#[Don't need to match the length -- I just wanted to set the scene :) ]

[cxncordia]

@oceanicxeyes - When the Sun met the Sea

It started when they attacked that girl during the sports event.

Two weeks ago, Toño and his friends saw how one of the students from the Infinite Academy pretty much transformed into a scaly abomination in front of them and with great bravery and strength stopped her. In the nick of time, Toño was able to undo the spell that had been placed in the poor girl. It was a whole ordeal but it was doable, she got to be healed from the horrible experiment placed upon her.

This had made the Teporingos, a group of five mages and Toño, become alert about the situation. Regina had mentioned having had premonitory visions about the arrival of the new enemy and Moises had his sights set on the Infinite Academy, a school for the rich elites that was heavily secured and, behind closed doors, dedicated to the pursuit of dark magic.

The Teporingos were the protectors of this city, the Verbena mages who took care of the land and protected it from evil that sought to take it away. Moises had tracked one of the professors of said Academy and after having investigated her, it seemed that Professor Yuri Aparicio, in charge of Etiquette and Decorum of the Academy, was also one of the Cinco Brujas that belonged to the group of Nefandi that Toño and los Teporingos were trying to elminate.

Tracking her by the whole city, Toño finally stopped when he saw the red-haired woman enter the bar. He had to follow her, to pursue her and to gather all the information necessary to stop this new enemy.

However, when he stopped the motorbike only a block away from the bar Tacho realized of a particular situation that the young Mage had not come to consider.

"And how do you think you are going in?" The small talking chihuahua scolded Toño from his back pack. "Do you want a disaster for us? Don't be a fool!"

"Disaster? But what do you want, Tacho?" Toño asked, frustrated by the small dog's scolding. "I told you that we need to investigate!"

"Investigate from afar, Toñito." The chihuahua explained. "This is an adult establishment and they won't let you get through."

"Well, I could disguise myself as an adult, you know?" The boy explained to his companion. "We are supposed to hide our powers in public! An adult will have no trouble entering and seeing what is going on." Toño took the backpack and adjusted it over his shoulder, the leather jacket squeaking when the straps were pushed back. The young mage found a place to disguise himself, sliding in the back alleys where the stench of urine and trash was almost nauseating.

"Stop, stop, stop, stop...You can't make a spell like that!" The small chihuahua practically barked from within Toño's backpack.

"Why not!?" Toño huffed. "Just wait and see!" Toño focused his energies, trying to imagine how he would look when being an adult and words in Nahuatl flew from his mouth. "Huapahua," Toño pronounced in a whisper. He had learned these from his Mentor, Huey Tlanextli. Taking a deep breath and soon Toño could feel how his height and his hair was growing. How his muscles got firmer and his clothes were getting tight around him.

Being a mage really made all these experiences so interesting.

When looking himself at the reflection of the window, Toño couldn't believe it: that really wasn't him, those were now more the face of an adult. "Hehe, nice..." He cooed, touching his chin and starting to notice how different his skin felt.

"What are you doing!?" Tacho scoffed in surprise. "Magic should not be used for fun!"

"Relax, Tachito. I got it all under control." Toño responded with more confidence than he would have. He then moved away from the narrow space and back to his bike. He took the helmet and put it back on the motorcycle, starting to look back towards the location, and once again thinking of a plausible and reasonable line for this adventure. He took a pair of glasses that Moises had given him, so that the Teporingos could see what he was seeing, set them on his face and walked towards the establishment, this time, pretty sure that nobody would notice him. Or the dog in his back pack.

As he approached the door, a sound, beautiful and enigmatic was heard. The light tone of a humming echoed with delight. Toño could not help but to try to follow the origin of the song with his eyes, completely forgetting that he was supposed to approach the front door, right at the entrance. A beautiful blonde man, with flowy hair and blue eyes was singing in the establishment. The boy's eyes met him for an instant as Toño grew enraptured by the tune.

For a second he felt as if he was carried by the waters themselves, the feeling of the breeze enveloping him and the gentle embrace of the water surrounding him. He remembered those days, one summer break, when he and his Dad got to visit the beach back when he was only ten years old. What a beautiful and soulful tune this was!

[quietlyblooms]

@hehosts gets a starter just 'cause <3

she stands before a door. it's red like a warning, and as many times as she's walked down this street full of vendors, chiyo can't recall seeing it before. yet it must have been here for some time; there aren't any signs indicating the arrival of a new business. there aren't any signs, actually, to give her an idea of what to expect. whatever lies behind that door is a mystery.

curiosity has damned many a person. will she be yet another?

chiyo doesn't enter that door for a few weeks. she glances at it every time she passes by, but she always finds a reason to move on. there are errands to run, someone to meet, a chapter to finish illustrating. there's always some excuse until there isn't. one evening, chiyo finds herself without any obligations and strolling down that street without realizing where she's headed. she stares at the door for a long minute, worrying at her lip. well, what's the worst that could really happen?

she walks up the steps, opens the door to the smell of teakwood, and there is... chiyo blinks. low, intimate lighting partially conceals his face, but a man sits at his desk. unsure, the blonde takes a step back. though she can't get a good look at him, she can feel his gaze upon her, feeling something akin to a lion gazing down at a mouse.

" i'm sorry, " she apologizes, her typical, friendly smile plastered on in an instant. " i didn't realize this was an office. my curiosity got the best of me, looks like. "

[lcngdays]

@bloodbared // plotted

Temperance wasn't sure what it was about him.

Richter had never made much of an impression on them before. But they'd sailed through high school without a care in the world. They hardly noticed anything or anyone. He'd probably been there, and they just hadn't been paying attention, and then they'd left town.

Unfortunate circumstances led them back home, but that didn't mean they were going to give up on the Youtube grind. It was what was paying off their student loans, of course, so there wasn't much choice either way. They were back and looking for new leads on anything paranormal and they found him.

Temp had sat through the interview easily. Asked all the right questions at all the right times. Responded appropriately. Laughed when they were meant to, all the great things an interviewer did, they did. Things had a tendency to come easy to them, after all. But they were more than just enjoying the interview, they were enraptured by it. By him.

Maybe it was wrong, or weird to be so attracted to a man telling them about all the spilled guts he'd seen but they couldn't help themself. There was just something about him. Maybe it was their similar interests? Maybe it was having someone so engaged in what they were doing and saying? They didn't know. By the time the interview was over, Temperance was practically squirming in their seat.

They smile at Richter, glancing back at their camera set up. They stand and move to turn it off. Normally they'd leave it on to catch some post production, maybe some b-roll, anything like that. But not tonight. Tonight, they were going to shoot their shot. And who knew? Maybe luck would be on their side.

"listen." Their voice is casual. "i'm not normally so bold..."

Not on things like this, anyway. They'd only ever had one partner sexually and that had been one of the most awkward and uncomfortable experiences of their life.

"but like... i think you're really hot. and that was an amazing interview. and as much as i'd love to get to work on post-production... maybe." They stroll over to him, lightly lay a hand on his shoulder. "maybe we could spend a little more time together tonight?"

[charmwisp]

WHERE: DIY pop-up shoppe at rabbit creek; gingerbread house building table WHEN: 17th december, daytime WHO: anyone! ( @anchoragestarters ) CAP: FULLY CAPPED AS OF 14th JANUARY

On paper, this had seemed like the perfect opportunity for Rika. She'd been wanting to reach out more, to try and take part in the living breathing community of Anchorage instead of living as a shadow behind the beaded curtains of her room at the Raven House. The popup had a wonderfully festive atmosphere and the air seemed to Rika as though it hung thick with the excitement and curiosity of its guests and volunteers. As expected, the gingerbread station smelled pleasantly of sugar, spice and (of course) everything nice. This volunteering spot required a few things, of course; a hint of craftiness, a dash of creativity, a generous sprinkling of baking talent and a heaped spoonful of patience. These were standards Rika could meet easily enough, even if the patience required just the smallest stretch of extra effort. She'd known from the start that she would be a little out of her depths, lacking much experience with gingerbread houses due to their lack of a cultural presence during the holiday back home, but she'd gotten the hang of things quickly enough.

