#Anyways I wanted to experiment with giving them more jewelry and accessories and stuff. Thought it could be fun

[kirisclangen]

Dawnshine

He/him, 101, cis tom

[admirange]

Mcl style contest outfit dump pt. 4

Spectral waltz

I didn't know what spectral meant lol, pinterest gave me ghost artworks so I guess it's just ghost waltz? IDK. Used all white & pale colors and the usual black hair because that's all I have. I WISH I could relive my prom when my whole class waltzed together. My dress was all white and pretty and princessy and it perfectly fit me the first time I tried it 😭 AND HOW IT MOVED WHEN I DANCED okay I'll just go watch the video of our dance. Used music related elements and went for this barouqe/victorian type of vibe with the room. Taki is Queen Charlotte.

Got low ranking with it.

Alien abduction

My first thought was the sims. My second was the woman from that movie Mars Attacks! TRAUMATIZED me when I was a kid lol. Then I thought just fuck it we ball and went to do the outfit. Saw this red shared item shirt and I thought it looked so weird, I just had to use it. I basically built the whole outfit around it. Tried to give off this thight one piece clothing vibe? Idk how to describe it, similar to what superheroes have. Then gave her this health thingy that comes with that sportswear basic outfit, a clock, things like that. At this point I was starting to give her some lore. No way this woman was abducted like this. Maybe this is the alien doing the abducting? Wanted to use the green face mask but I don't have that one. So I gave her a notebook, maybe this is a scientist that got abducted and eventually became part of the alien society? And she's studying them while living on their spaceship. The aliens accepted her as their friend and let her do her stuff while she's also helping them. GOD an Alien cosplay would've gone hard with this theme! I tried to create a sort of hightech environment with the room. Taki got this rabbit suit because she was abducted with this lady and they experimented with her, creating the first ever rabbit goose (no goose were harmed while making this story).

Got low ranking with it. Sad, I really liked this one:(

Underground kingdom

I was thinking really hard what piece of media has this similar kingdom. Recently got back into lotr/the hobbit and I thought a dwarf would go so hard! But dwarf women have beards as well and we don't have that in the game (yet?). So I made the boring choice and made a black fantasy-like outfit. Tried to make a little I'm rich and in the castle just underground vibe with the room. This kingdom is not in a mountains but in the deep oceans! Okay this just gave me a great idea for a fantasy world, I'll write it down. Taki has similar jewelry like I have on my character, just not that dark.

Got well ranked with top 30%

Poisoned garden

Using green was a must, also for the poison idk? Black seems obvious since in movies dying plants often turn black/grey, but in reality when they die they're just brown. Unfortunately I had more black stuff than green & brown lol. The first lore was that this character is a poisoned & dying plant/flower in the garden, then I tried on this white dress accessory thingy and I thought oh! This lowkey looks like a wing! This is a bug! This is a bug in the garden! Maybe this bug IS the poison after all. Anyway this is a lame lore it didn't really move my imagination. I don't have open areas for backgrounds so went with the only (?) green I have. Put some plants in and called it a day. Mushroom Taki is part of the garden as well.

Got low ranking with it. Not surprised, not the best.

At the stake

Another witch theme! I saw some people did almost the same outfits as the witching hour, but this is different. This witch won't do peaceful witchy things in her cottage, this witch is going to DIE today. She is SUFFERING. Her lore is that she isn't even a witch but the people still treated her like one. Put witch jewelries on her and stuff just to prove their point. This girl just wanted to tend the farm animals but NO. They TOOK HER AWAY. The black dress is a shared item btw, can you tell I'm obsessed with it? But chains on her to show she is not free anymore. She is a PRISONER (as I said I don't have open area backgrounds so this is what I had to came up with). Anxiously waiting for the sun to rise because then the townspeople will take her to the stake. But she'll finally be free. They even took away her emotional support goose!!!

Got low ranking with it.

Night court

Ah yes, the theme where half of the contestants make outfits from the show, the other half from the book. But since it's "halloween themed" I guess it refers to the book? I'm not familiar with ACOTAR, since I usually (always) borrow books from my sister and she doesn't have those. Also they don't print them at the moment in my country & I don't like reading online. But I'm a big fan of ToG! So I'm familiar what types of clothing the writer likes to give characters. Honestly have no idea if I nailed it or not, but I like it and that's what matters. Read the fandom wiki about the night court, but didn't help much.

Got well ranked with top 19%

Goth princess

I'm getting bored of my black clothes ngl 😩 I had a friend when I was still at school who dressed similar, SO COOL. Lowkey that was my inspiration. Didn't want to just recreate a similar outfit as the night court because the theme also had 'princess'. Also I know goth people not only wear black, but my candy's wardrobe only has white, blue, black, and some other colors scattered around. Also there's a lot of different goth "subgenres" (??) so I don't know, I tried doing something based on my memories of that friend I had. I just hope people won't stick with the sexualized e-girl "goth" outfits, so much wasted potential. • (Yes I'm writing this before the rankings were done. Future me are the podium outfits good?) • (Yes they're fine dw about it past me) • Such an interesting style, also the music is amazing!

Got well ranked with top 16%

Grave digger

Well it's more of a grave robber but anyway 😬 I had two inspirations but both of them were only from my memories, didn't feel like looking up references. The first one was that grave digger from that old online game bloodmoon if anyone knows that? It was a "waiting game", we could go help the grave digger to have money when we were out of energy for the day from missions. The second was from the second episode of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities where the robber found huge rat monsters in graves. Tried to do older vibe, feel like the theme fits more with that than today's.

Got well ranked with top 28%

Killer

So much possibilities... so much ideas... and I still went with Jeff the killer... just hear me out on yassified Jeff the killer PLEASE. No actually I think it's a disaster LMFAO. Didn't know what I was doing. Maybe a killer clown would've been more succesful. I have no hope for this outfit. Please forgive me for creating this 🙏

Got low ranking with it. NOT surprised (although at least it's not a butterfly sparkle killer. Seriously people, why can't you stay on theme for ONCE?)

Zombie

Well I love The Walking Dead and overall zombie movies. Thought about cosplaying a survivor but nah, the theme is zombie, let's do a zombie. Just dressed her in basic clothes that can somewhat be considered messy and put "blood" on her. Taki is a normal civilian as well, in civilian clothes. I was trying to do something messy, kinda bunker-like with the room. Overall a simple theme, nothing much to say about it.

Got low ranking with it (why do the podium zombies sparkling tho... do they know... zombies are literally rotting flesh... and they don't sparkle... it really annoys me when the outfit is so good and then they put sparkles and butterflies over it for no reason)

Some bonus infos

Saw complaints (not just on tumblr) about "white candies cosplaying for black candies in style contests" and how it's so offensive. While I agree it's icky when someone only uses them in "dark" themes, I don't consider my outfits problematic, since I used them randomly. Still I rather stayed with my newcrette's skin with the last 10-15 entries I made because fueling this in any way is not on the table for me. I really wanted to use different skin colors but I guess it's safer to stay with the default I have.

This is not a complaint nor a conversation starter (although I'm always open for that), I just wanted to clarify why the same skin color every time from now on. It's not because I don't want to use the other ones. And no I am not mad in any way. Spreading that emotion is the last thing I want to do, that's why I made this decision in the first place.

Thank you for reading and/or looking through my creations<3

[notbleachtea]

Favorite Shirt

Okay time to post again. Slight warnings, mention of death, toxic relationship, slight emotional abuse.

Word count ~2.9k

"Tch, I guess it’s about time I clean my desk. I can't work with all of this crap on it." Jotaro annoyedly says.

While cleaning off the countless stacks of paper he pauses. All desire to clean is quickly knocked out of him. He sits back down in his desk chair holding the group picture you all took in Egypt. He glances over each face in the image, some happy memories, some not so much. He would give anything to go back in time to change the way things played out. So many stupid mistakes. His eyes immediately halt when he gets to yours. His face expressed sorrow and longing.

