the cup (even after I reduced it. Resizing means nothing to tumblr).

Funniest thing was both the shop assistant and I ain’t what you’d call young and I do try to keep my OP obsession under the radar IRL, but sometimes I can’t pass up the merch. She asks me if I like Law (and do I what!), and pulls out the clear file of Ace and tells me that he’s her favourite. And then Shanks. Well, Oda’s older than Franky and younger than Doctor Kureha too, so are the voice actors, and it’s not really so surprising that someone in their 20s might have liked One Piece in 1997 if people in their 20s like it now. 

I’m totally busted, though. Probably the OP chocolates I bought last year gave me away (that’s them in their box in the shop. I didn’t buy the box).

This is Ace’s clear file, btw. The files are cute. There are 10 sets with two files, and one has an adult OP character with their child self, and  the 2nd file displays the Wano, One Piece Day, designs of that character. 

Oh, there’s no Wano design for Ace 😢(the second clear file of his pack appears to be the design released on OP day of all the characters, and I don’t think Ace was part of that, though Sabo was (so Sabo gets both designs).

The last two images are from the net. Robin shares with Brook, and child Brook y’all!  also very cute. And Chopper with Franky. If you open that image in a new page, it’s not necessarily clearer, but you can zoom in.

Oda knows his market and it seems to be everyone.

[tellywoodtrash]

immj2 18.12.20 lb

hey, less talking, more “climaxing”, buddy boy. put your errrrr..... mouth where the ......... 5 crore is? idk man, i just want them to fuck.

as hot as these two are, boy oh boy, i would not wanna be riddhima rn, sandwiched in between these absolute fucking haraamis.

ugh naach gaana time. have to switch to a whole other low-quality video to watch the thing with the song. ouff. fucking voot.

ok forget what i said before. i wanna be sandwiched. i wanna be sandwiched!!!!!!!!!!! LET ME BE THE CHEESE IN THIS HOTASS SANDWICHHHHHHH, YOU RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING FUCKERS!!!!!! WHITE SHIRTS FOLDED UP TO THE ELBOW IS MY FUCKING KRYPTONITEEEEEE.

but also asdkljfldjflkjflskdjflk kabir’s confidence striding into this couple dance is just..............goals. fuck, life mein itna confidence chahiye. idhar main couple’s dance hi na karoon apne pati ke saath, let alone cut into ANOTHER COUPLE’S DANCE.

anyway the dancing is real awkward. every single one of them looks ridiculous. this is just a fucking ridiculous situation on the whole. i can’t believe the rest of the fam is just standing there watching this. i hope they all have a healthy amount of booze in them, coz i’m literally dying of cringe here watching this sober.

they’re playing V’s statement to R, and his EXACT words are “flying dance matlab tumhe mujhe apni baahon mein lena hoga” and LMAO WHAT IF THE CONDITION IS THAT SHE BE THE ONE THAT CATCHES *HIM* AS HE LEAPS INTO *HER* ARMS!?!?!!?!!?!? NOW THERE’S A SCENE I’D LIKE TO SEE: 5-FEET-ON-HER-TALLEST-DAY HELLY, HOLDING 6 AND A HALF FOOT RRAHUL UP ALOFT, DIRTY DANCING STYLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you might even say..... that i’ll......... have the time of my lifeeeeeeeee........ watching it????

anyway, sis decides to go for it. coz i guess she’s still below 28, where you can make these kinda sudden movements and still be totally fine. i sleep funny for a one hour nap and i can’t move the rest of the day without groaning.

well damn. y’all really need to get a room. AND DO SOMETHING IN THAT ROOM OTHER THAN BICKER. I MEAN, DO THAT TOO, BUT LIKE, WHILE DOING OTHER STUFF. IT’S CALLED MULTITASKING!

anyway she’s like happy now, patrick swayze ki chhattiiii aulaad? now just stopppppppppp kabir from fucking shit uppppppp.

kabir has started speechin’. i’m too busy looking at vishal’s neck and chest tho. mmmmmmmmmhmmm they need to keep him in this shirt forever and ever and ever. THIS NEEDS TO BE THE UNIFORM OF THIS SHOWWWWWWWWWW FOR ALL THE MENNNNNN.

where the fuck he get baby pics and shit of riddhima from????

