prismatica | 03 | Text: Marriage of Backstay Sailor Boys

[Someone has heard Rasha's voice, but for Don - well. Loving himself is pretty much par for the course.]

So back in my time we have this thing called the Mickey Mouse club. A whole bunch of kids who sing and dance about Mickey Mouse. He's got a song. Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me M I C - K E Y M O U S E And so on, and so forth. he's a talking mouse and he's Disney is amazing. He's pretty damn fantastic. He's not as great as I am but he's still pretty damn good. Where was I. Anyway this boy band thing for those who are curious seems like the Mickey Mouse club and all of you look stupid in your hats and T-shirts. No class. No style. Nobody has any idea what class or style looks like and the only thing you have to turn to is my era. We defined it. We peaked in the 60s. I'm at the peak. All there is to it, but I thought I'd provide some insight. Namely that. Children are dumb. And that's what this is.

[OOC: for anyone who wants to find Don, he'll be strutting around in his nicest 1960s cut suit at ~~100% Thot~~ level 2 clubs flirting with anyone who gets close. Leave some action tags for him.]

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[ Interesting take on the whole situation, to want to market it. Malcolm files that away. ]

It can, technically, though in that case I might be more inclined to call it gaslighting.

[Gaslighting. One of the darker parts of what Don Draper does for a living but also.]

What's that? I'm not lighting anything on fire I'm not a monster?

Have you seen the old - well, not that old for you - movie 'Gaslight'? Ingrid Bergman? It's about a woman whose husband manipulates her into going insane.

That's where the term comes from. It's psychological manipulation, to put it plainly.

I like Ingrid Bergman. I was uh- I didn't get out to the movies that much as a kid. Unless it was with my brother.

[Oh god. Adam's death is still fresh in his mind and he was 18. He hadn't run off to war until he was in his 20s.

His throat works.]

He was all about Three Caballeros.

[Adam had wanted to travel.

HE'd never gotten to.

Don had gotten to. Don had been a lot of places.

It's like a gut punch.]

[ Well, this took a turn. It's especially strange to Malcolm since he can't see the guy's expression. Is he shitting him or is it genuine? ]

I actually liked that one too, but I like birds, so.

What company did you work for back home? Were you a talent agent?

[Things are hitting him hard during this little excursion.]

Yeah? How about that.

[He's on firmer ground here.]

I'm in ads. Advertising I should say. I doubt you've heard of our firm - Sterling Cooper. We represent people. Been behind some of your favorite products. Kodak, Clearasil, Platex...

[ That makes a lot of sense. The profile starts to take more shape. ]

Interesting. So that's kind of what you do for a living: try to make people feel a certain way so that they'll buy products.

People always feel certain ways. People buying things and feeling less because others have more has been a thing since we had slaves. Since we had England taking us over. I just put it into words and help people be honest with themselves about it. Especially because people have more capability now to have what they want. Grab it and take it.

[When it comes to Capitalism Don is a little bit of a sociopath.]

What is happiness? It's the moment before you need more happiness. Is capitalism fair? Of course not. Is it what we were born into? Yes. Do we have a choice? Do we?

[ Coming from a wealthy family, Malcolm probably should care more about capitalism, but he really doesn't. This whole conversation has been pretty intense, and it's just been over text. Malcolm's a bit fascinated to see what Don is like in real life. ]

Back home or here? We don't pay rent here and it seems like our monetary system is based on intimate contact with others. Does that bother you?

03 | Text: Marriage of Backstay Sailor Boys

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