That wasn't exactly a good thing. Rika was good at getting carried away, at getting far too invested in the house she was putting together, and she may have gotten distracted from her role of guiding others through their own gingerbread creations. It was only her view of her work was darkened by the shadow of another person that she finally broke free from her spiced reverie. "I'll be with you in just a moment," she said by way of apology, whipping her head up with such abrupt speed that several locks of hair broke free from their loose ponytail binding. "I'm just trying to turn this...hmph, sugar glass into a window for my church." She grunted a little as she spoke. It was tricky work. Still, just as Rika said, there sat on the table before her an overly complicated little gingerbread chapel, still half-built. "Did you need any help? After all, that's what I'm here for!" A pause, and she tucked her hair back behind her ear. "Sorry, I guess I haven't made that very obvious so far, have I?"

[crawlingforwardx]

Stater for @havvkinsqueen based on this post.

In the wake of his break-up with Nancy, Steve found himself seeking comfort in the old familiarity of his popularity. Tina's parents were away for the weekend and she was having a party which offered the perfect distraction from his heartbreak (or so he had thought). He'd burned most of these bridges when he fell in love with the smart girl, thinking he'd found something real that would last forever. People like Tommy H. and Carol were not about to let him forget that.

Steve was never the type to roll over and take it. Whatever he was dealt, he could dish it back ten fold. It was only when Tommy H. made the comment about Nancy leaving school that one day with Jonathan that he had to walk away. If he didn't, he risked showing too much emotion because that one genuinely stung. That was when he realized there was no comfort in the familiar. He didn't belong with this crowd anymore.

Stepping out back for some air before he ended up punching Tommy in the face, Steve instead crushed his empty beer can in his hand and chucked it off to the side of the porch to vent his frustration. It didn't make him feel much better. "Asshole." He muttered quietly to himself. "Never did know when to shut the hell up."

As he leans against the porch railing with a sharp sigh and looks over, he's a bit startled to realize he wasn't alone. "Oh shit. Hey, Chrissy. Didn't think anyone was out here..." He said when he catches sight of the Queen of Hawkins High sitting on the top step. They weren't friends, exactly. More like acquaintances who had shared the same asshole friend group. He'd never had any problems with her though so he didn't really count her among them.

With the night he was having, he was half-expecting some kind of cold response in return. Catching her face in the porch light though, he thought that she pretty much mirrored him in spirits right about now. "Hey, uh, you okay?"

[thelouvrefm]

open to — @pcvrlys ( micah ) setting — outside of kelly's beach house

kelly pulled the sun lounger with one hand behind her, a repeating thud trailing against the sand. the second lounger was already in place, facing the ocean. kelly's house was to their back, about fifteen yards away. off to the side of them stood a telescope. her sun lounger held a few blankets and pillows for the pair to use. the weather was improving, but spending more than ten minutes outside called for something to trap their body heat. fire was out of the question, as they were already dealing with enough light pollution.

the two had gotten together once before to gaze at the stars, though it was in a more secluded area last time. kelly felt it was best this time to do it close to home, in case they needed additional resources (last time, they ran out of snacks). micah was much more knowledgeable about the stars than kelly, something that provided an entirely logical reason for them to stargaze together. kelly could leech off of his knowledge; this way, she gained something from a social interaction... she could claim she was being productive.

when the lounger was appropriately placed, kelly handed over a couple blankets and pillows for micah to use. "we are more prepared this time," she promised. "i brought different kinds of mittens, rechargeable hand warmers, food..." she wandered off, mentally checking off things as they caught her eye. "i think we're set." she declared with a determination most often seen in those who are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.

[fyrewalks]

It's a bad idea, he thinks when he catches Hangman's eye across the Hard Deck and there's a sparkle of something more. It's a bad idea, he thinks when they're quiet in the backseat of the uber, neither wanting to ruin the anticipation with pointless small talk. It's a bad idea, he thinks when his fingers start on the buttons of Seresin's annoyingly tight button-up once safely inside his temporary accommodation - except then Seresin's, Jake's, tongue is down his throat, and really, Bob isn't thinking at all, anymore.

As he's lying there, sweaty and sated, half drowsing, Jake's arm across his belly like he simply forgot Bob's there and is too tired to adjust, it's easy to rationalize the gravity of the situation away. Tomorrow, they'll all scatter back to their postings as if the detachment never happened. He'll go back to the Eagles, Jake to the Vigilantes; they didn't cross paths before at Lemoore, and there's no reason for them to now.

Bob is no stranger to one-night stands, temporary bits of fun. He knows the routine, but when caught attempting to make a quiet exit the next morning, he can't muster up the usual excuses or goodbyes. What's he supposed to say - thanks for the fuck, see you never?

Except, as it turns out, whatever rational thinking he employed that night, wasn't all that thought out. Back with the Eagles, it's harder to avoid Hangman than he assumed. Bob dodges him in hangars, at bars and hangouts Nat dutifully drags him out to. He absolutely does not think about how Jake kisses, or moves, or the way he tastes. Absolutely not. And just when Bob thinks he's got a handle on the worst of his intrusive, betraying thoughts, the orders come - they're all being recalled to Top Gun for the official formation of the Dagger Squad in a month's time.

A week into tense briefings, all of them frustrated and annoyed by the endless paperwork and ground time, Bob thinks himself foolish to think he struggled at all in Lemoore. At least then, Hangman had given him a wide berth too. Now, often stuck in the same room for hours at a time, Hangman's usual taunts feel sharper. If anyone's caught on to how he's singled Bob out, no one voices their suspicions. At one point he worries Natasha's caught on to something, but when she raises her eyebrows at Bob, he mutters something about Hangman being Hangman and that seems to satisfy any curiosity.

And then, Bob has the misfortune of finding himself alone in the locker room after a few miles on the treadmill. If the way Hangman corners him is any indication, he'd guess it's purposeful. Bob very carefully keeps his eyes on the next set of lockers, just to the right of Hangman's face.

"What - miss an insult or two in the classroom," he snarks, surprising himself. Admittedly, it's a little easier when Natasha is in the cockpit with him. Bob takes a breath, his eyes flicking to Hangman's eyes, his lips. Bob refocuses his gaze. "Don't you think it's a little obvious?" If it's not curiosity, it'll be a joke - one that skirts too close to the truth. After all, navy pilots are known for their crude humor. Bob knows himself; he'll struggle to shrug it off. // @a1truist

[i-heart-hxh]

Do you think Illumi’s comment about how Gon is just dazzling to Killua and a temporary fixation and Hisoka’s line about how transmitters are fickle and their treasures can turn to trash easily were foreshadowing for how Killua has come to see Gon? How at first Gon meant the world to him but now he’s basically done with him because of what happened during the CAA? Togashi could be planning to reunite them, but maybe this was his way of saying that Killua is done with Gon.

Hi! I actually see it in the opposite way to this view, almost.

As the audience I don't think we're supposed to agree with what Illumi is saying--that Killua doesn't deserve to have friends and that he'll ultimately betray them. It doesn't end up matching what happens in the series, nor does it match the overall message of what the series is about, and Illumi is an antagonist whose views the series repeatedly refutes (think: Alluka and how he sees her).

However, I also think that early in the series, Togashi was potentially trying to misdirect the audience with Killua's intentions. Killua early on was much more dangerous and edgy than he becomes as the series goes on, and there were a few pieces of foreshadowing that he might turn on Gon or the main group, which includes Hisoka's statement about Transmuters being fickle and their priorities changing rapidly, as well as Silva making him promise never to betray his friends and then expressing certainty that Killua will come back (as in, he was setting him up for failure because of the needle). There are also a few comparisons of Killua to Hisoka very early on that might fit into this (beyond the Transmuter thing), some even from Killua himself, and the scene with him getting frustrated with the ball game with Netero and then killing those guys as a result.