LMAO THERE’S ALSO A PICTURE OF THE BOL NA HALKE HALKE SEQUENCE. KABIR IS ONE OF THOSE INCEPTION WAALE BHAIYYAS OR WHAT, KI RIDDHIMA KE DREAM SEQUENCE MEIN GHUS KE PHOTU LE LIYA/?????

Chehre Appreciation Break.

dikhaaa di photo manhoos ne.

K soap style triple zooms into everyone’s face as shock and disbelieffffffffffffffffffff.

kabir speeching some more about how this isn’t vansh and ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh who even is listening to this shit? not me. i’m just here admiring vishal.

V slowwwwwwwwly but surely losing his shit vansh style is really getting me excited. it’s like watching the hulk morph.

ofc everyone is YET againnnnnnn jumping on the bandwagon and like omgggg this isn’t vanshhhhhhhhh. ISHANI, TUM BHI????? AFTER ACCUSING ANGRE OF HAVING TRUST ISSUES JUST HOURS AGO FOR NOT BELIEVING THIS IS VANSH???? BEHEN, KUCH TOH CONSISTENCY RAKHOOOOOOOOOO.

omg its happening its happening V about to hulk smashhhhhhhhhhhh

YISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS KYA PHENKA!!!!! SSO KA PHONE PHENKNA YAAD AA GAYAAAA BHAI WAAAAAH!!!!!!

lol the way he chabaofied out “HALFFFFFFFFFFFF BROOOOO”

YOU GET AN ENVELOPE, AND YOU GET AN ENVELOPE, AND YOUUUUU GET ONE!!!!!!!!!!!! EVERYONE GETS AN ENVELOPE!!!!!!!

lmao V’s spent some time on photoshop, stealing pics from everyone’s instagrammmmmmmmmm.

anyway, he’s like i guess you’re alllllllll doppelgangers then. fuck you idiots, how many fucking times i gotta prove to you guys that i’m me. this is the stupidest fucking bullshit i have ever had to deal with in my life, and trust me, I HAVE DEALT WITH A LOT OF STUPID FUCKING BULLSHIT OVER THE YEARS THANKS TO YOU PEOPLE.

which phewwwwwwwww, is a wholeass Eldest Tellywood Son Mood. someone please take all these boys and give them a socially distant vacation from their fuckup families. they really need it.

lmao he called kabir a bewakoof police officer again. every time V calls K a dumbass, riddhima probably has a mini-orgasm.

sis like omg, it vansh????? it sounds and acts like vansh?!?!?! babe, dimaag ki nahi toh at least listen to your pussy *cough WHOSAIDTHAT cough* heart that’s telling you it’s vansh.

ok he’s started throwing shit around now and bro, those are HER birthday gifts, not YOURS to trash like this.

he’s literally going up to every single one of them and growling at them ki LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND TELL ME WHO I AM and everyone’s fuckingggggggggggg terrified and saying it’s you vansh, you’re vansh, you’re our vansh!!!!!! lmaoooooo amazing.

“tumhe mein sab mein shaamil nahi kar sakta, kyunki kabir ne dono hi scenarios mein tumhe mera partner bana diya. lekin phir bhi riddhima, kya lagta hai tumhe; kaun hoon mein? jis vansh ko tumne almost kho diya, kya wohi laut ke aaya hai, ya koi aur?”

wifey like ofccccc it you, boo thang. (NOW IF ONLY YOU COULD CONVINCE YOURSELF OF THAT, SIS.)

slowwwwwwwwww turn. whenever he does this, you should run. coz he’s coming for the jugular.

one “SAY MY NAME BITCHHHHHHHHH” chunauti here also. and what else to say but................

“tum hi asli vansh ho.”

