Midna Takes One For The Team

Violet: As your business manager, I have to object to your advertising a competitor's business, but as a citizen of Barbieville, I understand.  Strange times we're living in. 

Midna: I figure the Changs need the little bit of profit still coming in more than I do.  I'm more upset about doing this to my employees than I am about any hit my pocketbook's gonna take.  

Violet:  Are the Changs doing all right?  Aside from the money, there's so many people blaming this on Asians and Chinese in particular.  

Midna: Well, I guess any racists in Barbieville get to cook for themselves or starve. I vote for starve.

Violet (laughs): You're an evil woman, Midna Sunburst. 

After finally getting into and registering at the Unemployment website, Pern browses free on-line courses.  Knowledge has become Pern's new drug of choice, a vast improvement over her last one!

Nova: Mariko?  Why are you here? 

Mariko: Sunburst is closed for the duration.  I was almost to work when Midna called, so I just turned around and followed Jeremiah home.

Nova: We'll muddle through somehow.  We always do.

Jeremiah: Alex, one of us needs to use your computer while the other uses the family room one.  We hear it's a nightmare to get into Unemployment's website.  You got anything on it you don't want us seeing?

Alex: Not that I can think of.  Why not have Mariko use mine, just in case? 

Jeremiah: Good plan.  She's not your dad.

Nova: Hurry back.  We're doing cornrows.  Lottie's upstairs admiring hers.   We'll do yours, too.  

Frodo: I guess your mom told you we're out of work for a while? 

Four: Yeah.  I was just getting ready to whip Finnick on COD.  You in? 

Frodo: Sure.  Let me pry my little brother off of Youtube.  

Zenobia: Welcome to Openly Biased.  My roomie and I are both out of work due to COVID-19, so my content will be a little different for a while.  We'll talk about current events, of course, but my only guest will probably be Miss Tris here, and we'll share what we're up to! 

Tris: Tomorrow's topic will be "alternatives to pitching your device out the window while trying to apply for Unemployment".

Whitney (sobbing):  What am I gonna do, Mom?  

Kyra:  Honey, it's not that bad.  You aren't paying rent or anything. 

Whitney: Dad just moved into town and this was my chance to show him.  I'm carrying good grades, working a job, and taking care of Wilma.  Everything he's been saying about me is wrong. Now I'm unemployed and not going to school. 

Kyra: You were laid off because of something you have no power over.  You are still doing your schoolwork.  And you don't have anything to prove to Meanie Grandpa, Whitney.  He wrote you off and that's his loss. 

Whitney (still crying, but not as hard): It still hurts so bad, though. 

Kyra: I know, sweetheart, I know.  He wrote me off, too. 

Scenes From A Lockdown

From the outside, Barbieville looks like a ghost town.  But there is lots of activity.

Fred: How long you gotta work from home?

Rose-Grace: I don't know.   The scientists are working hard to find a cure, though.  We just have to be patient and deal. 

Fred: What if they don't never and we end up like on Nikki's show?

Rose-Grace: Well, we won't have to worry about zombies, at least.  (chuckles)  Barbieville actually has a plan for that.  About twenty years ago, people thought all the computers would stop working, so they made a plan.  

Fred: Kin I help build the walls?

Speaking of Nikki's show... 

Taylor: So, if I do decide to watch, I'm going to need to know who all these people are. 

Nikki: You agreed to watch the first season and give it a fair chance.   Most of these characters aren't even in the first season.  

Taylor: And you'll do the same for my show?

Nikki: That's the deal.  

But they have to keep the volume down because Dad is sleeping.  Like most "essential employees", Pike is putting in long hours.

Others are getting aquainted with new friends over social media. 

Iggy: We sure picked a great time to move to a new town, didn't we? 

Rupert: At least you have a lot of siblings.  I just have one sister here and the cousins are still giving me the side-eye.  

Iggy: What's their problem?

Rupert: They think I'm sucking up to them because they're rich.  When their parents died, the whole family fought over custody, but most of them were just after the money.  Becky put it in a trust fund til they're 21.  

Iggy: Good thing for you we met on the plane, huh? 

Rupert: You have no idea.

And let us not forget the volunteers at the food pantries.