I believe Togashi laid this expectation down early in the series in order to subvert it and have Killua grow in the opposite direction. Killua felt like a "rival" type character or one who might eventually betray Gon/his friends, but instead he ends up being extraordinarily loyal to Gon (to a fault, even), he gets kinder and emotionally stronger as the series goes on, and he goes to extreme lengths to save Gon even after Gon pushed him away. He actively defies what his family expects of him! Even when he does go back home as Silva predicted, it's in order to break Alluka out of there and leave, and keep his promise to Silva by never betraying his friends--the opposite of what Silva actually wanted to happen when he made that promise with Killua.

Illumi's comment about Gon being "too dazzling for Killua's eyes" actually "comes back" in the form of the You are Light scene, where Killua uses similar language (in the original Japanese version) to describe why he can't look at Gon directly. That whole scene is about Killua comparing himself to Gon and thinking he's not worthy of him. However, Gon ends up falling into darkness himself and only Killua is able to save him--therefore, Killua becomes Gon's "light" right back. Because of what Illumi told Killua and the environment he grew up in, Killua himself didn't have faith in his own ability to be who Gon needed, but he managed it anyway because of how deeply he loves Gon.

He helps break Palm out of her loss of identity after she becomes a Chimera Ant, and becomes Ikalgo's light, too, by befriending him even though they're initially on opposite sides of the war.

We don't know the full reasons for Killua leaving Gon, however I suspect one of the reasons he leaves is in order to protect Gon from Illumi, who very well may pursue and endanger Killua and Alluka. Killua likely also needed a break from Gon after all they went through, but I don't think it'll be forever by any means. I made a post previously about why a reunion and reconciliation between them feels just about inevitable.

So, I absolutely do think those statements about Killua were "planted" intentionally within the series, but for the purpose of him breaking those assumptions rather than living up to them. One of the best things about Killua's character is how he initially seems so much different than he turns out to be. His commitment to and care for those he loves comes from a pure place in spite of the way he was raised, and he grows so much as a person throughout the series. He's a kind and courageous boy. I don't see him leaving Gon as a betrayal or throwing him away or legitimately "replacing" Gon with Alluka--they just came to a point where, for the time being, they had to take diverging paths. But I absolutely think their paths will converge again within the series, assuming Togashi can get that far.

I don't think Togashi is telling a depressing story where these tragic things happen between the two protagonists (who clearly adore each other) and then that's it, their relationship is over and they'll never get to mend the issues between them nor communicate all the things they haven't gotten to say to each other. There's a reason the separation is as brief and complicated as it is--it's intended to leave us with questions, and I believe those questions will be answered someday, assuming the manga is able to reach that point.

[faghubby]

punished

Vicky, my wife of ten years and mother of my two children. opened the door to see me bent over the dining room table as a large black man drove his long thick cock in my ass.

"What is going on here!" She yelled. I tried to get up. But Marcus just pushed me back down into the table and pounded away on my little faggot ass.

"Be done with the cunt in a minute" he told Vicky. Vicky was stunned just stood there watching.

"Vic" I said only to be smacked hand across the ass

"Shut the fuck up bitch" Marcus told me. I didn't dare say another word. Marcus stiffened and grunted as he shoved the full length of his cock in my ass. Pumping his load deep. He pulled out and pulled up his pants.

"All yours" he told Vicky as he let himself out. I stood up my legs tied to the table legs. I was wearing a red bra and stockings. Along with three inch heels. I tried to bend to untie my legs but fell on the floor.

"What the fuck?!" Vicky screamed. "You fucking gay bitch" she looked around evennmore confused by the scene. There was a paddle and two leather belts, along with a bottle of lube and bandage gear. That with me naked on the floor, trying to untie my legs as I babbled about it being a one time thing.

"Shut up" she said disgusted half laughing. She kicked my hand lightly. "Stop that and get up" she ordered me. I tried to stand finally pulling myself up.

"You let men fuck you? spank you?" She held a belt. "Not even sure" she started holding a big 2 inch diameter butt plug. It was still covered in lube. She pushed me down back over the table. She pushed the toy against my ass that was now leaking Marcus cum. My ass sucked it right in.

"Wow" she commented. As I ler out a little wimper. She then walked around the table.

"Don't you dare move" she warned me.

"Vicky I can" I started

"Shut up" she screamed she grabbed a set of leather cuffs and hooked my wrist to one of the legs. Then used another set to hook the other. I could lift myself some but not much. She found the matching panties to the bra I was wearing.

"Open up" she told me and shoved them in my mouth. I don't even think she realized how much she was turning me on. She turned off the light and left. I heard the door close and the car leave. Was she leaving me here for good. Hoping someone else found me. I struggled to get free. But it was a very sturdy table. I was stuck. I cried myself to sleep. What had I done.

It was hours before I head the garage door opening. It woke me up in the silence. Vicky came in obviously had been drinking. I had spit the panties out of my mouth hours ago.

"Still waiting for me cunt" she laughed. I so needed to pee.

"Please Vicky I need to pee" I pleaded. She laughed and looked down at my cock.

"What is this?" She asked grabbing the metal cage and yanking. I screamed.

"Marcus doesn't like to see me get an erection" I wimpered. "So this stops you from getting hard!" She laughed. She let it smack into the table making me groan again. I was about to burst.

"Where the key?" She asked.

"On my dresser" she unhooked one hand then left. I quickly undid my other hand but Marcus nots on the robe on my legs was tight. I struggled getting only one unlocked before I actually peed on the floor.

"You are disgusting" Vicky told me as she returned. "I want this all cleaned up now" she screamed then returned to the bedroom. It was late but I did as she had said and cleaned everything. Scrubbing the floor with disinfectant. I took a shower and removed the plug my ass gapped open after wearing the plug for hours. Only then did I try and go into the bedroom it was locked. I didn't even knock just went and crashed in the guest room. I slept naked not having any clothes but the bra and panties.

I was up before Vicky, actually she didn't emerge from our bedroom till noon. She loomed horribly hung over. I had done some laundry so at least was able to get dressed.

"Can I get you something" I asked. She glared at me then said. There is a mess in the bedroom" I got up and found she had thrown up in the trash can. Looks like most missed. She had also got it on the bed. I cleaned up the floor, took the trash can outside. Then stripped the bed. I had scrubbed the floor and remade the bed by the time. Vicky came back in, only a towel wrapped around her. She had a bruise on her shoulder.

"Are you okay did you fall?" I asked. She glanced at her shoulder. Then smiled.

"No he just liked to bite" she told me getting into bed naked. I noticed another mark on her thigh.

"Bite?" I asked

"Yes, big guy was kinda forceful. A biter, I guess everyone has a kink don't they?" She said glaring at me. I just let her go back to sleep. When I went to check on her a few hours later the door was locked again. I desperately wanted to ask her for the key to my chastity cage but didn't think it was the time.

I let her be, she had cheated on me I guess I deserved that. But what did this mean for us. She emerged from the room again about dinner time. I had made pasta. She devoured a bowl. And then went back to bed with two bottles of water. I heard her lock the door. She didn't emerge until the next morning and then rushed out the door for work with barely a word. No option I wore the chastity cage to work.

When I got home Vicky was home, she normally was home before me so this was normal. I found a garage bag by the door and without thought I threw it away. I found Vicky in the bathroom folding laundry.

"Vicky can I have the key to the chastity cage" I asked just wanting it off I had never worn it this long.

"Why? You don't need it anymore" Vicky said confused.