His favorite memories of the two of you start to come rushing back to his head, and for a moment, he smiles. The constant flirting that always occured between the two of you. The silent stares you each felt from one another. No matter how much the others teased you two, you still weren't sure if admitting your feelings was the best idea. You each had your own reasons for keeping distant. The mission was much more important anyway, and so was your friendship.

He recalls one of his favorite memories with you.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a long week of tiresome stand battles, the closer you got to Egypt, the more intense they became. He noticed this was taking quite the toll on you and made the gang find a hotel that night so you could get some much needed rest. In the meantime he suggested that you use him as a pillow in the car on the way there.

Honestly, you took him up on the offer. You took everything you could at the time knowing that it would never go any further no matter how bad you wanted it to. Your head rested on his large chest, which was surprisingly soft for how tough he was. Every now and then he'd tug on his hat to cover his face when in fact he was just trying to steal a few glances at your peaceful, resting figure.

"Alright, we're here, group up and we'll get going into our rooms," Joseph states.

"I ca-"

"She's staying with me. There's no discussing it." Jotaro then picks you up and carries you to your room.

You started to wake up from the movements and the background noise going on in the hotel, and the first thing you saw was Jotaro's face when you opened your

eyes.

"Clearly I must be dreaming," you thought.

"Look who decided to wake up." he scoffed at you. "Really left it up to me to carry you all the way up here."

"I'm so sorry! I won't let it-"

"That's enough. I was just kidding anyway. You fought really hard today, it's the least I could do."

You smiled back at him as he set you down on the bed. That was honestly all the thanks he needed.

"Anyway, I'm going to go get something to eat, I'll bring something back for you if you want, but you should probably get some real rest soon."

You began to crawl up into the bed in your dirty and torn clothes from the day you just had.

"Good grief, what do you think you're doing? You're really going to sleep in a nice clean bed in your dirty clothes??"

"Well, I don't really have any clean clothes left right now, so, unless you have a better ide-"

You were quickly cut off with a soft hit to the face. Jotaro threw one of his clean shirts at you.

"Here. You can use this. It'll be more comfortable anyway."

Jotaro had left to go pick up some food and when he came back he was greeted with his favorite shirt filled with his favorite person. Wearing only that shirt made you look much smaller than you actually were, it practically went down to your knees.

"Thanks Jotaro! I promise I'll get it back to you as soon as I can."

"Keep it. It looks better on you anyway." He cooly tried to say as he pulled his hat down over his eyes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After everything that had happened in Egypt, you just wanted to get away from it all for a while. Go out on your own to a new place with no reminder of the loved ones you lost and all the feelings you never acted on. As a thank you for your hard work, the SpeedWagon Foundation offered to pay for everything of whatever you decided to do. You thought maybe you'd try going to school in America for a while. It was great, you had all the experiences you grew up seeing in movies and on TV. You made plenty of new friends there and even dipped your toes in the dating pool.

Right after you finished school, you and your boyfriend got married. You thought that's what you ought to do, you've been with him for so long. Everyone thought you were the perfect couple. He always took you out on extravagant dates and bought you expensive jewelry. Every girl wanted to be you. But that was only because they didn't know what happened behind closed doors. He never physically hurt you, not many people could, I mean you could hold your

own in Egypt, you're pretty tough, but mentally, he knew you were weak. You would confide in him in the beginning of your relationship about all your friends back home that you missed. He never let you call home or talk to them either. The ones you could never see again. Everytime he wanted you to hurt he would just remind you that they were dead because you weren't there for them, you weren't strong enough to save them. Countless letters came in from your friends and family and he'd throw them away before you could see them. He would even tell you that no one was writing to you anymore.

Every now and then you manage to chat with Jotaro. He'd call you on your lunch break at work from time to time just to play catch up. Asking things like 'how's life?' and 'are you doing okay?' and the sort of thing. Everytime you told him you were doing great. You love your husband and you even try to brag about how well he treats you by describing all the luxurious gifts he's been buying you. Everytime Jotaro ended the call saying he was happy for you and then a

quick update on his life.

To be honest, Jotaro wasn't falling for your phone calls. He knew something was wrong, but he never knew how bad it really was. He thought it was strange that you never wrote to him or called him outside of your work hours. It was also strange how you never really went into depth about your personal life either.

One fateful day, you're having a routine call with Jotaro when your husband decided to stop by to take you out to lunch. He asked the secretary why your door was closed to which she simply responded, "Oh, she's talking to her childhood friend Jotaro! He usually calls about this time every week."

He walks into your office catching you off guard while you're still on the phone. The shock alone causes you to drop the phone with a quiet screech.

"Y/n, are you there?" Jotaro stays on the line worried about what he just heard.

Your husband shuts your office door leaving just the two of you in there and is yelling just loud enough to where your coworkers can't hear him.

"I thought I told you no one wanted to talk to you anymore? They're all fed up with you, can't believe you let your friends die back in Egypt. They'll never

forgive you for that."

"You're right I'm sorry just please don't do this here."

"What makes you think you can tell *me* what to do? That's not how this works. And who gave you permission to talk to other guys? There's going to be some serious consequences for this when you come home." He walks out of your office smiling at all of your coworkers like nothing had just happened, followed by a shut of your office door and your muffled cries.

"Y/n?? Are you still there? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"Wh- what did you hear?" You managed to squeak out, choking back tears.

"I heard enough y/n, he's not a good guy. I knew something was wrong. We have to get you out of there."

"No. This is my life now. I don't need your help, I told you I'm perfectly fine."

"Y/n I'm not kidding, you have to get out of there *now* and I won't take no for an answer."

"I can't, okay! I have nowhere to go. No one would believe me if I said the things he's done to me. Anyone who I try to run to just rats me out to him and the situation gets worse."

"Y/n, go pack your most essential things while he's out of the house. I'm buying you a ticket home for tonight. You'll be safe here this time tomorrow."

The instant care Jotaro had just shown you only causes you to cry more. How could you let yourself get like this? You really weren't okay. You were just too headstrong to admit anything was wrong.

"Thank you." You were able to muster through even more tears.

After picking yourself up off the floor and drying your face, you left your office, no intention to come back. You rushed home to grab only your essential items while your husband was finishing his day at work. You grabbed a few sets of clothing, your toothbrush, hair and makeup accessories, a few pairs of shoes, and your folder of important documents. Everything else was replaceable and or retrievable at a later date.

You take a deep breath and get the courage to call a ride to the airport.

Free from your husband's control, you weren't scared to text or call Jotaro on your own phone now. You called him letting him know that you were on your way.

One short plane ride across the ocean later and Jotaro was waiting there for you to take you home. You're not sure how long he was there for but you're convinced he was waiting there since before you even took off.

"Y/n, over here." He waves you over.

You walk over shyly and ashamed of what he had witnessed just the day before. You couldn't even pick your head up enough to look him in the eyes.

"Y/n it's okay now. You're here with me, he can't get to you right now."

"Ye- yeah I guess you're right. So where do I go now?"

"C'mon, I'll take you back to my place."

"We're stopping there before the hotel?"

"I'm not letting you stay alone right now. You're staying with me at my house. The only reason I let you fly alone was because it got you out of there faster."

Jotaro takes your bag and you both head to the taxi.

"C'mon short stuff, get those legs movin' faster."

"Hey! Not everyone can be freakishly tall."

Jotaro raises one eyebrow, "So I'm a freak, aye?"

"Sorr-"

"Don't apologize, you're already more vocal when you're free around here. I like it."

The taxi drops you two off at his house. The drive felt like an eternity when in reality it was only a few short minutes. You stared out the car door window in awe.

*So this is what he's been up to this whole time*

"Well c'mon now, let's get inside."

You quickly follow after him like a lost puppy.

"There's a spare bedroom upstairs and down the hall, why don't you take this time to relax and freshen up while I make us something to eat?"

"You really don't have to do this for me Jotaro, but I appreciate it."

You head upstairs with your bag. It really was a long flight. You decide to take a quick shower and put on some clean clothes.

About an hour goes by when Jotaro comes by your room to collect you.

"Dinners ready y/n."

"Okay, I'll be right out, I just have to put some makeup on first."

"Uhh, what for? We're not going out anywhere."