‘LOUDER YOU STUPID FUCK, AS LOUD AS YOUR DUMBASS ACCUSATIONS WERE.’

bulwa hi diya, lol.

dadi like aaj ke baad no one is to talk about this dumbfuckery again. you hear meeeeee???? sure dadi. sure. they should listen to you and keep mum for about.......... 3 days? next week, yehi baasi raita phailna hai.

riddhima putting some shuddh desi ghee in this aag saying kabir should at least apologize na??? and dadi is demanding that chotuuuuu maangofy maafi from bhaiyya.

LMAO WHAT TYPICAL BROTHERS. IF DADI WASN’T HERE, THESE TWO WOULD BE SORTING THIS OUT THE WAY REAL BROTHERS DO. (*fondly remembers the dangal the oBros had in the redux IN THIS VERY LIVING ROOM, and sighs happily*)

dadi’s like that’s enough for all you degenerates. go the fuck to sleep. now.

oh they gonna fuck. they gonna fuck real hard tonight.

not the face i’d be making at that prospect; but, oh well, not everyone’s a thirstyass ho like me.

[tirednotflirting]

before the day begins - c.h.

apparently i am physically incapable of writing things other than fluff while locked away in my apartment so here is like a part 3 to that? (one more and we have a full set, y’all)

again, it’s been such a joy to be around this corner of the internet when the whole world feels a little scary (i have officially hit one month in my quarantine thing and i need normal human interaction like crazy)

so pls enjoy some morning calum fluff featuring everyone’s favorite Hood, coffee in bed (everything I write has a coffee-ish theme sorry not sorry), and a rainstorm (aka the morning of my dreams)

thnx to @castaway-cashton​ for the pic and taking a look at this for me hehe <3

wc: ~1.1k

their days always started with coffee in bed. she drank from a mug decorated with her university’s logo, he drank from a mug for one of the dozens of radio stations the band had sat down at over the years. she took hers with sugar and a splash of cream, his was usually black (unless he was hungover, then he would take it like she did to avoid adding an extra bitter taste to his mouth). 

they would wake up at around 8. it was a respectable time to be getting up but it was mostly because duke, their living alarm clock, would start yipping from the floor beneath the bed (too far of a jump for the tiny dog). typically they would both get up then (one of them sometimes needing some encouraging kisses to cheeks and pouty, sleepy lips as motivation to start seeing the day).

she would head to the kitchen to set the water to boil for a pour over, he would follow the little dog running through the house to the back door, his phone in hand to check for any emails that would require his attention already. 

she had been making the coffee the entire time they were shacked up together. she liked the process. she liked that it was something that required her to take her time, to move slowly. before she was doing all of her class work from her boyfriend’s dining room, coffee was a part of the routine but it was one she rushed through, always practically tossing the plastic pod into a machine before shoving a to-go mug below the spout. once she wasn’t on any time constraint, she had called ashton one morning to watch how he made his coffee over facetime. she had been mimicking the methodology for the month she had been here and figured if there was any good to come out of this, her new morning brew might just be that. 

she was usually done making their coffee before he was done with duke and his emails. the first time she stayed the night, long before she had moved in for the lockdown, she had observed him following this routine. it was the first time the true nature of his job struck her. she had been baffled that someone would have so much that required their attention before 10am but it made sense when someone was an international rock star (a name he always pretended he didn’t love hearing fall from her lips). while he normally would have taken care of the messages in bed, one hand on the handle of his coffee, the other tapping at his phone while she rested her head on his bicep, they had agreed that work in all its forms needed to stay out of the bedroom. to have some semblance of a work/life balance given the state of the world.

she held one mug in each hand and placed them on their respective bedside tables once back in the bedroom on the far end of the house. she heard a roll of thunder outside, shortly followed by the pattering of duke’s paws and the closing of the back door across the house. calum, still only in the sweatpants he had thrown on before following the old dog to the backdoor, wandered back towards the right side of the bed, leaving his phone on the table, and crawled back under the fluffy gray duvet. he picked up his mug and took a long sip from the warm (and today bitter) drink. he then sat up some so he could lean over and press his lips to the pair of expecting ones beside him. he noted the sweetness on hers that lacked from his own. 