"What?" I stuttered

"Well your lover obviously doesn't use it for anything, and I certainly an not going to be using it again. So why?" Vicky asked again looking at me. "I may have use of that tounge from time to time but that's it" Vicky added.

"Vick!" I wimpered.

"What you can't expect me to see you as a man after the other night can you?" She asked. "Come here" she patted the bed.

I sat next to her.

"I got rid of all your boy undies too, I mean you like wearing girlie things right?" She said her hand cupping my face.

"I slept with Greg" she confessed. Greg was my best friend he would never.

"Greg wouldn't" I started.

"When I showed him the pics of you getting fucked by your boyfriend he understood why I needed a man. I didn't know he liked to bite though" Vicky explained. "Here put these away" she handed me a pile of bras and panties. I headed towards her dresser.

"Silly those are yours" Vicky told me. I looked down and realized she was serious and placed them in my empty underwear drawer.

"I would like to meet your lover, what is his name?" Vicky continued

"Marcus" I said softly

"He has a big cock, is he gay. I mean does he fuck woman as well?' Vicky asked.

"I don't think so" I told her. In kind of a trance. Was this all happening?

she took my phone and called Marcus.

"Hello whore" he answered the phone with.

"This is the whore's wife Vicky "she told him.

"You want me to stop fucking the slut?" He asked with a chuckle.

"No, not at all. He seemed to enjoy it "she told him. "I think he like it if you fucked him even more" I listened as the two of them started to make decisions and a schedule of my life. I tried twice to interrupt but was silenced before I could speak.

Vicky gave up any marital rights, giving them over to Marcus. She promised to make me more femine for him as well. I found myself meeting Marcus two to three times a week. Vicky had hired a contractor to build a bedroom and bathroom in the basement. It even had its own entrance. As soon as it was done I moved into it. She had designed the room with hidden anchor points, the room was also done in pink and light blue colors. And the closet full of woman's clothes in my size. Marcus could come and go privately. Vicky didn't hide that I was a sissy fag. And openly slept with other men.

Marcus even started taking me put as his little sissy bitch in public. Even making me service some of his friends. We have been married for 15 more years. Where I don't think I have seen Vicky naked in all that time. We have both gone thru several lovers.

[dimepdf]

★  𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊 𝐔𝐏 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃. + 𝐓𝐎𝐉𝐈 𝐅𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐎

masterlist. / taglist. / any request? synopsis. holiday season is near, whats Christmas without a little drama to stir and a new boo for the mistletoe?

─── ☆ notes. i realized that i missed 3 uploads because none of them queued i'm SICK this tumblr update is tearing me apart and y'all didn't even tell me .

─── ☆ length. 1.6K (16 mins) .

─── ☆ genre and warnings. holiday season drama, christmas theme, established relationship, angsty, age gap, asshole boyfriend Gojo, eat the rich, cheating, daddy's money!, sorry gojo girlies, not beta'd put me on the naughty list | — feedback is always welcomed & don't forget to reblog 🤍

You were convinced that along with old age came a sour attitude towards the holidays. Sure, Gojo was twice your age and around the same age as your own father, considering the fact that Gojo was the top-paid employee in your father's company. 

When you first started to get comfortable with the fact that you were in a committed relationship with the man, you only wanted him to be your designated booty call.

just someone that you needed to warm up your bed whenever you got a little bored.

He'd slipped through the cracks of your commitment issues, crawling through the shit that you'd put him through just to finally tie you down and agree to the title of his girlfriend. 

But the moment that you two started to spend more time together, it was obvious that you two were two different people going through completely different paths in life.

It was a struggle trying to include each other in the daily routines that the both of you had already settled into, one that would always be the strain that ignited the flame for the main topic for the arguments that you two had. 

As the month crept to an end and it was your first holiday that you two were spending together, you were starting to notice how much of an absolute grinch your grown-ass boyfriend was.

"I don’t understand why I have to dress like we’re going to a fucking gala." Gojo complained for the fourth time, fidgeting with his dark green tie around his neck. The beep of his Mercedes was heard as he locked it.

You hadn't understood why he was complaining so much. The ivy green of his velvet suit not only fitted against his pale complexion, but it matched perfectly with the dark shade of wine red you wore to fit the Christmas theme.

"Stop being such a brat, I never knew you'd passed up the free opportunity to pass on unnecessarily expensive wine and old people talking about their slot shares and other boring shit." You hissed out into the cold air, hugging your jacket closer to your chest for warmth.

The night was young, the sky a darker purple as the moon rose just above in the sky, and down from the clouds fell small specs of white crystals laying against the ground, leaving a small blanket of white on the streets and anything else that it could mark. 

You would have thought it was a scene from a movie if it hadn't been for the hot-headed being erasing all recollections of Christmas joy you had left in your soul. 

"Last I checked, that boring shit is the reason you could even afford to wear that godawful set." Your outfit wasn’t awful: nothing about the dazzling diamond necklace that decorated your collarbone or the white crystals that hung from your ears was anything close to being considered ugly.

"I swear it's like you don't even try to look even close to modest." It just wasn't the dress that Gojo had laid out for you to wear. 

Another reason that you two were arguing would be his completely unbearable, controlling personality, wanting to dress you up and down as if you were his personal Barbie doll.

"Last I checked, my father pays your bills, honey," you scoffed, ignoring his invitation to hold his arm and stomping forward to the door. 

As with the doorman who greeted you by name, your annoyance morphed into a split second of kindness. Not missing the sly smile placed on his lips as he checked you out.

He wasn't bad looking—a tall man with a wide stature and a dark gaze—and if you hadn't had the throne by your side—aka Gojo—you might have given him another look. 

It seemed like Gojo didn't miss that look of reconsideration in your eye, ignoring the man's greeting and barreling through the door with a scuff.

"So now you're going to throw a tantrum tonight, how fucking mature of you," he scoffed, grabbing you by the elbow and bringing you to a halt. 

You stumbled a bit from the force but were used to Gojo's strength enough to stabilize yourself in your heels.

You didn't bother making the confrontation look anything but aggressive, you hoped that someone would get the completely wrong idea just by looking at you glaring up at him. 

Fortunately for Gojo, your father seemed to appear out of thin air, as he looked as graceful and rich as ever.

A man out of a bougie magazine always seemed too dressed to impress.

You were convinced he did it just to remind the other people around him that they could never dream to even make as much money as he would spend in a day.

"Ah, there you are, sweetheart. I was waiting to see when you and Gojo would arrive."

Your father was a stony man, practically always in business mode, ready to give just about anyone that would lend him an ear a nice long ramble about how important it is to stay ahead in life, to never let your self-worth droop, and to especially never let anyone walk all over you, which you found pretty ironic given the type of guy you were dating.

Gojo's expression had changed completely, plastering on that annoying chirper smile as if he wasn't already red in the face and ready to blow up at you.

You two should have gotten Grammy awards for how quickly you could change from the appearance of completely hating each other to looking like the world's star couple as you yanked your elbow from his grasp instead of tucking your arm into his. 

"Hope you found the place quite already. If I knew it was bound to snow this much, I would have moved the date back a bit." You detested small talk, even despised it. 

No matter the person or situation, you could hide the way your smile twitched, your eyes already scanning for an escape. The last thing you wanted to do at a party was talk about the fucking weather.

"Yeah, it was a pretty long drive with the traffic and all, I’m gonna go find the restrooms to freshen up a bit." The excuse was enough for your father to allow you to part ways, slipping away from the conversation with a small hug before your heels directed you straight to the open bar. 

Drinking was a pretty good distraction, especially when you were passed a new glass at the wave of a hand. You had almost felt shame at the side glances the bartender would give you with every shot.

 "Boy trouble?" Anyone but the doorman with the alluring eyes and Chester smile was expected to be sitting next to you. 