"I don't know. I just always do. He always made me wear makeup, even at the house, I guess I'm just used to it."

Jotaro quickly turns around and starts heading towards the kitchen, but not without leaving a remark, "well don't. You look better without it anyway."

You follow soon after him with a fresh blank face. The table has already been set beautifully and you can already smell your favorite dish. He brings over two plates of food followed by a new bottle of wine.

"Why don't we catch up for real this time?" He asks.

Hours go by at the dinner table along with a few bottles of wine. The two of you bickering just like the old days. You missed this. You needed this.

You finally caught a glimpse of the time and stood up to help clean up the table.

"You don't need to help clean this up y/n. We can even clean it up tomorrow. Why don't we go talk in the living room for a bit longer?"

You move forward as an attempt to get to the couch, finally realizing how much you actually drank, you're quite tipsy in fact. Jotaro moves over to the couch to join you. Sitting side by side he grabs your hand with a guilty look on his face.

"Y/n, I'm so sorry this happened to you. It's all my fault."

Clearly he's a bit tipsy too if he's actually trying to admit being at fault right now.

"None of this is your fault Jotaro, what are you going on about?"

"If I was just straight with you when we were younger. If I actually had the courage to say something to you. Maybe you would have stayed. Maybe you would've ended up with me instead. Instead I thought you were too good for me."

Your eyes start to swell up. "Don't say that. Ever. I'm the one that's not good enough for you. Why would you ever want someone like me?"

"Well, you're you, that's why. You're strong, you held your own in the desert, you tried your hardest for us and you made it out. I've never met anyone as strong as you, and to know that someone took advantage of you? And I wasn't there to protect you? I'm so sorry for all of it."

Now full on ugly crying again, Jotaro wraps his arms around you and pulls you in for a hug.

"I'm so sorry Jotaro. Can you forgive me?"

He lifts up your crying head by your chin and brushes all your loose pieces of hair out of your face. He holds you here until you return the look into his deep aqua eyes. He moves forward, crashing his lips into yours. There was no hesitation on your end, you kissed him back just as hungrily. Neither of you needed words to figure out what the other one was thinking. You could feel the admittance of your love for each other from just that embrace. Jotaro pulls back and pushes your head into his chest so he can hold you once again. He pats your head.

"It's all okay now, I'm sorry it took this long," and he leaves a kiss on the top of your head.

The moment is only ended by your yawning since you've been up for lord knows how long. Jotaro picks you up and carries you in his arms to his room. He notices the slight confusion in your face.

"I was thinking maybe you sleep in here with me tonight, kinda like old times?"

"Okay, just let me go change into my pajamas. I don't want to get in the nice clean bed in my dirty clothes.".

You walk back into his room in just his old t-shirt you kept from the desert.

"You really kept that old thing?" He spouted.

"I really did. It's how I kept you close that whole time I was gone." You said with an embarrassed smile.

"It really does look better on you ya know?" He says through a full face of blush. Just seeing you again in that shirt made him think of all the things he wanted to do to you now and then.

You moved to go lay down alongside Jotaro in his massive bed. He always wanted to know what it'd be like to hold you in his arms in his own bed.

Jotaro pulls you into his chest to hold you tight, with no intention of letting you go. He places a delicate kiss on your cheek. You squeeze his hand as a subtle sign of acceptance and nuzzle into his broad figure.

“Goodnight y/n. Sleep tight.”

[jasthelazyelf]

hey! I read your phobia post and admittedly I Hadn’t heard of it either and I actually have a few questions if you don’t mind! I understand of course it’ll often be a case by case basis with everyone feeling different but I really am interested!

•You mentioned metal jewellery, but where is the boundary between what constitutes as jewellery, or is it all metallic items? For example broaches and hair clips, both of which have metal varieties. And how do these compare to things like perhaps enamel badges or zippers?

•Does this also include things like piercings? Do you have/ would you ever have piercings and do the different kinds effect you differently? Perhaps the difference between a stud earring and a hanging one? Does seeing people with them make you uneasy or is it easy to cope with?

•Does the constriction of the jewellery have anything to do with it? For example the weight of necklaces eg, so would other constricting accessories such as hairbands, belts or glasses chains fall into it? Or is it case by case?

•You mentioned simple material clothes, does that mean you have an aversion to heavily decorated clothes? As in perhaps diamanté’d clothes or tassels or bodices of dresses etc

•You mentioned non metallic jewellery, so does that include things like for example, velvet chokers or plastic beaded bracelets? Is there a different between wearing a hair tie an elasticated bracelet?

Hope this isn’t overwhelming or too intrusive, I genuinely have no intention of being pushy, please don’t feel obligated to talk about anything you don’t want to. None of this is intended to sound demeaning or condescending so please excuse me if it’s written wrong. It’s very interesting by the way, Thankyou for sharing!!

Hello anon!

 I am glad the headcanons made you curious, so I will gladly answer the questions. Since there aren’t that many people with this phobia, it’s hard to say how much differences can be there. So I will speak from my own experience and if I read about a different experience, I will try to mention it :)

1) Here it is where it probably varies a lot. Metallic stuff seems to be the biggest issue for kosmemophobic people in general, but it still varies. For me personally it’s obviously jewelry and outside of that it changed a bit for me overtime. I never had problems with cutlery, we use it at home and I never had an issue with it. If it were however made out of brass and it already aged, like here

I would already ask if it were possible to give me a different set. (But I never met anyone who uses brass cutlery, so the situation would be minimal) What is also pretty common is touching small change. I guess here it is a bit justified to have the feel to wash your hands, especially if you work with food, since coins tend to have a lot of germs. Since I do work in a café, it got a bit better, but it can still be uncomfortable, especially if the coins are also otherwise dirty, or for me personally, wet.

Then we have for example nails, screws, screw nuts and all different tools. These I was uncomfortable with when I was a small child, but somehow managed to get over it, so now they don’t really bother me. 

As for what classifies as jewelry and what belongs to it for me. Brooches also fall under this category. With hair pins or hair accesories in general it depends. If it’s coated with something, which tends to be the case especially with coloured pins, then it’s fine. I don’t wear them anyway, but my mom does and sometimes wants me to bring it to her or I have to clean dust under it and I don’t mind that.

I don’t really have experience with enamel pins, but it’s also true that I never got any, because it looks like the base is made out of metal and it irked me the wrong way. Zippers, however, are fine with me.

It’s a mess, I know ;u;

2) Piercings are definitely another thing that classifies for me as jewelry, and I think others classify them as such too. So no, I would willingly never have it done.

That being said, my parents pierced my ears when I was few days old. I remember very clearly though, that once I got actively concious and had memories (around the age of 3 or 4), I always tugged at my ear rings, but it was seen as one of the identifying symbols that I was a girl. When I broke my ankle at 12 though, I had to take them off because I had to have an x-ray done and since then I never put them on again. Even if the holes are long closed now, the “scar” is still there and I had a friend specifically ask me if I wear ear rings or not, since I “have” the holes. Fortunately she respects that I do not and have no desire to.

On others, if they want to wear them, I can’t stop them and I wouldn’t even if I had the chance. When interacting with me, the general rule is the smaller, the better. Hanging and moving ear rings are obviously worse and trigger the phobia much more than a simple bead pearl. However, I can’t deny a stranger a service in the café even if they had more jewelry on their face than their actual face. In the “wild”, though, it would be extremely difficult for me to look at them. I will definitely not think of you any less if you have a lot of piercings as a human being. I will just try not to trigger myself.

3) The feeling of constriction is also very common and goes for me as well. Any heavy jewelry and chains on other people are going to make me uneasy and as in the previous question, I would rather not look at that person and would rather not touch them. Also heavy rings. With rings it is also the fear of not being able to take them off and being stuck with them. It’s a nightmare just thinking about it. Hairbands are not triggering for me, especially if they’re plastic. If they’re metallic, it would be best if it were at least coated with paint.

With heavy necklaces, the problem is that they’re cold and even if they heat up and then it moves due to movement, it’s cold again and that’s just a no from me. The fear of someone choking me always plays a role, but not that big.