‘sounds like someone is gonna have to work inside today,’ she mused as another clap of thunder sounded above the house. her free hand not holding her mug moved to play with his fluffy, bleached bed head. 

‘yeah,’ he yawned before taking another sip and continuing. ‘that first one made duke jump so much he nearly fell in the pool.’ 

the tiny dog got up at the sound of his name, the tags on his collar jingling together, and she giggled. calum reached down towards the floor and lifted duke onto the bed, territory usually not allowed for the pup. 

‘got anything exciting coming up today, love?’ he asked her as duke settled into a ball at the end of the bed. she scooted closer to her human space heater as she felt the chill of the A/C kicking on, his arm moving to wrap around her. she felt him playing with the end of the braid she had slept in as she thought through her schedule for the day. 

‘jenna sent me over an edit of her paper to read through before she sends it off to publishing, might zoom for a bit to chat about that,’ she lifted the mug to her lips for a moment. ‘should probably call my mom, need to finish the last chapter of that novel for class. nothing crazy. what about you, handsome?’

she twisted her body so her legs fall across his lap beneath the covers, his arm falling from her shoulder to rest at her waist as she let her head fall against the cushion of the headboard. ‘merch people are sending over a few boxes of things to be signed so i think i’m gonna FaceTime the guys and work through some of that. tour folks wanna have another meeting where we get no answer on the state of said tour,’ he shrugs while downing the last of his mug, leaning over to set it on the bedside table. ‘also nothing crazy.’

she shifts out of his hold to lean across to the opposite end side of the bed to leave her own empty mug to rest on the matching table. duke waddles his way up the bed to rest his head against her lap after she’s returned to her previous position. ‘can i get a cuddle with my boys for a bit then before we have to start the day?’

a smile spreads across calum’s cheeks, his eyes still soft from sleep that hasn’t been washed away by the morning caffeine yet. he looks down to the sweet girl resting her head against his chest and wonders for a moment how he got so lucky as to not be all on his own with the world in the state that it is. ‘of course, darling. always.’

[prepsterlibrarian]

Dior, Darlings

So I’m not even getting paid to say this (which is a crying shame), but if anyone finds themselves even REMOTELY near Texas before September 1st, you simply must visit the Dallas Museum of Art to check out Dior: From Paris to the World. It’s absolutely incredible. My sister and I met up this weekend to go and I’ll be honest, I’m surprised they even let me in considering all the drooling I was doing.

And y’all, I tried. I really did. I was gonna historian the bejeezus out of this and study the context of Dior’s rise as a fashion designer from like, books and stuff. But here is an actual quote from The History of International Fashion by Didier Grumbach, which I’d got at the library: “The 1973 numbers included what Dior called indirect turnover, or revenues generated by the sale of licensed goods: couture creation 18 per cent, men’s ready-to-wear 5 per cent, women’s secondary diffusion lines and ready-made men’s collections 3 per cent, accessories 36 per cent.” And the whole book is like that (or at least, the ten or so chapters I got through before I gave up). I’m not a numbers girl, friends. The historian-ing was a bust. I decided to wing it.

Y’all. Y’ALL. I couldn’t. I can’t. As something of a brand-whore, I was in heaven, surrounded by some of the most luxurious history modern Western society has to offer.

And so, my dears, follow me as I recreate my journey with studiously average photos from the exhibition. Do try to keep up.

So I’m a bad fashion historian, fueled by social anxiety. There was a line of folks behind me and I panicked and rushed on without getting a picture of only the most iconic and original Dior look. But my sister did (kind of), and it’s that one in the bottom left hand corner with the white jacket and strange bucket hat, known as the Bar Suit. The 1920’s-30’s had seen women in relatively shapeless dresses, those favored by the infamous flappers. Later, out of necessity during the Great Depression, people had bigger things to worry about than spending a bazillion hours fitting and hand stitching a stylish dress for the thirties equivalent of brunch. They were literally wearing burlap sacks.

