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spectating
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Sewn
I've been workshopping this one for a while, and I am DEEPLY normal about it I promise.
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Ms. Marjory’s hair was made of pink and blue cotton candy.
This was the only thought buzzing in the static behind Raj’s eyes while he stared, and nodded, and nodded harder at all the white noise coming from Ms. Marjory’s mouth. It wasn’t that anything Ms. Marjory said was boring or unimportant. To the contrary, everything Ms. Marjory had to say was important on a scale Raj could not put in words.
It was just that Raj had already memorized this speech from the Sewn website, and hearing those words recited verbatim did not feel real. Ms. Marjory did not feel real, Raj thought, as his heart slammed and his palms went slick around the envelope in his hands. ‘Hold harmless’ and ‘no liability’ slipped from Ms. Marjory’s mouth, and—well—Ms. Marjory’s white wispy cumulous hair was dyed pink and blue, like bubblegum cotton candy, Raj thought to himself.
“Do you understand all of that?” Ms. Marjory asked with a mask of a smile.
“Yes,” Raj said, both a lie and the truth, and he handed over his life savings.
Ms. Marjory assessed the envelope, her smile frosting at the corners, and she took the sticky envelope from Raj’s hands. She opened it cautiously and slipped the cashier’s check from its folds. She spared only a glance at the monetary value stamped on it.
“Full cost is usually handled later,” she said. Did the smile touch her eyes? Gray and crow-footed behind gold-chained glasses.
“I’ll pay up front,” Raj said, and he wondered if it made him sound stupid. Raj was not stupid. He was something so much better: Raj was desperate.
“Okay well, we can deposit this in a trust account in your name to pull payments from. Any unused balance will be refunded at the end.”
“Yes, sure,” Raj said. The money was meant to sway her, make her respect him. His parents had beaten it into his bones that respect took money. And yet nothing in Ms. Marjory’s gray eyes changed. She simply slipped the envelope out of sight, and Raj watched a house downpayment, a child’s college fund, and an early retirement for him and Lizzy disappear into the drawer of Ms. Marjory’s desk.
Ms. Marjory shut the drawer, ball bearings clacking, and Raj’s eyes settled on the yellow rubber ducky perched beside her left elbow.
Reblogged
Sewn
I've been workshopping this one for a while, and I am DEEPLY normal about it I promise.
---
Ms. Marjory’s hair was made of pink and blue cotton candy.
This was the only thought buzzing in the static behind Raj’s eyes while he stared, and nodded, and nodded harder at all the white noise coming from Ms. Marjory’s mouth. It wasn’t that anything Ms. Marjory said was boring or unimportant. To the contrary, everything Ms. Marjory had to say was important on a scale Raj could not put in words.
It was just that Raj had already memorized this speech from the Sewn website, and hearing those words recited verbatim did not feel real. Ms. Marjory did not feel real, Raj thought, as his heart slammed and his palms went slick around the envelope in his hands. ‘Hold harmless’ and ‘no liability’ slipped from Ms. Marjory’s mouth, and—well—Ms. Marjory’s white wispy cumulous hair was dyed pink and blue, like bubblegum cotton candy, Raj thought to himself.
“Do you understand all of that?” Ms. Marjory asked with a mask of a smile.
“Yes,” Raj said, both a lie and the truth, and he handed over his life savings.
Ms. Marjory assessed the envelope, her smile frosting at the corners, and she took the sticky envelope from Raj’s hands. She opened it cautiously and slipped the cashier’s check from its folds. She spared only a glance at the monetary value stamped on it.
“Full cost is usually handled later,” she said. Did the smile touch her eyes? Gray and crow-footed behind gold-chained glasses.
“I’ll pay up front,” Raj said, and he wondered if it made him sound stupid. Raj was not stupid. He was something so much better: Raj was desperate.
“Okay well, we can deposit this in a trust account in your name to pull payments from. Any unused balance will be refunded at the end.”
“Yes, sure,” Raj said. The money was meant to sway her, make her respect him. His parents had beaten it into his bones that respect took money. And yet nothing in Ms. Marjory’s gray eyes changed. She simply slipped the envelope out of sight, and Raj watched a house downpayment, a child’s college fund, and an early retirement for him and Lizzy disappear into the drawer of Ms. Marjory’s desk.