As for bracelets, they make me feel like in shackles. Even if I can easily take it off, and metallic bracelet is not going on me

Belts personally do not count for me at all and I have literally no problem with them. It may be because belts usually do not directly touch your skin. But yes, touching the metallic part may trigger it, but it’s the same as with cutlery.

4) With this I mainly thought that the MC and Asmo put together outfits that work completely fine even in his eyes without any additional jewelry. If the clothes have something sewn onto them, it generally goes again with the question, if it’s metallic or not. Anything with chains goes automatically out of question. beads and the sparkly diamantes are non-triggering and can be very pretty. c:

My mom actually compromised with me on my prom dress with this. I strictly said I wouldn’t wear any jewelry AT ALL and that was final on my part. She at least suggested sewing on beads on the dress to at least decorate it like that. No problems there.

5) The problem with non metallic jewelry is, that they usually have some metal pieces anyway (like the clip for example). That’s why I would never personally wear it anyway. However, for me at least, seeing it on other people is the most comfortable option there is, outside of the person not wearing any jewelry, that is. Plastic beads are also fine.

I’ve tried wearing elasticated bracelet, even if just to see what it’d do to me. It does not trigger the need to wash my hands at all, which is at least something, but it is still not comfortable for me. Hairbands are with me as long as I really don’t think of them as a bracelet. Which wouldn’t happen, because when I wear my hair ties on my wrist, it’s only because I don’t want to lose them.

Thank you for asking! It feels good to share my experience, I hope my explanations were understandable. The questions were definitely okay! :)

For anyone reading it: this really is not an attack on people for wearing jewelry, if you like it, good for you and you should definitely wear it! If you happen to meet a friend who happens to have this phobia and decides to be open about it, please don’t be a dick about it. Someone may be more comfortable with different amount of jewelry on others than someone else with the same phobia, and I would advise their stance on it. If they’re not comfortable with touching it directly, just respect their personal space. Under no circumstances try to aggresively make them wear it. You wouldn’t help them.

[onebadwinter]

Name: James Buchanan Barnes

Meaning of Name:  James: It means "supplanter," one who follows., Buchanan: The place name is thought to derive from the Gaelic elements buth, meaning "house" and chanain, meaning "of the canon.",  Barnes: Warrior,  Nickname(s):  Bucky, Winter Soldier, Captain America, The Man On The Wall, Bucky Barnes, Buck, Sarge, Prisoner #56898,, Солдат, The Asset, The New Fist of HYDRA, Fallen Comrade, The Shooter, Ghost, Manchurian Candidate, Semi-Stable 100-Year-Old Man, Canary, Sidekick, W.S., Jim Barnes,

Age: Unknown, a few years younger than Steve Rogers, originally. But willing to make fit Steve’s age, properly if requested and I’m willing.

Birthday/Place: Unknown, March 10th or 20th, 1910-30s. Shelbyville, Indiana.

Species/Nationality:  Human/Super Soldier, American, Ice Elf on his mothers side,  American, Badoon,  German, The Chosen, Canadian, Scandinavian

Accent: American

Language spoken: English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese,Galician, German, Russian, Ancient Greek, Latin, Thai, Japanese, Old Norse, Aramaic,

Powers/Abilities:  Super Human Strength, Enhanced Reaction Time, Sensory Array, Extended Reach, EMP Discharge, Expert Spy, Electrical Discharge, Bionic Arm, Master Martial Artist, Expert Marksmen, Expert Assassin, Skilled Shield Fighter, Acrobatic, Advanced Scouting, Peak Human Condition, Enhanced Durability, Enhanced Reflexes, Enhanced Endurance, Enhanced Stamina, Regenerative Healing, Cybernetic Enhanced Physiology,

Pet: Mole (Orla)

Illness/Allergies:  Not prior to, or after, being genetically altered. PTSD, Brain Damage. Apathy.

Occupation:  Solder/Assassin/ Experiment

Faceclaim: Sebastian Stan

Description: Looks just like Sebastian Stan in his twenties. Has blue grey eyes, light to dark brown hair,  has a metallic robotic arm. Scars litter his body from injuries sustained during the plane explosion that had originally killed him, plus wounds that followed from his time as a Winter Solder, and a wound between his shoulders from his time as Captain America, as well as several others.

Outfit/Accessories/Jewelry: Tactical outfit, casual clothing, half face mask, goggles, Bionic arm, guns.

Height: 5′9″

Weight: 234 (Counting Cybernetic arm)

Body Build: Athletic

Backstory/Background:

James was born James Buchanan Barnes in Shelbyville, Indiana in the early to late 1920s. Where he was raised on Army bases by his mother Winifred and his father George. He was born the eldest of four children. For most of the beginning of his life he and his family moved from base to base, as most army family's tended to do. Along these moves James had grown up being an Army brat, picking up on and getting actively involved in the army, even for such a young child. The happiness of course, as in most cases, didn't appear to last for too long. As in his young age his mother had died tragically early in his life.  Leaving the young James to help in raising his younger siblings while his father had continued to work in the army.

This had affected James' early maternal emotions in wanting to protect others. James had learned these skills while taking care of his younger siblings through the years. As well as picking up how to fight in a skillful manner. To the point that he became a sort of mascot to the base his father seemed to come to settle on. On this base it is here that James comes to meet a boy only a few years older than himself, Steve Rodgers. Here they begin to form a close friendship. James coming to learn all about Steve's home life, and eventual becoming an orphan, as well as Steve's weakened sickly life style. This is until they are both eventually separated  off and on until James is older.

This too, also did not last very long, either. When tragic news had come to the teenaged James that their father had died in an accident while away training on another base in a base in Virginia where they had finally moved to. After this event, James, old enough to not be sent to an orphanage has his siblings taken away from him, where they are sent away and eventually taken in by other families. James chooses to remain on the base and indulge in his enjoyment of the man who everyone called Captain America. Which James had been a huge fan of for the last several years since Captain America had started to appear on magazines and on bases. 

During these days he tended to get into some trouble but showed he had the potential of being great, one day, if he had worked hard enough and remained focused on joining the army as more than just a mascot. At some point however, while Captain America had been visiting a base, James took the chance to actually meet his 'hero', and when offered a training position on a S.A.S Unit, he took it. Leading him taking fighting lessons from the very same people who also trained the Sentinel of Liberty.

During this training James was considered to be a perfect match in partnering up with Captain America. This all in mostly an attempt to capture the attention of America's you, so they would invest in the building war against the Axis. But it also was to the dirty work. While fighting against the axis. James and Captain America, who James had accidentally stumbled upon one evening when walking in on Steve getting dressed, found out that Steve, his friend from many years ago had gone on to become Captain America, his hero. Which was a bit weird, he had to admit in some part. But eventually he got over it, because it was also so cool. 

The two eventually ended up fighting the Nazi's, and doing other heroic things in attempts to protect America and strike down evil. All that *Yawn* hero stuff, you want to know more about, read a Steve Bio. Anyway, eventually while trying to take down Baron Zemo who was trying to destroy and experimental Drone Plane, James had tried to stop the explosion and ended up getting blown the fuck up, as you do. With Steve being tossed into a frozen lake and freezing. James had apparently died. Or well, he literally died.

For quite a few years that followed James' death, he had remained frozen in the icy waters that his body landed in after Baron Zemo had blown the plane up. All but his right arm had frozen over in the icy coffin, as it had somehow become severed before the soldier landed in the waters. Upon being discovered by Hydra, James was soon revived but had suffered from severe brain damage and amnesia following his revival. This of course had lead to James no knowing who he was for many years to follow. During his time with Hydra they had used him to assassinate other political or enemies in general of their interest.

That was until one mission led to James kidnapping Sharon Carter,  many years after James' death and revival. Afterward the young woman brought it up to Steve and several others, which prompted Steve to look into it himself and finding out that it was indeed his former best friend. Which would lead to Steve trying to protect and save James, and several attempts to try and bring the other man back to his senses, or as the case was, remember who he was before all of these tragic events happened to him.  However, in Steve's attempt to reclaim his friend he had managed to do a bit more damage. Which results in the Cosmic Cube that James had on hand, being shattered.