Ryan: Setting up here so people can drive through was a great idea.  Pocahontas is a genius.

Albus: She is pretty bright, isn't she?  

Draco: Seriously?  You two enjoy this? 

Ryan: Well, I'd rather be on a beach in Hawaii drinking out of a coconut and looking at girls in bikinis, but that's not real likely any time soon.  Why are you here, if it makes you so miserable?

Albus: His mother is trying to teach him a similar lesson to the one you recently learned.  (Notices a car approaching.) Get on your gloves and masks.  You know the routine by now. 

It's Not The Plague

How are the residents of Barbieville dealing with the COVID-19 shutdown?  Let's drop in on the town's First Family and see!

Tanner:  Man, this sucks.  We're doing homework for lack of anything better to do. 

Finnick:  I'm just getting it over with.  Then I'm gonna get as many people together as possible for a marathon gaming session! 

Tanner: That's a great idea.  What game, though?

Finnick: That depends on who's playing.  We might even switch around as people join in or leave.  

Samara and Orlando are enjoying an unprecedented amount of freedom to chew on their big sisters' dolls. 

Samara: Horsey! 

Nikki sends a photo of them to Claudia. 

Claudia (via text): Orlando iz in da house!  LOL 

Nikki (via text): He thinks I can't see him in there.  How are things at your Grandma's? 

Claudia (via text): Awful.  I'm so mad at Ben.  He lets me be home alone all the time normally.

Nikki (via text): Normally, idiots aren't clobbering Asians for giving us the plague.

Claudia (via text): It's not the plague.  All this craziness is to keep it from being the plague.

Mace: I'm glad I got moved in before it hit.  If I was still in the apartment, they'd have me under quarantine.  

Stacie: They wouldn't even let you come here and take care of the horses?

Mace: That's what quarantine is.  You go nowhere and nobody comes over.  Nobody in the building is sick, but most of them are high risk, so they're being super careful. 

Stacie: It'd be a pain in the butt to do the barn chores without you. I'd have to get the twins to help and they'd just gripe the whole time. And Daddy is at work more than he's home!  

Fred: Your bed ain't very fun to jump on, Grandpa.

Mace: Boy, you better not get manure on my blankets.

Fred: I tooked my shoes off. 

Rose-Grace: I just told everyone in town to avoid gathering in groups larger than ten.  We're breaking that rule just by having everyone at home, and I'm the mayor!  We have to set an example.

Taylor: Well, can I go over there?  Charlotte might leave if I do.  She doesn't like me. 

Rose-Grace:  I also suggested self quarantining. Again, we have to set an example. 

Taylor: Sometimes it really sucks that you're the mayor. 

Rose-Grace: That we can agree on.  

Best Laid Plans

Barbieville High School, 8 am

Cho:  Two new guys on the same day?  Do you suppose they're brothers? 

Belle: I know they aren't.  The brunette is my stepbrother Iggy.  He's moved in with Mom and James, too, but I'm not sure why.  I know his mom wasn't deployed!  

Belle: Who's your friend, Iggy?  

Iggy: This is Rupert.  We met on the plane.  

Rupert: Yeah, it was weird to be seated next to a guy heading to the same little town!  

Cho: Oh, you're a Weasley!  I see the resemblance to Ron now!  (laughs at the surprise on all three faces.)  Everyone in Barbieville knows everyone.   You'll get used to it.

********

Barbieville High School, 10 am 

Whitney: I know Mariko has to work after school.  What are you doing, Nakoma?

Nakoma: Fittings for the wedding.  You can tag along if you want. 

Whitney: If you're sure it's okay.  I'll have Wilma.

Mariko: You always have Wilma.  It's like you gave birth to her or something.  (they all laugh) I'm glad Nova and Jeremiah aren't going all fancy.  We'll just be in old prom dresses. 

Nakoma: Pocahontas isn't going near as fancy as she could.  She's decided the wedding colors are shades of blue and "precious metals" rather than spend a bit extra.    

Whitney: She's smart.  Saving money, time, and stress.

Nakoma: Weddings are supposed to be expensive and stressful! 

****

Mayor's office, 1 pm

Rose-Grace: I know you're trying to finish up your work for the day, but you need to see this. 