Your eyes instantly flickered to the scar that traced just over his lips. He seemed to get a lot of attention from the scar, his tongue swiping over the front of his smile to his cheek once he had noticed your eyes on his mouth.

You weren't sloppy drunk; if anything, you were a bit tipsy, as your party phase definitely raised your alcohol tolerance. "Sorry, what?" you stuttered a bit over your syllables, lashes fluttering as you genuinely tried to recognize the question he asked.

Toji didn't seem phased at all, only biting back a chuckle as he leaned against the bar counter, rotating his entire position on the stool to face you completely.

An extremely attractive gesture of interest that you had checked off on the list of things that he’s done that you found completely hot.

Another thing was the way his head nodded in the direction of Gojo, yet his eyes still stayed on you as if a split second of looking away would miss some little detail about you. "What do you think they're talking about?"

The question had brought a smile to your face, and you were giggling into your drink as you tipped back the glass. "I bet stocks and boring shit." Your thoughts returned to the earlier argument. "A bunch of stuck-up assholes parading around my dad just for a raise." You sighed. 

"I don't blame them, shit might go over there myself if it meant a few months off rent." You felt his hand rest against your thigh, his palm warm to the touch despite standing outside in the snow.

You wondered how he had managed to radiate so much heat from his body, almost like a personal heater, resisting the urge to lean into his chest and nuzzle your face into his chest.

With a glance, you noticed how black seemed to be his color—dark slacks and a button-up shirt that hugged his muscles just the right amount. 

Not enough to tear around the seams, but enough to show that he had definitely bought in a bigger size but had gotten shrunken as he got bigger, or maybe he just didn't know how to wash his clothes.

Either way, you weren't complaining much as he seemed to soak up all the attention you gave him. "You're pretty handsy for a guy I just met."

"And you're just pretty." He had seemed to be leaning in more and more, wanting to get as close to you as he possibly could.

Wanting to know how far he could push you before you would pull away, and maybe it was the alcohol talking or the fact that your asshole boyfriend was just a few feet away, glaring at you from across the room, but something inside of you just seemed to erupt.

“Wanna get out of here?”

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[isa-ghost]

Hi! I was wondering if you have any tips for outlining your story?

I’m trying to work on one, but it doesn’t really want to cooperate with me when I try to outline.

Do you have any tips for what works for you?

I would say don't force it, most importantly. You won't be satisfied and it won't come out great if your heart and mind just aren't in it. Get your inspiration and creative muse going first.

I genuinely don't know how the fuck I got my plot as fleshed out as it is, I got hella lucky it kept going. It was very fuck it we ball.

I will say, I often reread what I already had planned before letting my little brain movie continue.

I can picture things in my head really clearly, so basically my brain gave me a movie of the first 5 chapters and I just let it "yes and" itself until it just kept going. Or I got specific scenes that popped into my head and then wrote from where I left off and pushed things in a direction that could make the scene true in a way that made sense and flowed well.

From there, I knew I needed to resolve conflicts I'd established ("how does Phil get EK out of his body?"), come back to certain plot points I'd planted the seeds of ("so how is Phil doing while the group is planning his rescue?"), or cover "well what's going on with x during this time?" type stuff ("how is Missa taking care of the kids on his own while this is all going on?"). So over time, I'd make sure to either devote a whole chapter or just a scene to cover the thing, whatever length felt right.

As soon as I get a rough idea of what major points I want to cover, the rest comes organically as I'm writing. For example, in Chapter 3, I did not plot the Pissa date thoroughly. My plan said "fluffy distraction date, but hes hallucinating," and eventually "Phil hallucinates an enderman which exposes he's not doing well so he confesses everything to Missa bc he can't bring himself to lie to him." I didn't plan them visiting an event venue, going on a picnic, taking pictures, anything casual they talked about before that point. I let it come out in the moment and allowed the pieces to just fall into place because over-planning something can sometimes choke the life out of it.

Though that could just be what works for me because I'm taking over a decade of roleplaying skills and fitting them to a fic. A lot of the scenes I write come out the same way I'd start a roleplay. You can see it most in the start of a chapter, because both require setting the scene before puppeting the character(s) within it.

And obligatory mention that the process isn't always linear, flowing perfectly, etc. Shit takes time and the first draft is not gonna be your last, even if only a single detail changes later. Don't expect perfection the first time, you'll limit yourself and you won't be satisfied later. It could straight up kill your motivation to write the thing at all. I've deleted whole paragraphs of text in chapter 4 because even though they were written beautifully, it wasn't what I wanted or didn't match my plan.

So basically:

Ride as long as you can on the initial idea. Milk as much Where Does This Go / What Happens Next from it as possible

Play to your strengths when writing. If you're good at describing setting or atmosphere, go nuts. If you're good at writing dialogue, weaponize that. Whatever you're best at writing, lean into that and it'll make your story shine.

Keep the things you need to conclude satisfyingly in mind. Figure out how you want to resolve the conflict(s) you've started, then steer the plot in that direction however you see fit. If you establish certain things, decide if you Need or Want to actually write it out rather than imply it happening/being done/whatever.

Make sure the events that connect two plot points together flow well and make sense, but leave room for improvising because things that unfold organically are important in order to avoid having a plot feel too "mechanical" so to speak. Not to mention things that miraculously fall into place and just fit in perfectly are super rewarding and motivating.

Don't be precious with your ideas. If something doesn't fit, suck it up and delete it (you can always copy/paste it elsewhere to keep it in case it works later on, or you're just so damn proud of what you wrote that you don't want to banish it to the void). Chances are when you rewrite the scene or steer it in a more logical direction, you'll write something you like even more. If you don't, sometimes sacrifices must be made and you can refine the new thing until it's to your liking as many times as you want. OR you can commit to the new thing you wrote, but make sure to make all the changes to your plot and such necessary to have that thing make sense and flow well with the rest of what you're writing.

And very important: If you're writing for something that has a Canon, make sure what you're doing makes sense for the character. Don't have a "he would not fucking say that" / "he does not have the emotional intelligence for that" (HUGE ONE. Modern fandom has a massive problem with bitching about characters not communicating, but if the character would not spill their guts to someone, don't fuckin do it!! Miscommunication sucks, but lack of communication is a device that often benefits plot and creates conflict necessary for an interesting story!!) / etc moment. Dig into the character's brain and understand how they work, take what you know about how they are in situations and in general and apply that. Binge read character analysis for help, your best resources are your fellow fandom mates who are insane about their little guys. Consult them if you can't find any analyses, they'll write you a whole essay often times. Characterization is extremely important and many readers just straight up won't read your thing if you're butchering their special guy. For example, Phil is deeply allergic to sharing his burdens and hates the idea of putting his friends in danger. Obviously I'm not gonna have him venting to anyone who'll listen that he's being possessed by a god they don't even know of and that he needs their help. Even when you're writing an AU, that will rarely ever make the character's canon way of being irrelevant, you just have to think about how those traits would look in your universe/specific situation. There's still even more nuance to this I won't cover, but just keep in mind that writing a character accurately matters!

[eternasci]

Anatomy of Writing

This is just an analysis on my writing style, my weaknesses, strengths, and other tidbits I've noticed over the ten years of my tumblr writing journey. I always strive to improve, which means acknowledging my banes and boons, as well as spots where I feel style has taken precedence over rules. I welcome others to do the same.

This is also littered with links (whether to my old blogs, or my current writing advice blog), so feel free to be nosy. I welcome input of any kind!