In the years to follow James had tried in mostly success, at being the hero he had always dreamed himself of being in his childhood. At first he had to do this from within the shadows as the people had still not trusted him. Nick Fury had given him his missions and the chance to redeem himself, however. But these circumstances did not last long when it appeared that Steve had been assassinated, one day while going to trial for having instigated the Civil War over some accords, against the US Government and such else in the like. James had witnessed Steve's assassination and quickly, with the help of others he had befriend that were also Steve's friends, taken revenge on the person responsible, Crossbones, and Sharon?

However, it came to be found that Steve was not necessarily dead, just stuck in a time loop and Sharon was being manipulated and then framed for the assassination on Steve. Whose body had been taken over by Red Skull. James at this time was portraying himself as Captain America and was sent to fight off the Possessed Steve, who had by then started a Hydra Empire in the United States. During this fight James had sustained quite a lot of damage in order to give Steve enough time to fight of Red Skull. After this James decided to then go after sleeper agents for a while until Natasha got her own memories wiped by the last remaining of them, which ended fairly well for James in the end, not so much Natasha herself.

James continues on about whatever doing his Winter Soldier thing, going to prison, breaking himself out, with the help of Natasha, before she got he brain wiped of all memories of him that is. Things are good? Well as good as they can be for a short while. That would be until Kobiks arrived on the scene and started doing whatever it is she enjoys doing. She's made out of the shards of Cosmic Cube, by the way. Steve, who keeps retiring, not retiring and now is the director of S.H.I.E.L.D  since Nick killed a Watcher and James confronted him before Nick eventually peaces the fuck out to REPLACE the Watcher he killed, and left James to take Nick's place as "The Man on the Wall". Anyway. So Kobiks revitalized Steve, making him YOUNG, again, because Steve keeps getting older and James is has Infinity Formula in his vains from having died prior, again.

Moving on, James and Steve and everyone of their besties fight Kobiks new band mates who I guess then becomes protectors of Earth.  But who cares about that.  What's important to note here is that Helmut Zemo, son of Baron Zemo, he's mad, okay. He tries to kill James with the same plan his father tried to do before, intentionally this time, blow up a fucking plane. This family is absolutely, #Original.  However, the plan fails, much worse this time, for Helmut because James manages to escape with his life from the explosion and takes out Zemo for daring to even try to front him.  With having survived all of the attempts on his life, and mortal wounding up until now, and being abel to stab God Steve with a shard of the Cosmic Cube, since God Steve is all " Let me be a fucking asshole."

Afterward, all is returned to peace and Steve is back to not being a fucking asshole again, as well, they save Kobics by once again reforming the Cosmic Cube. But wait, there's more. James and Hawkeye soon team up to go on wild and crazy adventures together. Also, Thanos comes along and dusts most of everyone and Steve brings them all back, with the help of whatever Heros managed to not get dusted. It's a happy ending for all involved, except for Thanos,...and ...his army. But who cares about anyone of them? I am sure they'll be back, right?!  James now lives a moderately 'peaceful life', continuing his teamwork along side Hawkeye and occasionally teaming up with other heroes on the fly every so often, as he would see fit. ....But I don't know, how would you guys feel about this being an evil run? Hehehe.

Quirks/Savvies/Other: 

Knows a lot about Weapons.

Is good in a fight, just using a hunting knife.

Likes Heroics and Idolized Captain America in his youth.

Probably pretty good at engineering and science, but had never been trained in it. He is a Fixer, however.

Acts stupid, but is actually very intelligent.

Believes in mythology.

Interested in conspiracies.

Tinkers with things when he’s nervous.

Believes in magic.

Becomes tired when it’s too hot.

When he’s bored he will rearrange things.

Sings to himself.

He believes in dragons.

Is annoyed by Stuttering.

Interested in fairies.

Bothered by not knowing things.

Swears at every opportunity.

Extremely flexible.

Names and talks to his his personal weapons.

Gets uncomfortable in places with no windows.

Dark sense of humor.

Personality:

Charming, Honest, Ruthless, Punctual, Brave, Loyal, Elegant, Brutal, Forgetful, Resilient,Driving,  Headstrong, Dangerous, Rustic, Elusive, Unfathomable, Objective, Aggressive, Distant, Sadistic, Ashamed, Just,  Earthy, Honorable, Erratic, Self-Contained, Depressive, Tainted, Unlucky, Sarcastic,  Moralistic, Tense, Light Hearted, Casual,

Likes:  Taking care of his family, Adventure, Tigers, Gothic Literature, Botany, Mathematics, Cats, Science, Technology, Philosophy, Weapons, Peace and Quiet, Taking care of the people he loves, Protecting Others, Captain America,

Dislikes: Goldfish, Hydra, Centaurs, Winter, Jack o'Lanterns, Vampire Hunters, Shoes, Television Comedies, Politics, Performance Arts, The Guilt of what he’s done, Steve getting them into trouble,

Fears:  Deep Water, Windowless Rooms, Being Trapped, explosions, Extreme Heat, Strange Noises or any noises at all in the middle of the night, Being held Captive.

Personality Tests:  ESTP/INTJ-T, Type 8 The Challenger, Type 7 The Enthusiast, Type 5 The Investigator, 8w7,

Other: Pisces, Tropes,

Spouses:  N/A

Children:  One or more.

Significant Other: N/A

Parent(s):

-> Father: George M. Barnes

-> Mother: Winifred C. Barnes 

Sibling(s):  Rebecca P Barnes, Evelyn Harlee Barnes, Harrison Douglas Barnes

Starters

Chat’s

Para’s

Face

Stuff

Information

Asks

All

                                                                             Alternate Universes

[msftbts]

Personal stylist!Reader x OT7

(eventual) smut, fluff, slight angst & a bit of comedy here and there

Summary: You travel to Korea to start your new life as a personal stylist, expecting nothing more than to gain some job experience for the future, but seven sulky men make it difficult for you to stay in your lane and follow the rules. Will you stay faithful to your boss, or fall into the charms of another?

Notes: Thank you so much for the great feedback and response to the first chapter, hopefully this story continues to meet your expectations. Are you ready for your first day at work?

Warnings: mild cursing

Taglist: @milk-mochi @ephemeral-mindset @the-wild-ego @kwitzee @in-overrmyhead @valensoup @chocoflagcutii

Don’t be shy to message/question/request me if you want to be added to the taglist to get notified whenever I post a new chapter! I update this au at least once a week. 

(masterlist)

Chapter 2

At your first meeting you only got a glimpse of the idols and the other staff that would be soon working with you, regardless you left the meeting with a good feeling. You don’t know if it’s too early to say, but it felt like you were somewhere where you belong to. Like all this time life has been leading you this way. Anyways, you were excited for your first day at work that was going to be in two days. The rest of the day you spent at your hotel, too jet lagged and tired from all the stress the day had caused you. You were actually more than fine to just stay inside these four walls for today.

The next day you woke up early. When you got the job as a stylist you made a promise to yourself to take care of yourself while on tour, by taking on a healthy lifestyle. That means you had to wake up early, workout and eat healthy. It’s safe to say that you weren’t too familiar with that, since your previous lifestyle was a mess. But all of this newness was enough to motivate you to change. You put your gym gear on and went downstairs to go to the hotel’s gym. Luckily enough there wasn’t anyone else there this early in the morning. You got to run in peace. When you tried to connect your phone to your airpods, you noticed there was an option in the bluetooth section for you to connect to the gym’s speakers. Since there was nobody else at the gym, you decided to blast your music through them. The beats got your blood pumping and gave you a boost of extra energy, so much that you actually wanted to dance. And you did. You stepped off the treadmill and went in front of the mirrored wall and started busting those moves out. You do have a little bit of a dancers background, when you were in highschool you used to dance and perform. You went over one of the old choreographies that you still remembered. You were so in your element you didn’t even notice that somebody else had entered the gym. You were in the midst of rolling your body against your hand, when you noticed a familiar face looking at you from further away with his eyes wide open with an amused looking smile on his lips. You froze and your whole face turned red. You snatched your phone and water bottle and ran out of the gym as fast as you could. Once you finally got into the elevator, you leaned against the wall, feeling like your legs were going to give up. Your breathing was out of control. You slapped your hands against your face. This felt so humiliating, why did you let yourself loose like that? It wouldn’t have been that bad, if the person who walked in on you was somebody else, other than Jimin. The one person, actually the only person you didn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of. Once you entered your hotel room, you made a promise to yourself to not leave it anymore. How was it even possible that Jimin was in the same hotel as you? You thought he lived further away with the other boys from the band.