In the late 1940’s, Dior decided a return to a celebration of femininity was in order because, duh. His designs, dubbed “The New Look,” featured understated shoulder pads to accentuate thin, tailored waists, and full skirts. The overall effect was a subtly exaggerated tracing of the female form, emphasizing the areas that are categorically lady-esque. And people went nutso for it.

Dior famously called his studio the “Office of Dreams.” (And let’s be real, if anyone NOT famous called their office that, we’d all think it was stupid and self-indulgent. You know you would.) Once he had completed a design, it would be mocked up in cotton muslin. Because, y’know, it’s less expensive to mess up cotton than silks and furs. Anywho, this pic shows those mock ups and it was super tight.

So then we started getting into the progression of the house under it’s different directors. Remember that whole bad fashion historian thing where it’s me? Yeah, I didn’t take pictures of the first two designers, including the goddamn founder himself, and his immediate successor, the little known and widely unnoticed YVES SAINT LAURENT. I warned y’all there would be a learning curve.

BUT it’s whatever because check out this absolutely glorious skirt suit! I died. It was designed in the eighties by Marc Bohan, who took over after Laurent, and can you just imagine walking into a board meeting wearing that? This is what a power suit looks like, ladies.

Okay, so next up to bat was Gianfranco Ferré, and everyone was mad shook because he was an Italian heading up one of the most venerable French haute couture fashion houses. And boy, was he Italian. This fella brought the extra to Dior. Just look at that red dress. It looks like the 1600’s exploded all over an unsuspecting modern gown.

Look, I know John Galliano is a dick of the highest order. Anti-Semitism is never acceptable. And for those in the back, ANTI-SEMITISM IS NEVER ACCEPTABLE. But boy howdy, could that man make drama look classy. He had this crazy ability to blend elegance and tradition with just the right amount of excess. So your first reaction is, “Calm down, sir!” But your second reaction is, “…actually, I’d totally wear that.”

I wasn’t super into Raf Simons, the guy who followed Galliano. Like he was fine, but not really my jam, and the only pics I got of his stuff are grainy because I zoomed in too much. So, moving on to the current head of Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri. The first woman to head the house and dear God, it’s about time. She’s definitely not afraid to be provocative, utilizing Dior as a platform for her activism. And I’m here for it.

This post is already way too damn long, so the rest of my photos are just below in a gallery-style thing with my timeless witticisms as captions.

Enjoy the fashion feast, my doves.

I get it, I know, I understand that this has Handmaids Tale written all over it. But also, doesn’t it look so cozy? I’d wear that to HEB in a heartbeat.

Okay, let’s take a moment to process what we have here. Traditional, original Dior, moving onto Molly Ringwald-esque I’m-not-actually-trying-to-look-good-I’m-wearing-a-sweatshirt-around-the-waist-of-this-beautiful-dress-because-I’m-not-like-other-girls, and then just THIS. IS. DIOR. And then some courier from a different house is forced into a Walmart dress. Or some other awful haute couture punishment.

If you put a gun to my head and told me I had to articulate why I love that awful, Neapolitan ice cream, Eiffel Tower coat at the very top, you would have to shoot me. I don’t know why. I just do.

I mean, I dunno. Sure, I guess.

Now this one is insanely impressive to me. All of that stuff on the dress that looks like fabric? Wrong. It’s beads. Millions and millions of tiny beads. I tried to get a close up for y’all, but it came out all blurry and the ladies behind us were getting pushy.

I was kinda annoyed (in the most first world problems ever, kind of way) that they would occasionally put the really dramatic and elaborate dresses near the back. But I took a pic anyway, because damn. Look at that glorious hot mess.

I had to include this pic for you guys. My mandate demanded it.

“The Dior Gauntlet” as my sister dubbed it.

Bonus art photo!

I loved this statue. This lady is mood. “Excuse you?”

Until next time, mes amis.

Bises,

Moi

[ibs-amongstotherthings]

Back from Holidayyyy

Okay I got back to my flat like an hour ago and I just finished demolishing a pizza because ya girl hasn’t eaten all day.