Epithets. My earliest (tumblr) writing can be found on my first roleplay blog, pintsizedpyro. By no means did I write the way I did now. On first glance, I utilized simplistic epithets heavily (e.g., "the girl", "the Korean", etc). I've strayed from this as a result of advice given (and also, a general dislike for how it cut into my writing). To this day, I believe I still typically avoid them if there is no deeper meaning. Whether this makes parsing my posts difficult is unknown to me; I have no issues when re-reading, though that's an obvious bias. I love ones with meaning; ones that typically coincide with a character's facets (e.g. using a title to demand authority rather than a simple first name, or calling a character, whose personality can be likened to a dog, a "hound"... you know who you are). Repetition. Similarly, I found repetition within my earliest attempts. It couldn't be helped, but I did notice and often attempted to revise statements in which I would experience overlapping of words even then (epithets being a big one; particularly, when paragraphs would condense and I'd see similar phrases stacked on top of each other, I wanted to kill someone). This is an inevitability at times; the dictionary has many words, but switching them around for the sake of prettying up a post can cause confusion. At the most, I would rewrite entire sentences to at least break up the distance between repeating offenders. This still happens today, but I am swift when it comes to recognizing and rewriting it out.

Length. We've all been there. Receiving a long post and wanting to return fire. I have long found this useless, something to be ironed out of me. Unless I have substance to fill the page, I have to simply be complacent with how much I can give back. We've all gotten carried away and had much to say, but as we always politely mention: there is really no need to match. Due to the "method" behind my writing, I can string lengthy, prose-laden sentences together, but I do not expect the Mona Lisa in turn. That's just a stylistic choice. Similarly, I can get a lot out of a little, and won't press myself to add more if I believe the point has crossed over. I think we would all prefer to have something to work with over a bunch of pretty fluff.

Writing Structure. The beast that typically intimidates others from interacting with me. This post inspired the way I create my sentences. I think, in some ways, I've taken it beyond suggestion given (I like my replies to sound lyrical, perhaps due to the way the post describes their "improved" sentence). I don't think I've fully embodied this just yet. I feel as though my sentences still end up particularly long with no abrupt, shorter statements to allow for breathing. It's something I'm conscious of and actively trying to work on. I'm not particularly upset with the way my current writing manifests itself, though, especially when comparing one of the older threads I was proud of on pintsizedpyro to one of my most "memorable" ones on burstbombbitch.

The writing is objectively different. In the time (four years) between these posts, I believe I had adopted a more descriptive method of writing. I know when writing the latter post I was primarily aiming for beauty and scene setting, but body language had evolved to become one of my most prominent focuses. Due to my muse's anatomy at the time (the lack thereof), I felt as though I could emphasize and exaggerate body language, pushing it to its limits. I am also aware I wrote in this way to "match" with the person I was writing with, as their writing entranced me and was something I aspired to become. I have found a middle ground, being the style I now write in. I do feel as though my background/scene setting could use more work, but I know it is not impossible for me to do, having evidence of doing so previously. That, and other wonderful writers really help me with their love of elaborating on plots!

I've also been told that my writing is "difficult to read," but not in a particularly bad light. I think the critique is spot on, but I do need the ability to make it "easy" on the fly for others as well. That being said, I find myself omitting things that I believe should be derived from context, which makes a good segue into this next segment...

Word Choice and Character Voice. This is something I feel I could work on. I have three "main" muses at this time: sinsolucion, lovlorne, and eternasci. I want to believe they all have different "writing styles" when I piece their threads together, that others will read the narrative (not just the dialogue!) with the same "vibe" the character themselves give off. Much of my struggle comes from how lovlorne and eternasci both can be on the "fancier" side of things. I struggle to differentiate the two, which isn't inherently bad (someone can simply like a character archetype, which I most definitely adore both), but I do wonder how successful I am when it comes to isolating what makes these characters them.

Then there's sinsolucion, who I believe would have none of the elegance the former two share. On rereading posts, I think I've managed to nail keeping him "simple," although actions like body language may still invoke my type of "lyrical" writing. This is a post that kind of has me like... "wait, maybe this was written with too much influence from my other blogs?" Objectively, nothing is wrong... but it does feel too fancy for a dude who just... isn't. Funnier still, this character is a writer, but he would absolutely never write the way I do. It creates some dissonance that makes for a challenge, but I do love him for it. It can be drowned out when reading other replies from Lucien or Xiuying, though. It also helps that, unlike these two, Soren doesn't typically undergo the same thought process or even have the same weak points in their characterization, leaving him to fill in voids they don't allow me to write.

It's difficult to divide your "style" for a different "person," but Soren gives me a good challenge, and helps me grow all the same. Also, he's a breath of fresh air when it comes to his very different interactions. Honestly, after going over these, that aforementioned post definitely felt a little fancy for Soren. I might rewrite it just to see what I could've done differently, knowing the sentence that particularly stood out to me as being more "Lucien" vibes (e.g. "mutters he beneath breath, smirk unbending, nigh threatening to wax crescent").

Just all in the fun of dissecting one's own style.

Steps to Writing a Reply. For Lucien and Xiuying, the first sentence is key. Both of their writing styles are particularly lyrical. I utilize a lot of alliteration and rhyme to get that feeling of song, though it can bleed into Soren's replies as well, evident by the post that has become the previous topic. Typically, when I get that first sentence going, the rest all flow along behind it. I usually knock a reply out all in one go, though I will save a draft and return later to reread it and analyze if I've come up with anything better in the midst of that break. It feels fitting to "set the scene" for these two overly dramatic assholes with a leading sentence, bolded and in bigger text to capture someone's primary attention, both of which crave to be in the spotlight literally and figuratively.

I think just about any post is an example of me framing the first sentence, but a good chunk of my favorites come from Lucien, especially when they're on the particularly silly or dramatic side. Xiuying has her moments, but most of them were in her development a few years ago. Her style has become more "pointed" and jarring to align with her new design, though anything that comes before her third phase of development falls back to the eloquence Lucien has now.

things to come back and add to this: my weakness of scene setting/bgs dialogue

This isn't really something to "tag" per say, since it's not reeeally a prompt or meme, but I'd love to see some elaboration on writing styles I'm super curious about (and as we all say, for the love of all that is holy, you DONT need to match)! I've sent out asks already, but if you haven't gotten one, steal this!

so suffer: @bloodxhound, @kagoshou, @fatedprincess @lionfanged, @goldenfists, @vtriol, @passionoathed, @shdwtouch, @stillresolved, @mielmoto, @amorbloom, @wishedby !

[thedawningofthehour]

Making Fun of Rich People Round 2

This one's a little bit different. This house is in Arizona, listed for a clean 20 mil, eight bedrooms ten baths, 16,000 square feet. The outside is really nothing special, looks like every other southwestern wanna-be movie star mansion so let's

Kicking things off with a bang.

You know. I can't even say anything bad about this. Like, the other house, they were people who clearly had more money than taste and built their house as a shrine to their bank accounts. It was not meant to live in, but to prove their wealth. It was ridiculous and stupid and they deserved to be made fun of.

These people. These people know their house is ugly. They know that table was an obscene waste of money. They know that couch screams "my coke dealer was redecorating." They do not care. They love bringing people in and watching their expressions of horror. They rub their hands together gleefully as people try to think of a compliment that isn't too obviously pulled out of their ass.

I mean, come on. That green chandelier, they're absolutely trolling us.

And I'm going to be honest, this looks like a living room I'd actually feel comfortable hanging out in. I can see someone on that couch eating ice cream out of the carton at 3 AM. People sit on that rug and play board games on that table. These people furnished their house to live in, not to display.

I am still going to tease them about it, however.

I'm laughing with them, not at them.

Is it just the angle or does that bed seem super short?

I...don't even know what I'm looking at here. I think this is the closet?

No, okay, they have a whole mall outlet store in here. This is like that one scene in Princess Diaries 2 except Julie Andrews would politely show herself out.

Why the marble. Why do you need a sitting area in your closet.

I will admit, I'm disappointed that the owner of such an interesting house has this many black pumps. I get that they go with everything, but-that's the point. They're universal. You don't need over a dozen of them. I expected better shoes.