After getting to calm down in the safe space of your hotel room, the next day you felt ready to leave it behind when you finally signed out out of the hotel and travelled to the first concert destination. It was a huge stadium in Seoul, and the backstage of the venue was even bigger than you could’ve imagined. Once you arrived, one of the bands manager was guiding the new staff to their first tasks. You approached her. “What’s your name?” she asked you. “Y/N L/N”, you told her. “Okay, you’re the stylist right?” You nodded. “You can work with Melissa, she is one of the makeup artists, she will show you where you will work today, you can take all your belongings there. Come back to me once you’ve settled down”, she advised. You looked to your left, where a friendly looking girl was waving at you. “You must be Melissa, hi! I’m the new stylist Y/N”, you introduced yourself to her. “Nice to meet you Y/N! Let me show you your room”, she said walking ahead of you. You walked through a long corridor, with loads of rooms with their doors open. You could see how some of the rooms were makeup rooms, some of them were for the camera crew, some of them were just for lounging and some of them were for the artists. You finally arrived into your room, a small room with clothing racks and full body mirrors. “There, you should leave all your stuff here in case you’ll need them during today’s workday”, Melissa said. “Workday”, you repeated and hummed to yourself. “What?” Melissa said with a confused look. “Oh nothing, it just sounds weird to call this a workday. My first workday”, you smiled to yourself. “It’s my first workday too and to be honest with you I’m super excited! I couldn’t really sleep last night”, she told you and she looked visibly thrilled. You smiled, because she looked adorably enthusiastic. You put down your stuff and went back outside to get your next task.

Melissa got her task first and she went back inside. “Y/N you’ll need to carry all these outfits into your room before the artists get here. Make sure those are in perfect shape before they arrive and wear them. Also those bags are full of accessories for them to pair with their performance outfits, unpack all of those”, the manager commanded and pointed into a small van filled with boxes of clothing and dress bags. You started carrying as many as you could to your room at once.

When you finally had them all in the room, you started taking the suits and outfits out of the dress bags and hanged them up on the racks. You sighed when you noticed some wrinkles and dust stuck on them, knowing you’d need to take care of them. You used all these professional machines to freshen the clothes up, and soon they looked flawless. You’ve never seen clothes that expensive. All the details were sewed in by hand. After admiring them for a while, you realized how much work you had left to do before the boys arrive. You started unpacking the boxes of shoes. You had to polish them and make sure they’re stainless. You arranged them under the racks in order with the members outfits. You took out your little box of supplies and took tape and a pen out of there. You wrote out the members names and stuck the tapes on the ground next to each members shoes, so it was easier for you to tell apart whose outfit was who’s. After that you started going through the bag full of accessories. There was everything from hats to socks and all sorts of shiny jewelry. You laid them out on the table in front of the mirror. Finally there was only one more bag left to unpack. It was filled with bottles of cologne and deodorants. You put them out on the table as well. You finally stood up with your arms on your sides, feeling proud of getting that task down. You got to sit down for two minutes, before the manager barged in to the room. The easy part was over, now comes the actual challenges.

All the staff was gathered to the space behind the stage. The manager was giving a speech to everyone about today’s show, telling how big it was going to be and how everyone needed to stay alert and active during the whole day. She also told how hectic it was going to be during the concert, because of the fast pace we were going to be moving in. She also reminded how everyone’s work affected others, and how everything needed to be perfect. The cameras and eyes in the audience can catch anything, so that’s why especially your job was going to be important, since it was your outcome of how the boys will represent themselves out there. “No pressure, though”, you thought to yourself. You found Melissa in the middle of all the staff and squeezed through the people to stand next to her. She smiled at you and turned back to listen to the manager. “I have just been informed that the artists have arrived, and it’s important they get to know you guys and your duty in here, so we’ll do some quick introductions” the manager yelled. You felt Melissa’s hand grab yours and she softly squeezed it: ”Oh my god, we will finally meet the boys!” You laughed at her excitement, kind of wanting to join her celebration, because you knew deep down that you were excited to meet them too. Until they actually walked in front of you, and you realized who you’ll meet again. The exact smile you were so scared of now stood right in front of you. Your heart was pounding when all of the new staff workers started to introduce themselves one by one, realizing you’d have to do it soon too. When Melissa finished introducing herself with a very exhilarated tone of voice, you felt like your heart stopped and throat grew dry. You looked at the boys in horror, not getting any words out while they stood there in silence waiting for you to say something. Melissa poked your side with her elbow and you woke up from your momental trans. “H-hi, my name is Y/N, I’m your new personal stylist”, you finally gagged out while looking down at your feet, too scared to face them. The usual redness caused by their presence was back again. “Hi Y/N, nice to meet you”, they all said in unison. Once that awful round was over, and you got to go back to your working places, you heard someone run after you while you were walking to your room. “Y/N what happened out there?”, a familiar voice asked in concern. Melissa walked by your side and looked at your face of flushed cheeks. “I don’t know, I guess I just got nervous by them”. “Don’t worry, I was really nervous too, they’re even more handsome in real life. Can you believe they’re practically our friends now?” Melissa said. “They’re not our friends!” you said, and realized how harshly it came out. “Whoa there, I know we aren’t going to be like friends who hang out together - kind of friends, but work friends! What are you so agitated for?” She asked. You pull her to the side and lower your voice. “Don’t tell anyone about this, okay?” She realized the sudden seriousness of the situation and nodded. “I’ve been having some odd coincidences with one of the boys, Jimin. He kind of ran on me at the gym” you confessed to her. “Well, that’s not so odd, since he works out alot. Besides you should get used to it, we are going to be in the same tour with them after all”, Melissa responded. You wanted to tell her more, but decided to brush it off, since she obviously wasn’t really reaching your point. “Anyways, will you eat lunch with me today? Meet me in the cafeteria in 15 minutes”, she suggested. You parted your ways when you hopped back to work in your room for a little bit.

The cafeteria wasn’t really anything like a cafeteria. It was just a space with tables and seats, and buffet style of servings. You didn’t mind that though, since you were starving already. You noticed someone waving from the other side of the room and sat beside her on the table. “They’re in there getting their hair done now”, Melissa starts. “Who?” “The boys, duh!” Melissa playfully pushed you. “Oh”, you let out, knowing there was only one of them on your mind. It was stupid really. To keep thinking about him even if nothing major happened between you two. Maybe Melissa was right, maybe it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. He was probably just being nice, but your delusional mind makes you think there was something in his stare. You took a bite of your sandwich. “I don’t have much time to eat with you today, after the hair team is done, it’ll be my turn. Whoa, I’m really gonna get to touch their soft skin”. You made a disgusted face at her, causing her to laugh. After eating and discussing your days with her for awhile, she looks at the time on her phone and gets up. “I need to go now, the hair team should be about ready now, wish me luck!” “Good luck, don’t fuck up their pretty faces, please!” You threw at her and she pointed her middle finger at you, quickly covering it up when she noticed the manager walking in. You chuckled by yourself when the manager gasped and looked visibly offended. You noticed the other staff giving you looks when you were chuckling alone. You cleared your throat and finished eating your sandwich.

