[Video]

[espigeonage]

[Julien's talked to the media and some of the public since changing, but he doesn't want to show his face on the Network. So the feed is of a made bed.]

People are making money off my image. Look at this! This was at Hot Topic! [A pair of long pink toe socks, still attached to the cardboard hook that had held them to the rack, are flung onto the bed. The toe tips are white and the legs are patterned with big dark pink 'scales'.]

It doesn't have a thing to do with this not-me over by the castle. He hates technology and doesn't like to talk to people, and apparently this is because things like this are selling huge over the Internet! And have been! For months. There is a whole website claiming it's official. They're hucking hoodies now and cuddly toys. I should sue. I should make them give me a cut. I should do something about the pigeon breeders trying to work out my 'conformation' and emailing me about my measurements.


I need a drink.

Comments

[bythewaves]

[ Arnold is frowning ]

Oh no, Julien, that's terrible. You should sue. I only used you as inspiration but no seriously, they're actually using your picture. Have you got a good lawyer? Do you want to use mine?

[espigeonage]

Hang on. 'Sox Appeal' is selling these too... and wing slippers, okay, fine, and-

-those are my legwarmers. [He wears various patterns of those on his scaly tarsi, they've been custom-knitted by an ex-numbered.] They copied my legwarmers! No one else had argyle legwarmers! With white at the top!

[bythewaves]

Wow... that's... Man, Julien. You could... man, I don't know. Sue for defamation?

[espigeonage]

Does this even count as defamation...? Argh. Why!

When I was a model feathers took off but they weren't using my name like this. I think I would remember if I said they could do that, right? It would be on the record!

[peacefulwinter]

Next to the Raquel plushies and the little girls' Cure Diamond costumes. [It comes out very dry; are those the only things she's found?]

We're popular, but... doesn't this seem like it's a little much? I talk about wanting to set a good example, but are we really good role models? And even aside from the fact that they're just making your things without asking, someone else is profiting off us. Off our pain. That's... not right.

[espigeonage]

Awww, man.

This is better than all the bashing last fall but - really if anyone is making money off us it should be us. Or at least people who've asked!

[peacefulwinter]

Well, even then... we know us better than anyone else knows us. You'd think they'd want to talk to us, to make things that look and feel right, so they make more money. Plus it'd go a long way toward making us not want to complain about seeing all this...

...it's definitely out of hand, but I don't know how to proceed from here.

[espigeonage]

I know! Seriously!

Do I just... get Arnold's lawyer on it? I'm trying very hard not to look like the bad guy, but I don't like this.

[Video]

[charcoalfeather]

[Rakka sighs.] You two, huh?

[espigeonage]

Me too what?

[charcoalfeather]

People are using your image to make money. A few weeks ago, someone sent me some pictures from Japan. Apparently there's artwork of me!

[She can hardly believe it, and she sort of doesn't want to.]

[espigeonage]

Haha... people have been drawing me for months. That stuff is weird, but if people are making money off it, it's on a small scale, and if they try and present me with some of it, in public, no one will think that's acceptable. [he means porn. There is porn of him, because the Internet.]

Still. That's always kinda shocking to first hear about.

action!

[elfstoned]

[He's downstairs, sitting at the breakfast bar, a cat in his lap. Aaron is scratching the creature behind the ears, and it's purring. He's got a laptop open in front of him, but as Julien comes in the room, he sighs and closes the screen with a snap.]

You were saying something about a drink?

[espigeonage]

[Bless the designer of this house, the stairs here are wide and Julien doesn't fear to lose his balance coming down them, as long as he goes sedately. A few paces after entering the room an enormous orange cat appears and tries to pounce on his feet. Julien hops back out of the way and it bolts, hyperactive.]

You get along with these things too well. Yes. A drink sounds fantastic. Let's be the worst possible squatters together. [...the godson does know Julien is here and assumes that's cool with the owner.]

[elfstoned]

I'd feel worse about it in any other house.

[With the hand not scratching the cat's chin, Aaron gestures around them.]

I don't think anything we drink is going to be missed. Not unless there's thousand-dollar wine in the cellar that we break into.

[espigeonage]

This place is made for indulgence and cat hair.

I haven't seen anything like that, but there is a collection of Scotch in a cabinet in the master bedroom. All forty years old. Here... [Julien seems to know what's where without searching. All the labels are turned out, and his eyesight is very good.] Yeah, there's more where this came from. The owner may be a lush. You have a poison?

[Video]

[oncedevil]

Pigeon breeders?

[Sorry Jules Tony has been terrible about keeping up with things and you're a pigeon? That's amazing.]

[espigeonage]

Yep. They want to make mini-mes. The pet trade has taken off.

[you can hear him rolling his eyes.]

[oncedevil]

You're a pigeon? Sorry apparently I'm behind the times. I didn't even know you could keep 'em as pets.

[Oh man, talk about awkward. At least no one tried to make mini-Torins.]

[Audio]

[dead_black_eyes]

Congratulations on your popularity, but... it's no good that you're not getting paid. Don't you have a manager? You must have had someone help you book gigs when you modeled...

[He has no idea what such things entail.]

[espigeonage]

[Clearly not.]

I had an agent as a model. That was about pictures taken of me, officially, though, not making clothes and stuff capitalizing on what I look like.

I'm talking to Arnold's lawyers. They'll help me... I guess get a cut, and then I don't know. I'll look into if people want to buy my story.

[dead_black_eyes]

Oh, good, I think that Arnold would know some good ones. How kind that he offered to help you.

Is that something you'd want, to sell your story? It is very personal.

[mistakesmakeuswhoweare]

I would take advantage of it if I were you, Blue.

[espigeonage]

I should! [he may be buzzed by now] It's only fair. If they're using my image to suckle off capitalism I should get some too.

[mistakesmakeuswhoweare]

Absolutely. Milk them like crazy. Get every royalty you can.