Nobody:

Rich People: "make the bathroom...ROUND."

fr, their insanity always seems to come out full-force in the bathroom. I legitimately think rich people might not poop or bathe, because it's always some crazy shit that would be incredibly uncomfortable or downright impossible to use.

Another thing I've noticed, rich people all seem to want bathroom doors that open to the outside. Why?!

Especially when this is the outside they're opening up to!

Seriously, what is the point of this?! You're buck naked and decide to go have a smoke next to some cactuses and your giant patio geode. That's all that's out here. Why. Why.

Actually, it looks like there's little paths, which...just makes this worse, honestly. Imagine you're taking a leisurely stroll through the cactus garden and you pass your parents' bathroom patio, getting a full view of your mom taking a bath through the floor-length windows.

"Yes, in our dining hall with the light fixture that looks like birthday sparklers and our collection of Totally Real cactuses."

I've seen designers rag on those unfinished wood tables before, and while I didn't really agree with them at the time I kind of do now. I think this would look cool as like, a side table or accent table, but on a dining table it's just kind of awkward.

This is the same room, they just kept panning out.

While I made fun of the other house for their grand piano, I have no doubt that someone in this family is a drug-fueled musician. This room looks mega-comfy to lay back and watch a movie in, and I love the sheep.

I'm just...in awe of the audacity.

They didn't even try to match. Didn't even pretend like they cared. And I'm not gonna lie, the red countertop is doing something for me.

"When we want the bugs to join us for dinner."

I can't stress this enough, they have multiple patio sets.

See, the last people didn't show off all their alcohol at their bar because they thought it looked more refined not to. These guys probably have art supplies tucked away in their bar just to keep you on your toes. (they don't need a bar, these are the kind of people who carry flasks around with them)

So like...objectively, this bathroom is hideous. It's way too much, the feather thing is ridiculous, that cabinet is ugly as sin.

But I kind of love it?

Just a reminder: this is in Arizona.

...I have nothing to say here.

WHAT IS UP WITH RICH PEOPLE AND THEIR UGLY BATHROOMS?!

Again with the doorway to the outside! And I see this a lot, but so many rich people bathrooms don't have storage spaces?! Like, look at those sinks. What.

More to my theory that rich people don't have any need for bathrooms.

This is the bedroom I wanted as a thirteen-year-old and just now realized I still do.

THE WALLPAPER IS EVEN BIRBS!

Like, I can't even make fun of this. I am just in awe. This entire house looks if sixth grade me had access to the Sims 3 Create-A-Style and the motherlode cheat, and I honestly love that for them. I hope these people find a new house to be extremely fucking cool in.

Leaving with these calming lemons in the backyard! Pay no attention to all the bathrooms that open up directly to the garden.

[morethanaloveinterest]

A Reverent Review of Padme's Costumes on ROTS

Let's look at all the costumes Padme wears in Revenge of the Sith and try not to cry.

This is the first costume we see Padme wearing in this movie. She wears it to wait for Anakin and then tell him that she is pregnant. It's not the first time she's worn buns, but these are the closest to Leia's and it makes sense for her to wear them when pregnant. She is also wearing dark clothes and wrapped up thoroughly in a cloak because she is hiding a lot - both her relationship with Anakin and her pregnancy.

Female representation: 10/10 I mean, she's very covered up, but can't complain.

Practicality: 9/10 Presumably moving around is a little impractical but it works great for what she's doing.

Here is the third nightgown we see Padme wearing. Unlike the other two, it is not white. Virginal white, some might say. The color reflects her married status, as does the bare shoulders.

Female representation: 9/10 It's a nightgown, so obviously going to be more revealing than other clothes. However, it makes sense as something Padme would wear, what with the detailing and the length.

Practicality: 8/10 Again, nightgowns are not the most practical. I'm sure she could manage to get up to some adventures if needed.

Padme wears this to meet with some other senators in a deleted scene and then talk to Anakin about what side they're really on. It matches the complexity of her other formal senatorial gowns while also hiding her pregnancy effectively. Her headdress is less elaborate but clearly different from her previous buns - she is definitely at work now.

Female representation: 9/10 You know, I am going to dock a point for having a pregnant woman have to wear something so voluminous to hide it. But it is nice to see a pregnant lady wear something so lovely.

Practicality: 7/10 As with her other gowns, it is probably fine and she could manage, but this one is especially large and difficult to maneuver in, I would imagine.

Padme wears this in her apartment presumably casually. Like most of her daywear in this movie, it is a dark color. Unlike her previous gown, it shows off her baby bump in a very flattering way.

Female representation: 10/10 A great representation of what a pregnant lady might wear in this universe. Padme would definitely wear this of her own volition.

Practicality: 9/10 Not the most practical dress she's worn, but the skirt is not so voluminous or dragging on the floor, and the sleeves are closely fitted under the lace shawl. So I think she could do whatever she wanted to in this.

Padme wears this in a more formal setting than the previous one, which explains how voluminous it is to hide her pregnancy. The belt is pretty but otherwise it seems more like a cloak than a dress.

Female representation: 9/10 can I drop a point because I just don't really like it? I understand the in-universe explanation for the design but Padme would not like being under all that weight while in a delicate condition.

Practicality: 7/10 Probably less than her other gowns but about the same the previous one of this design.

Nightgown #4! I really like this one. Again, it is not white because she is married. The blue reminds me of Naboo, the lake district where she and Anakin fell in love. I really like the detailing on this nightgown and the opening for her belly is a great touch.

Female representation: 10/10 I can not think of a better nightgown for a lady, especially a pregnant one to wear.

Practicality: 8/10 Still a nightgown, but pretty good for all that.

She wears this gown to the final senate meeting, where she gets one of the best lines in Star Wars. The structure is more like her queen's costumes and emphasizes her important position in the government. It also sort of resembles what Palpatine wears, which makes sense as she represents his opposite. And her halo-like headdress emphasizes how she could be the angle on Anakin's shoulder to Palpatine's devil.

Female representation: 10/10 Perfect for her last official senatorial gown. It hides her pregnancy without looking like she's wearing a tent, which is nice.

Practicality: 8/10 Likely no more practical than her other state gowns.

Can it be, Nightgown #5? At least leisure-wear. Her robe is similar to the one from the last movie but not, I believe, exactly the same. Her nightgown is now purple and I wish we had seen her wear that color more often.

Female representation: 10/10 Another great nightgown for our pregnant leading lady.

Practicality: 8/10 I mean, it is still a nightgown.

Padme wears this to go make a final plea to her husband to come back to her. It is similar to her action scene outfit at the end of the previous movie, though a darker color.

Female representation: 10/10 This is by far the most comfortable she looks in any of her pregnancy outfits. It would stretch in the needed areas but not leave her dealing with a lot of excess fabric.

Practicality: 10/10 Definitely the most practical thing she wears for the whole movie. Both because of her condition and to go potentially get into some adventures on Mustafar.

Padme's final gown, which she wears for the funeral. It's giving strong Ophelia vibes and that makes sense, given the similar reasons for their demise. It's very beautiful and tragic.

Female representation: 10/10 Okay, I mean, if we have to look at a deceased woman, it could be worse. She looks like she's in a fairy tale, Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, and that's a lovely way to go out.

Practicality: 8/10 I can't really tell, to be honest, since she is obviously only ever laying down in it. But I'm sure it's fine. I'm not crying at all.

If you enjoyed this, check out my Star Wars for the Girlies Series (Padme episode out now!)

[revretch]

Hey! Big fan of your work - I've recently started delving into Blender animation, is there any way you could share the workflow u use when animating stuff?

Of course, but be warned that my workflow is highly idiosyncratic!

First off: Rigging. How I do it depends on exactly what I'm animating. If I'm rigging Sophodra, Gregorsa, or one of the humans, I'll use Rigify, which ships with Blender (though you'll have to enable it in add-ons). It's free, and for roughly human-shaped figures, it gets the job done.