You were watching videos from your phone in your room, when a sudden knock on the door caused you to jump. The door opened slightly. It was the manager. “Y/N, Jungkook just got his hair and makeup done, it’s your turn to take care of him”, you dropped your phone quickly on the table and got up from the chair, taking a quick glance at the mirror. A tall, doe eyed, kind boy walked in. He just walked straight past you and jumped on to the sofa. “So what was my first outfit tonight again?” he went straight to the point, and before you even moved a muscle he continued: “I’m Jungkook by the way, and your name was..?” “Y/N”, you filled him in. “Y/N”, he repeated your name to himself and looked back up to you smiling. Your nervousness quickly faded away, and you felt at ease with him. You showed him all of his outfits in order and he kept doing different over the top reactions at them, making you giggle more than you had wanted to. “Okay so let’s get you dressed then”, you cut the laughing. “Do you happen to have any snacks in here?”, Jungkooks asked you out of the blue. “Snacks?”, you asked him. “Snacks! Chips, candy, chocolate..anything! I need something to get my sugar levels up, the manager isn’t letting me eat anything unhealthy before the concert”, he said looking hopelessly into your eyes. You had in fact stacked some chips for yourself to eat later today, but how could you let him down when he was looking at you like that? You smirked when you pulled the chips out of your bag and tossed it over to him. “Thank you, my saviour!” He said, throwing his hand dramatically to his heart. A smile spread across your face. “Be quick, we need to get you dressed before the next one comes in”, you told him off. He stuffed his mouth as fast as he could, getting up from the sofa and rubbing his hands together to get all the crumbs off. “Let’s get it then”, he said. A sudden feeling of anxiousness hit you, once you realized he would soon have to take his clothes off right in front of you.

Chapter 3 

[oldloveatz]

dance with me | san

— TYPE: prince!au, somewhat requested, princess!reader, fluff

— WORD COUNT: 2.8k

— SYNOPSIS: the annual grand ball takes place in your father’s palace, and on that night you meet a particular someone you become very interested in.

— MESSAGE: hi, i see that you’re getting so many requests so idk if you’re still accepting them but if yes, then i would like to request anything san related. it’s completely up to you to choose the plot, i just need more san scenarios in my life 😩 also, you’re such an amazing writer and my fav blog on tumblr so yeah, ty for taking your time to write for us!

— AUTHOR’S MESSAGE: so thank you for requesting a san scenario and thank you so much for reading all of my stuff im devastated ): but since you didn’t request anything specific, i took one idea from a few ideas i came up with and wrote it for san! please enjoy this omg im so sorry if it’s bad

you dreaded the grand ball your father throws annually. you had to get in a very tight corset (tight enough to constrict your lungs) and dance with strangers in some painful heels. on top of that, you had to wear a very tiring dress which you know your parents had picked for you to wear. it wasn’t that you hated the grand ball, you liked them, in fact. they were a bit socially tiring, however. you were constantly pulled left and right by your mother and father to introduce you to some family that you care less about. they weren’t even the same family you meet each year!

“a-are you sure you don’t want to wear your hair up for the ball?” your helper, elena, asked. she was verifying the clothes, shoes, makeup and accessories, hairstyle and even perfume that you’d be wearing for the ball. she offered to wear your hair up, but you insisted to not even touch your hair. “oh, your father-“

“i don’t care!” you exclaimed, which frightened her a little. “i’m sorry. but just sprinkle glitter in it, it’s fine.”

“i understand your frustrations,” elena said, pulling your velvet stool to sit down. and she was right, you were frustrated. frustrated that you had to wear whatever she was ordered to dress you in. “but, listen to me, dear. the ball will be a fun experience for you to meet other people.”

“oh, i meet so many people,” you cut in. “way too many people for my liking.”

all elena could do was sigh, thinking of another response to your remark. “alright, i’m not going to touch your hair. but you will wear your cor-“

“please, lose the corset,” you insisted. “if i breathe in that fucking-“

“language,” she warned. no wonder they soft-banned you from going outside. you were learning foul words from the people outside the castle you lived in, which was also alright because you liked them.

“well, if i breathe in a corset, either it will break or my ribs will,” you explained, hopefully it was enough to convince her to not put you in a tightly tied corset. god, you didn’t want to spend 45 minutes just putting on a corset. “and puncture my lungs, which you all do not want to happen.”

“alright, fine,” elena said, getting up from the raspberry-colored velvet stool to cross off the hairstyle and the corset from her list. “anything else you want to lose?”

“uh, yes,” you started, getting up from your king sized bed and beginning to pace across your shiny, marble floor. the reflection perfectly mimicked the ceiling, a clean tiled dark ceiling with gold intricates. the walls were white and the familiar intricates like the ceiling. you loved your room, in fact you spend a lot of time in your room. “i’d like to lose the heels.”

“but, darling they’re designer heels,” elena said, completely unfazed with the things you wished to not wear.

“so? my feet are murdered by the end of the day if i wore those heels,” you reasoned. the sound of scratches on her clipboard definitely fueled your victory, a smile playing on your lips. “and i think that’s it. yeah, that’s it.”

“rather plain, but simple,” she commented, clipboard in hand before heading for the door to leave. “lunch is ready, by the way.”

“oh, sweet.”

your darling parents discussed the ball for tonight, giggling to each other as if it was the first ball they had ever organized. your parents were the king and queen of the land, holding power but they take advantage of the said power by being kind to those who lived outside the castle. they were loved by many, which is why it was perfectly fine for you to step outside and spend the day out for hours. and you have done it.

after lunch, you bid your goodbye to go hang out with your friends (or non-royal as those who worked for your family would say). the village was a sight to behold, and you adored seeing paintings of talented artists that live within the village. you bought about fifty paintings, maybe more.

“y/n! i thought you said you weren’t coming by today?” your friend, jaehyun, asked, getting up from his spot and giving you a side hug.

you trusted jaehyun, he was the boy who helped you become comfortable with the world outside the walls of your castle. he introduced you to his friends, befriending the girls and the boys easily and connecting with them in an instant. jaehyun whistled at his friends, stealing their attention from the marbles they were playing with and running up to you and him.

“i wasn’t, but they let me go out today,” you told him with a smile. “i came to give you an invitation actually! i stole one from my parents, and you are invited to the ball tonight.”

you earned groans from the invitation, as for sure the others wanted to go too. you placed a finger on your lips, hoping to shush them and they did.

the enveloped was gorgeous. it was parchment-colored, beige and blotched. the sound that it makes when it gets touched was the most satisfying thing ever, and hearing jaehyun fumble with a fancy royal-like envelope was making you nervous. you didn’t want him to drop the letter. it was sealed by a custom-made wax and stamp for your family, and the wax was sparkling under the bright sunlight as it was mixed with gold particles. you did the honors of writing his name at the front, though calligraphy was difficult to do so you printed his name in your normal handwriting.

jaehyun lifted the flap carefully, hoping he wouldn’t ruin the wax at all and whispered a ‘yes!’ when he didn’t tear it apart. you snickered at his action, covering your mouth and the others mirrored your action. “what does the letter say?”

“it just says i’m invited to the castle,” jaehyun said, stuffing the letter back into the envelope in a delicate manner. he then slipped the letter into his pants’ pockets, patting it from the outside to make sure it wasn’t folded in any way. “i’ll see if i can go. i.. i don’t have anything nice to wear.”

“it’ll be lovely if you can,” you told him with a smile, placing a hand on his shoulder to reassure him that it was okay if he couldn’t attend. “i won’t hate you if you couldn’t. plus i have all the time to come out here and hang out with you guys! a ball means nothing.”

you went back a couple of hours later to get ready for the ball, silently cursing in your head each step on the track on your way back. the guards opened the tall, dark oak doors for you and you stepped in, the sound of dry track silenced as soon as your shoes met the smooth, marble floor. the environment of the castle was much different than the village. the castle was huge, but echo-y and quiet - obnoxiously quiet. on the other hand, the village was small, but a lot of children run around and kiosks that contained things to catch attention from anyone. you liked both on some days.

“it is about time you returned from your trip,” elena said, standing at the bottom of the grand staircase with her iconic clipboard wrapped in her arm. she had been waiting for you to get home, rather patiently but as soon as she watched you enter through the tall doors, all of her contained patience went down the drain. “shall we get started then, dear?”