Ms. Marjory shut the drawer, ball bearings clacking, and Raj’s eyes settled on the yellow rubber ducky perched beside her left elbow.
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if there's one thing I love in an SMP, it's a good two-sided conflict. Dogwarts vs the Desert, the Vampires Coven vs Oakhurst, Team STAR vs the G Team, and now the Blue Kingdom vs the Red Kingdom in Bannerfall SMP? they did this for me specifically. I'm already prepared for some Romeo and Juliet star crossed lovers antics...
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Random assortment of small but canon Six of Crows facts that you may have forgotten
1) Jesper shaved Matthias’ face for him on the Ferolind
2) Kaz bought the boat for Inej from Wylan
3) Accounts of Nina’s childhood before being taken and raised to become a child soldier are slightly inconsistent because she can’t actually remember it
4) The crows did shots before the Ice Court heist
5) The first time Wylan tried brandy he threw up
6) Inej had her tattoo removed by a butcher and the closest thing she had to pain relief was a mouthful of whiskey
7) Jesper is really good at sewing
8) When Kaz told them to exclusively bring essentials on the trip to Fjerda, Nina packed toffees
9) Van Eck casually lists tonics, beatings, and hypnotism as abusive actions he committed against Wylan
10) Matthias sleeps with his back to a wall because it wasn’t safe not to in Hellgate
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Kvjn SOFT hcs bc i refuse to buy into the propoganda that they have too much history to be tgt
- after their contract with ichirou is up, they decide they much would rather have a quiet life so they decide on marseille where kevin opens up a youth exy program for troubled kids like wymack while jean explores his hometown and lives his days in peace (he visits the court sometimes and he's definitely the teams favourite)
- over the years after jean got out of the nest, he gives dried up fruit to kevin shipped from cali for his bday bc in the nest jean would chuck his fruit to kevin as an apology for having him patch him up again and again
- they both sleep DEAD. the first time jean visits after they got together. Kevin misses practice, wymack doesnt even reprimand him nor does none of the foxes comment about it. Except nicky to which renee gently shoves his shoulder to silence him. Its the first time theyve ever seen the exhaustion lift off kevins eyes.
- Jean walks into a door after seeing kevin in eyeliner
- Kevin stumbles down a flight of stairs after seeing Jean wearing Foxes colors
- Kevin one time put on an exy timeplay after jean had a breakdown after trying to have sex and kevin just started roasting all the foxes and he forgot what he was even doing that he went on and on that jean was so confused he started laughing and broke free from his panic attack
- Jean kisses kevins forehead repeatedly when hes tired on the bed like one would with a dog and kevin scrunches up his nose and eyes but he stays there arms tightening around jean.
- Whenever kevins drunk he sleeps next to the person he trusts with most. Andrew doesnt mention the fact that before they started dating kevin would always leave the foxes and find the trojans (when they were having trojan - foxes parties bc why not) to sidle up next to jean in fake conversation with jeremy just to doze off next to a muttering annoyed Jean next to him.
- Jean uses the scars on kevins keft hand as a way to ground himself to know its KEVIN the one thats touching him and not anyone else
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Ancient Africa’s Stunning Art Secrets
Discover gold, stone masterpieces revealing lost worlds. Ancient African artists crafted breathtaking works that peek into revered animals, sacred souls, and royal lives. From Egypt to southern kingdoms, these pieces dazzle and teach.
Key Facts
- Benin brass plaques stood 45 cm tall, showed warriors and rulers in high relief.
- Plaques adorned Benin royal palace pillars, captured battles, court scenes, rituals.
- Featured regions: Egypt, Meroe, Ptolemaic kingdom, West/East Africa, Mutapa, Mapungubwe.
- Materials: gold, stone, metals; themes: animals, human head as soul’s seat, trendy jewelry.
Historical Context
Ancient and medieval African cultures spanned the continent, from Nile valleys to southern savannas. Artists drew from daily life, spirituality, and power struggles. Benin plaques, for example, chronicled real palace events and conflicts.
Historical Significance
These artworks unlock cultural minds—why heads held souls or leopards ruled symbols. They prove Africa’s artistic genius rivaled anywhere, influencing global views. Surprise: Benin plaques weren’t just pretty; they were history books in brass.
