#haaaaaaa

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consider commissioning me! Or if not maybe send a ko-fi my way.

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-Red

ALSO the exam is very soon and i’m doing last minute stressing and studying rn after procrastinating and doing a bob ross tutorial instead on a tote bag

OMG I LITERALLY GASPED WHEN I SAW THIS RHIS IS AMAZING WFT THIS IS SO GOOODDDDD OMG

I love thisss this is an 11 omg snow on the mountains i want to eat it

I want this tote bag istg when you wear this outside you will be the most fashionable person out there

Im amazed

19. give a hint/teaser about something you're writing without any context or explanation! tease us haha

' when you see the egger kids being carted off to new homes, you see them burning down tacky pastel clothes and cheering. '

New Yorkers celebrating the former "Eggers" kids being adopted [0]:

Manhattan Socialites:

"Honestly, it was a relief for everyone. The sight of those gaudy pastel outfits was an eyesore. Now our adopted girls can be properly dressed by Schiaparelli."

"I heard one of the kids asked, 'Is this what a real family is?' when their new parents took them to a matinee. It was simply heartbreaking and perfect. They deserve a proper upbringing."

"My daughter adopted one of the East Egg boys. He keeps trying to hide his terrible manners, but we'll train him out of it. We're already teaching him about investments, not bootlegging."

"The Tarantellas did us a favor, really. The Eggs were an embarrassment to the city. My new nephew has already burned all his old clothes and started a trust fund."

Carnegie Hill Neighbors:

"My neighbor took in one of the little girls. She used to call her nanny 'mother.' Now she's learning to call her new mom, 'mom.' It's a sweet, gentle process."

"It's like a new start for all of them. The Carnegies adopted Pammy, and she's already blossoming. Away from that mess, she has a real chance at a decent life."

"You could just see the joy in their faces, burning those terrible pink and yellow things. It was like a symbolic shedding of their old, tasteless lives."

"I saw that new family with their adopted son at the zoo. The boy was so excited just to see the animals. His old parents never even bothered to take him."

People on the Street/Refugees:

"The Tarantellas may be tough, but they're honest. They saw a problem and fixed it. Those rich folks needed a dose of reality, and their kids deserved a real family."

"Those kids were practically being raised by staff who were underpaid and overworked. At least now they'll get real love. That's worth more than any mansion."

"My brother worked for Gatsby. Said the kid was just an afterthought. When the Tarantellas came in, he quit and helped find the kids new homes. It was the decent thing to do."

"The Tarantellas gave us jobs, shelter, and a chance. They took down the phonies who cared more about their booze than their own children. I'll always respect them for that."

susan said, ' the egger kids are taught to hate those manhattanite kids, particularly the ones in carnegie hill. they were fed with all kinds of lies about sal and his friends. but the party crash changed everything. suddenly all those eggers began scrambling to sign up to be adopted by anyone else outside of the eggers. and then the egger kids either get adopted or sent to nice orphanages. and guess what happened later? some of sal's business associates are amongst the former egger kids as they grew up '

New Yorkers and other characters reflecting on this development:

Quotes from former Egger kids (now Sal's associates):

From a former West Egg socialite: "Sal didn't forgive, but he understood. We had a choice: spend our lives trying to outrun our parents' shame, or build something new, something real. He gave us that chance. Sure, he's a scary bastard, but at least he's honest about it. Can't say that for anyone at our parents' parties."

From a former East Egg golden boy, now a financial analyst: "I used to think that name, 'Tarantella,' was something to be feared. Now I think of it as... a guarantor. You get in line, you do the work, and the rewards are greater than anything our fathers ever promised. The fear is still there, but it's replaced with respect. It's a much cleaner deal."

From an adoptee of a lower-class family, now a junior partner: "I was one of the lucky ones, got out and got a good life. But my siblings... they weren't so lucky. Sal knew that. His family was always watching. He came to me, showed me how to use what I learned in school, and we built a new life for my family. He didn't want my loyalty; he demanded my competence. And that's all that matters to him."

From a female associate, reflecting on the chaos: "The adults were all playing their silly games, but we, the children, saw it all. We were just pawns. Sal saw us as people. When the dust settled, he was the only one offering a real way out. You think I'm grateful? Maybe. But mostly, I'm just impressed. He beat them all at their own game."

Quotes from New Yorkers, reflecting on the surprising alliances:

From a bartender in Carnegie Hill: "I still remember the day those Tarantellas walked into that Gatsby shindig. All that fancy, pastel-colored money just... turned to dust. I thought the kids would grow up to hate the Tarantellas. But years later, I saw one of 'em, a fancy-pants from East Egg, having drinks with Sal. They were talking business, not payback. The kids had more sense than their parents."

From an elderly neighbor in Carnegie Hill: "My mother always told me, 'The kids see everything.' Those Egger kids saw their parents being frauds. They saw the Tarantellas being... well, what they were, but at least they were honest about it. So when the time came, and those Tarantellas came calling, they knew what they were getting into. They weren't foolish, like their parents."

From a former Tarantella employee: "Henroin always said, 'We're not here to be loved, we're here to be respected.' And those Egger kids, they learned that lesson the hard way. They were given a second chance, but they had to earn it. And Sal, he was tough, but fair. He didn't care where you came from, just that you pulled your weight. He's got a whole army of reformed Egger kids running his books now."

Quotes from the Tarantella family, reflecting on the long game:

Henroin Tarantella, looking back: "The 'Double Eggs Project'? It wasn't about revenge. It was about cleaning up a mess. Those people... they were rotten to the core. We just showed everyone what was hiding beneath the paint. And the children? We gave them a choice: cling to a sinking ship, or learn how to swim. Sal, he's a good fisherman."