Bulgaria. Was. Amazing. I was in Sunny Beach which a lot of people describe as kind of like Vegas or Ibiza. I was a little nervous at first because honestly that sounds like my worst nightmare. I’m not a nightlife kinda person. But it was actually really fun. My hotel had a pool and was literally less than a minute walk to the beach (picture below of the view from my balcony, no zoom). So I got there on Tuesday late afternoon so I just went to the pool for a bit and had an early night since I’d been up since 4am. Wednesday it was raining most of the day so I booked myself a massage. Y’all. That was the first massage I’d ever had. It was so nice. I was a little worried because I bruise easily and I’m super ticklish and this was full body, but the ticklish parts didn’t last long. My back hurt a little bit the next day where she went extra hard but that’s okay. Anyways, Wednesday I did that and painted my nails and did a face mask and had some wine by the beach during a break in the rain. Just a nice little spa day. Thursday I really just went between the pool and the beach. The ocean was sooo nice but the beach was super crowded and I kinda hate sand. The pool was obviously sand free and less crowded but the water was absolutely freezing. So I just switched between them for the day. And obviously filled up on tequila sunrises. Friday I finally left Sunny Beach to go explore the Old Town of Nessebar. It’s a UNESCO Heritage Site and so so cute (picture below!) and I took the bumpiest water taxi ever. After that I just went back to the pool because it was so hot out.

Today I flew back and honestly the Burgas airport is the most chaotic but weird place I’ve ever been. In the same shop I bought the world’s ugliest shirt (you bet your ass I’m gonna wear the fuck outa that. pic below!), my mom’s Christmas present, and peach Fanta (!!!). Also for less than 20 euros. 

Okay so food wise it wasn’t the best. Since I was doing all inclusive at my hotel, I mostly ate there. The food I did have was amazing, but there really wasn’t much without meat or mushrooms. I ate a ton of chips (fries), lots of rice with veggies, some polenta, a weird quiche thing that wasn’t fantastic, some pasta and lots of watermelon. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m kind of tired of carbs. I really want a smoothie now. Just something that won’t sit like a rock in my tummy. I didn’t react badly to any foods, though, so that’s good.

View from my balcony! The pool goes horizontally under that brown walkway, and then obviously you can see how close the beach is.

Nessebar!!! So cute. I don’t know what this building is but it was v pretty.

And finally, I present to you the ugly shirt. Straight out of 2002.

[onechelofanadventure]

I get a lot of questions on Instagram and my blog about what camera I use and how I take all my travel photos, so I thought I’d lay out all my gear for y’all!

Camera

Canon Rebel T2i

First off, I absolutely love this camera. I’ve had it for almost 8 years now (the link above and pic below is the newest version) and have never had an issue! It’s not the fanciest camera Canon makes by far, but it’s definitely a great model and gets the job done for me. A con is that it’s not the easiest to use in manual, but takes great photos in the automatic modes, making it a good choice for beginners.

Lenses

When is comes to DSLR cameras, it’s all about the lenses. I have 4 lenses for my camera and an additional fisheye/macro attachment. 

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Zoom Lens

This lens is great for everyday use, is super versatile, and good in most situations. This has been my go-to lens for years. Below are pictures that were taken with it:

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens

This is a long telephoto lens and has fantastic zoom capabilities! It’s great for capturing things really far away and creating a lovely depth of field. I use this for wildlife or getting fine details.

Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Pancake Lens

This 40 mm pancake lens goes all the way down to an f 2.8 so creates a great blurred background for portraits:

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Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Wide Angle Lens

A wide angle lens is essential for travel! I use the Canon EF-S 10-18mm and it takes really great landscape photos, I used it a lot on my trip to New Zealand and The Great Ocean Road.

Wide Angle Conversion Lens with Macro Close-Up Attachment

The Macro and wide angle/fisheye lens attachment just screws on to the end of my other lenses. To be honest, I don’t use these all that much, but, they can create some cool, artsy effects.