For the other insects, and especially for the arachnids, it gets a little harder. See, arachnid limbs have a lot of joints, and most rigging add-ons aren't equipped to handle limbs more than three bones long--and I definitely wouldn't want to set up inverse kinematics for that many legs manually. So for those, I use an add-on called FreeIK, which you can get on Blender Market for only $30 (but be sure to read the docs!): https://blendermarket.com/products/freeik

FreeIK is amazing! It uses a method called "ephemeral rigging," which lets me pin any bone in place whenever I please, making it much more like animating a puppet and allowing a much finer level of control than traditional rigs. Sadly, that can be a little too much control on some model--hips on humanoid rigs will shoot out at random. For something like a spider, however, it's absolutely perfect! (I recommend using it in tandem with Selection Sets, another add-on that ships with Blender, to keep track of which bones you want pinned.)

Moving on from rigging, I also use an add-on called Onion Skin Tools. This one is only $10 on Blender Market: https://blendermarket.com/products/onion-skin-tools

As the name suggests, it lets you use onion skinning like in 2D animation. I couldn't imagine doing a walk cycle without it! With its help, I'm easily able to make a repeating walk cycle that loops in place while I move a parent empty around. (And if you're using FreeIK, you'll definitely want to be using a parent empty for placement. It's powerful, but bones can start behaving unpredictably if you get too far from the model's origin. I use two nested parent empties--one for walking, parented in turn to a master empty used for general placement.)

As of work on episode seven, I've also start incorporating Grease Pencil. Grease Pencil is an excellent tool all around, allowing you to do 2D animation in Blender! My style is cel-shaded enough that I can combine it with 2D. Not only do I use it for storyboard reference, but I also use it to draw on top of the scene, for where the 3D just isn't cutting it. I import the storyboards and other drawings with an add-on I made myself--Blender by default only lets you import black-and-white shapes, but my add-on imports as strokes, and can handle color: https://github.com/revereche/lineart_to_gp

I've also started incorporating AnimAll, which is fantastic (and also ships with Blender!). Shapekeys are already powerful tools, allow you to tweak the mesh manually when the rig isn't doing what you need. AnimAll lets you give each Shapekey multiple frames, so you don't need to set up a ton of Shapekeys to do one complex chain of movement. (Be warned it can cause file bloat, though, so use it wisely!)

As for the workflow itself, I go in this order, more or less (after writing the script and making any needed model adjustments, of course):

1.) Storyboarding. Since it's just me, they don't need to be great quality. The most important thing is making sure of the placements, getting the poses down in gestural strokes, and most importantly, getting the expressions just right.

2.) Recording voices. This can also be done before storyboarding, but I like to be sure of the scene flow before I commit. I used to start with rough placeholder voices, but ended up with awkward timing when the length of the final lines didn't match the original well enough. (Good thing none of my characters lip sync!) So, now I do the final audio on this step.

3.) Staging. Previously, this meant eyeballing the storyboard while I roughly placed the characters in the scene. Now, I import the storyboards in a Grease Pencil parented to the camera, so I can pose the characters to the storyboards more precisely. It preserves vivid gestures that would be easily lost in the CG stage otherwise!

4.) Props and backgrounds. Sometimes, I put this off until after animation, but it's really best to do it now. This can be mesh objects, planes I've painted on--or, often, planes I've painted on and extruded partially into mesh. I like to use Geometry Nodes for mesh wherever possible, especially when instancing many objects! It makes dealing with tons of vines (and humans) much easier. Also experiment with Shader Nodes, since generated textures are crisper than you would get with anything but very large texture images. (And if you're using Cycles, don't overlook displacement! Though you'll have to remember to turn that on in the sidebar preferences. That said, I mostly use Eevee, but am starting to look into Cycles for backgrounds.)

5.) Finally, final animation! I've already put the rough poses down, so I begin by cleaning those up, then adding any needed transitional poses. Then, I manually tweak the speed of the tweening, and offset the movements of parts that drag or bounce more than the rest (e.g. antennae). When a character needs to stand mostly still, I'll add a very slight bob for a moving hold, so they don't look like a mannequin.

After this, I render the image sequences, then put them all together in a video sequencing file. There, I add the citation blips, credits, and Gregorsa's Notes, as well as do some editing in post. Then, it's time to render the final video!

Hope that helps. I wish you luck in your future Blender endeavors!

[bosstoaster]

How do you write long stories? Like, 20k+ ? I always have these grand ideas of how I'd like to write a fic that carries grander themes, like a plot against someone that's investigated or a slow burn romance literally anything that feels like it needs to be long to match the content? Like a 5k murder mystery would be over so quickly it'd lose impact? But I can never find the words or inspiration for what should happen in all the "in-between" moments. I can think of things for the beginning and end and a couple of scenes in the middle and it all comes out to about 8-10k. And I can never think of what to put between those scenes. I've got so many disjointed fics I've written over the years that have remained drafts because I don't know how to elevate them from scenes into stories? The pieces don't fit well enough together to turn it into something more epic. It remains a small fic :/ Any advice at all on this? I remember you saying a rough word count of all your fics combined over the past couple years and being flabbergasted by the number. Extraordinary. I'd love to be able to write long fics 🙏 sorry for the ramble!

(Current total AO3 word count is just over 2.75 million words, which doesn't count the 350k-ish in drafts, or fics on account accounts. But anyhow.) I had the same problem for a really long time, actually! Like, genuinely a decade of fic writing through middle and high school. The answer might be different for different people, but one thing really changed the game for me.

Outlines. Outlines are essential for longer stories, by my book.

What I do is I have an idea for a fic, usually a scene or like, an image of a ~vibe.~ From there I ask myself the first question. What do I want from this? Is it a cute romcom situation? Is it a sexy horror story about taming a monster? Is it a surrealist horror story? What do I want someone else to feel when reading this?

When I have that answer, I can answer the next questions: is this an AU or a canon fic? An AU means that your first chapter is probably going to be setting up the differences from canon. Canon means you have to tell your readers when we are in canon and set up how we got to the Situation (or jump into it, if you're feeling spicy.)

With that answer, we have an approximate starting location. It's fic, so we know where your audience is. How do we get from there to what you want to write about? What needs to happen for your fic to occur? For example, in my vampire fic, step one was turning/killing Dave. Okay, so you have your fic in a state where you're ready to run wild with your premise. Here's the actual meat of your questions.

How do I determine what goes in between the start and the scenes I want to write?

Usually one of a few ways

What needs to occur to get to the scenes I want to write? What makes the characters act in a way I want them to, but isn't out of character? Do they need to be hurt? Emotionally compromised? Worn down? How does THAT happen?

What makes logical, in character sense for the characters to do? Given any of the scenes and conflicts you have planned, what would be their next move/concern?

What SLAPS? What scenes add to the feeling I want the audience to have? For example, if this is a rom com, what scenes would make it clear they should get together, or would work well emotionally? If it's a cozy mystery, what clever things does the main character notice that tell you more about the weird cast of suspects? If it's a horror, what makes the situation more tense?

The point of an outline is literally to fill in these gaps. And there's no stress! You can change stuff or ignore it down the line. You're just drawing a basic map for yourself to know the directions you need to go. Just put down ideas, and if they don't work, erase it and try again.

Many vary a lot in length depending on how much detail I already have in my head, how long the fic is, and how complex the story will be. The Vampire sequel outline is six pages long (very long), while most of them are a page or so.

Here's the vampire sequel outline, speaking of. For that, what I had at the start was a) the boys testing what it means to be a vampire and b) Vamp kidnapping Dave. That's all. The rest I made up during the outline.

Without outlines, I would have no idea where I'm going in a fic, so I'd get through what I had then stall out and get writers block and dither and run in circles and eventually give up.

Respect the power of the outline.