Kyra: What is it?  Oh, the people who got into the empty downtown buildings.  (Murmurs as she reads over the list of names, then stops in horror.)  That can't be right.  He can't be... 

Rose-Grace: I double checked everything.  Unless there's another guy of the same name and the same background, it's him.  

****

The Malfoy Residence, 7pm 

Paris: I don't see any harm in letting him drop the class.  If he isn't comfortable, why make him?

Helena: You never see the harm in giving him what he wants, and life is full of uncomfortable situations.  After his brush with the law, I am done looking the other way while you spoil him.  He is not in charge! 

Paris: When he inherits everything, he will be. 

Helena: Everything?  That's ridiculous.  You have a wife and three other children!

Paris: Not everything, of course.  You and the girls will be provided for.  But the bulk of my estate will go to my male offspring.  That's Draco, since you have failed provide me with more. 

Helena: Look, we agreed that the child-rearing was to be my domain.  

Paris: You are the mother. 

Helena: Draco will remain in that class, and he will do any charity work I decide to volunteer him for, and he will learn to at least pretend to have some respect for his fellow human beings.   

A Much Needed Uplift

A little background for those who may not know:  I'm a Depressive and refer to said Depression as a demon in my head or the tenth personality.  As in "nine out of ten of my personalities approve".  The personification's name is Sybrie The Tenth.

Sybrie spent a good part of today raging at me that I'm a failure at life.  Specifically because I never had the brood of children I so badly wanted.  The same brood people "know" I have the moment they see evidence of my SSDI and supplemental Welfare programs. 

Heather, a recently adopted minion, texted to see if I was home.  She recently got her IRS refund, is quite generous of spirit, and had asked which Harry Potter dolls I don't have yet.  I'm hoping all those clues indicate she's bringing me someone. One being the key syllable.

She did.

Sybrie shut the eff up so fast!

I knew once I'd gotten over the wonderful surprise, at least to some extent, my hordes of Barbieville followers would want to know about this.  So here we are!

The Yule Ball dolls have the same articulation as the previous runs.  They can stand on their own, at least when wearing shoes.  We all know how seldom that happens in Barbieville! I couldn't get Cho to stand on her own. 

The first run and Quidditch dolls were based on Chamber of Secrets, in which they were 12/13.  This run obviously is based on Goblet of Fire, when they were 14/15.  As a result, these dolls have a new and more mature face sculpt. 

I think the guys look better without the dress robes.  (Poor Ron.) 

Comparison between Dan (90s Harry) and the newer versions.  The ones already living in Barbieville are named for the character or the actor.  Not sure what name Yule Ball Harry is going to answer to.  Yule Ball Harry's longer hair is more of a dark brown.  

Like Belle (Yule Ball Hermione), he will join the blended Potter/Granger family.  Belle was living with her dad.  I wonder where this guy was?

The Rons.  The new,  slightly more mature boy will likely be Rupert.  For the actor, just like Dan above and Emma below.  His hair is shaggier and a different shade of redhead. 

I've already established that Ron's only sibling is Ginny.  Maybe Rupert is Becky's little brother and therefore a cousin.

Emma is the 90s Hermione.  Hermione, in center, is from the Chamber of Secrets run.  Yule Ball Hermione, who I got for my birthday, was named Belle after one of Emma Watson's other roles.  Hmm... does that mean Yule Ball Harry is gonna be Iggy?  Horns is the only other Daniel Radcliffe movie I've seen.

I think these faces have the biggest difference.  Hermione looks far more serious than Belle and has more freckles.  Belle's even got a bit of a smirk. 

The Yule doll girls have different feet!  Cho and Belle are holding the big toe away from the rest.  Hermione isn't.

I don't have any previous Chos, so I'll compare her to Belle.  Same body mold, but the noggins are different.  Cho's face looks to be slightly rounder and Belle's nose is thinner.  I thought they had the same earrings, but no.  Both flowers, but details vary.

 Cho is an excellent likeness of Katie Leung.  Not sure how she's going to fit into Barbieville.  Yet.

Heather also gave me Belle for my birthday.  

Can you tell she's a Potterhead?  

HUFFLEPUFF PRIDE!