Camera Bag

Pacsafe Camsafe V17 Anti-Theft Camera Backpack

I am super excited to share this one with yall! I just recently got this Pacsafe Camsafe Backpack and am loving it! It is perfect for travelers because the safety features are amazing. The fabric and straps are made of eXomesh and are slash-proof. There are RFID blocking pockets that protect from scan scam. The zippers have a clip lock, making it difficult for pickpockets. It also has a front chest clip for comfort and security.

The bag itself holds most DSLRs with a lens and 2-3 additional lenses. The website says it holds fewer, but I was able to get my camera and all lenses in just fine (granted the pancake lens is quite small)! There is an easy access zipper on the side that lets you take lenses in and out. The back has really comfy padding. Even with all my gear in it, the weight didn’t feel too heavy at all. There is also a space for a tripod or drink bottle. I did get this backpack sponsored, but if you couldn’t tell, I really am in love with it! You can get it on their website or on Amazon! PS – they don’t just make camera bags, they make all kinds of anti-theft bags including luggage, purses, wallets, and more!

Accessories

Extra Batteries

If you traveling, these will be a lifesaver. There have many times when I wasn’t able to charge my camera battery from the day before, and my back-up saved me.

Tripod

Tripods are necessary for any low light or long exposure settings. I have a Vanguard Espod CX 204AP and it’s been great for me. Here’s a pretty long exposure just for fun 😉

Lens filters

I have a couple different lens filters that I use. The first is a polarizer. It’s great for cutting out glare and reducing reflection.

The next is a UV protector. It reduces UV light and helps eliminate a blueish cast in photos.

The last filter I have is an ND (Neutral Density) filter. This is for more advanced photography, but basically, it allows you to take longer exposures in brighter light.

Cleaning tools

An assortment of brushes and cleaning cloths are always handy. Mine all came in the kit I bought my wide angle lens with.

Memory Cards

It’s always good to have a couple of these. I just got a Lexar 64 GB that holds thousands of RAW photos, it’s great. I also have a couple smaller GB SanDisk ones as well. I’d say it’s worth it to get at least a 32 GB card.

Wireless Timer Remote

I use my wireless timer remote mainly for time lapses and self-portraits. Because it’s wireless, you can set your camera up on a tripod and simply press a button on the remote to take a picture — perfect for solo travelers!

Lens Hood

This is another accessory that came with my 10-18 mm lens kit. To be honest, I didn’t really know what this did before getting it, just thought it looked cool haha! But it helps with reducing lens flare (which I actually kinda like sometimes) and protects the lens (the main reason I use it). You can buy one cheaply on Amazon, just be sure to check the size of your lens, it’s not one size fits all!

Amazon offers a good accessories kit for $15 that includes lens filters, a lens hood, an extra lens cap, and a cleaning cloth!

Action Camera

Lightdow LD4000 1080P HD Sports Action Camera

I am always so excited to tell people about this camera! Coming to Australia I knew I wanted an underwater camera but was about to take a serious pay cut from my last job so wanted a cheaper option than a GoPro. GoPros area awesome cameras, but I was able to find an alternative on Amazon that I absolutely LOVE — and it’s only $50 USD! I took some really great pics on the Great Barrier Reef and in Fiji.

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Polaroid Camera

Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Camera

My dad saw this on my Holiday Gift Guide for Travelers and got it for me for my birthday! I’m still learning to play with it, but it definitely can add some fun to your travel pics!

iPhone

The quality of my iPhone photos still amaze me to this day — and that’s coming from someone still stuck in the dinosaur days with an iPhone 5 😉 You don’t necessarily need a big fancy DSLR camera to take amazing travel pictures, an iPhone is a great option, and way more convenient to carry around with you.

So there ya have it! A rundown of all the gear I use. Important to note: I don’t take every single thing with me whenever I travel, I cater it to where I’m going and what I’m going to be doing. No need to bring a portrait lens if I’m going to be shooting only landscape and vice versa! If you have any other questions on gear or even travel photography in general, just drop me a note 🙂

xx Chels

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  My Travel Photo Gear: Cameras & Accessories I get a lot of questions on Instagram and my blog about what camera I use and how I take all my travel photos, so I thought I'd lay out all my gear for y'all!