“do we have food? i’m quite famished,” you told her, hoping to get through with this excuse and stall. but, elena saw through your excuse and shook your head. you weren’t too hungry anyway, you hoped for the dress to be loose enough for you to eat later on. you and elena headed up the grand staircase, hand resting on the gold-engraved wooden railing for support as you made your way up in your room.

elena had sent you to the bathroom to take a long, refreshing bubble bath. so, you sat in the bathtub filled with bubbles that spilled over the tub. your eyes stared blankly at the white-tiled wall, ignoring the anxiety building up in your chest but also the excitement slowly mixing with the feeling. of course, you were excited. maybe there will be a cute boy you’d want to dance with, or other people you’d eventually want to meet. it wasn’t like you had a choice though, your parents will pull you left and right meeting families you didn’t even know existed.

your thoughts were disrupted by elena pounding her fist on the door, “hurry up, darling! we still have to get you in our dress!”

you stepped out of the tub, grabbing the beige towel sitting on a golden rack next to the tub and began patting it throughout your body and rubbing it around your hair to soak up any water in your mop of hair. you wrapped your body in your soft plush robe, tiptoeing back into your room where everything was set up around your vanity.

elyssio was standing by your vanity with a hairbrush with a smile on his face, and you didn’t have the heart to tell him that you wanted to do something simple for the night. you hoped elena told him, maybe that’s what the hairbrush is for. “hey, elyssio! it’s nice to see you again.”

“very nice to see you too, princess!” elyssio said, placing the big hairbrush down on the surface of the vanity that had been littered with various boxes filled with shiny and elegant jewelry. you looked over at the headless mannequin standing still a few feet away from the vanity, and you fell in love with your dress. it was everything you had dreamed of wearing. “your parents did a very good job picking your dress for the night.”

“they took note of how you reacted to each dress they picked for every ball occasion,” elena said, sitting on the velvet stool located at the foot of your grand bed. you smiled, taking the skirt-part of the dress in your hand, and god you were thankful the dress was just right for you. “so, do you want to get the hair and makeup out of the way or get in the dress first?”

the process of the get-up ran faster than you thought, as you were in the empty hallways wandering with your dress on complete with the slightly elevated flats, waiting for the ball to start. it was 7:15 in the night, and guests were expected to pile in the grandeur room for the ball. you wanted to kill time, so you went into the kitchen to see what kinds of hors d’oeuvre and appetizers they had for the guests.

“kingston, what are you cooking for tonight?”

“hey! you’re not supposed to be here!” kingston pushed you out of the kitchen. “we don’t want you smelling like the food. you’ll see them when it’s out.”

you wandered the walls again, deciding to head to the library to kill time by reading the big books you had been putting off to the side. you’ve read the the smaller ones, at least. you grabbed the nearest big binded book in sight and sat yourself down on the velvet chair, opening up the hard cover and reading the very first page. you thought that you’d just fall asleep, assuming it’d be a boring book mostly about the geography of the earth, but that really wasn’t the case.

you had been in the castle’s library burning through time by reading the book you had grabbed, clearly and deeply into the topic of geography. what was it about the book that made the concept of geography so interesting? you were so into the book that you hadn’t realize the ball started. you wouldn’t have known if elena hadn’t gone in the library to tell you.

the room was filled with many people, a few minutes in when it started. more and more citizens and visitors made their way through the door, hearing a lot of ‘woah’s and such. as the usual, you were introduced to royal families. handshakes and smiles and nods had already gotten you worn out, but you carried on.

you pranced to the food section, grabbing a ceramic plate decorated with faint pink flowers and gold specks all around it and began walking down the table to see what the chefs had to offer. you ended up not bothering to ask what food is what, whatever looked good to you - you took it.

“that’s a lot of food you’re getting there,” a voice said from behind you. upon turning around, the owner of the voice must be an angel. he was a bit tall, he had the eyes of the fox and cheekbones made from the greek gods and goddesses. he had think yet so pink lips, if he told you he was an alien you’d believe him. how could someone be so gorgeous? “are you the king and queen’s daughter?”

“u-uhm, yes- yes i am,” you stuttered, moving on along down the table. you glanced at what he was wearing, and gosh was he a gem. the only difference between his suit and the other young boys in the room was he was adorned in gold chains, from head to toe. even his ears were littered with gold. “what’s your name?”

“san,” he replied. you took note of how nice his voice sounded in your ears, you wanted to hear more of him. “i don’t think we’ve met yet.”

“yeah, i don’t think so either,” you responded, reaching the end of the table and standing off to the side. you wondered if you should wait for him and talk more. “i’ll see you around..?”

san turned his head from the bread and butter presented in of him, flashing a small smile in his face that made your heart thump like a rabbit’s foot. he nodded, “you will.”

you sat down to eat, fending off your parents’ random arm grabs to leave you alone because you were eating. you sure got a lot of food, some of it you didn’t even get to finish at all. maybe you were rushing to find him, maybe that was it.

“you’re done eating, princess?” elena asked, dabbing on a handkerchief to her lips to get rid off of the sauce from the spaghetti. you nodded, dusting off any food on your dress and yourself to make sure you don’t make a fool out of yourself when you see san again. you checked your hair too. “you look great, sweetheart. go out there and dance.”

“thank you, i will!” you hopped off the platform which your table had been on top of and began to walk around, simply disguising it as meeting other families and attendees, but you only wanted to look for san.

you found him in a group of girls, gushing and poking his gold-adorned suit as they giggled so loudly. you didn’t think much of it and approached san, tapping on his shoulder to get his attention. he swiveled around, a smile creeping on his face as if he knew you’d come to him.

“oh my gosh, it’s the princess..”

“winnie, shut up..!”

“hey,” he greeted with his cute smile. you noticed his dimples, smiling even more at this. “i knew you’d come see me.”

you blushed, knowing that he had known you’d come for him. “uhm.. yeah.. so-”

“does the princess want to dance with the prince?” he asked, the girls behind him muttering to each other and gasping. your eyes peeked at them, before training them on san. his hand reached out to you, offering it for you to take and dance with him.

you took his hand, and in an instant he led you to the dance floor among other pairs dancing with each other. he grabbed your other hand, placing it on his shoulder and attaching his hand onto your waist. your hands still intertwined together when he offered you his hand. you got the idea that he must be a romantic person.

“where have you been all my life?” you whispered, eyes so lost in the void of his eyes. a smirk appeared on his lips, that later transformed into the sweetest smile you have ever seen. you just thought out loud, and felt so embarrassed that you said that to him. but.. san didn’t mind. “i’m sorry i said that.”

“i was just going to ask the same thing,” he said, his eyes were soon beginning to fill the dark void with adoration, like falling in love at first sight. “i’m glad you came to me tonight.”

jaehyun witnessed them dance together to the slow and perfect classical melody, his heart slowly falling off of its place. he left the venue, knowing that she was never interested in him in that way in the first place.

[iiimber]

Could I request an Izukuxreader where I have a suppression quirk that allows me to hide my presence, but I have to touch the person to activate it. Deku has been trying to catch me because I stealing is like breathing I just can't pass it up. And this has been going on for years, but I don't know what he actually looks like so one time I steal something when he's 'off the clock' and he catches me finally. And he promises to take me out on a date once I get out. Something like that?

ahh i love writing for midoriya; i imagine he’ll be much more confident as an adult, but still his same sweet self

Midoriya Izuku loved being a hero.

As his dream since a child, there was no conceivable way he wouldn’t love it. Despite the target on his back as a rising pro, the dangers and constant reminder of his mortality in the line of duty— all these negatives were outweighed every time someone give him a bright smile, a comment on how strong and kind he was, a thank you for saving their lives and a promise to support him as he continued to rise.

With all the complications and hardships that went into being a hero, Midoriya Izuku still really loved it.

He would have rough days; not arriving to the scene fast enough, not as skilled and ready for combat as he could’ve been. Being a hero was tough work, and while he knew that, it could still weigh him down tremendously. There would always be things that could make or break his day as a Pro, but even those he wouldn’t give up. They always fueled him to move forward, push himself to the limit of becoming a better him for himself and for the people.

Yes, he wouldn’t give any of that up...even the frustrating cat-and-mouse game with one particular thief.

In the beginning of the Hero Deku’s career, he was assigned to smaller, more petty crimes and villains. He was strong and pretty skilled, and his experience during Yuuei was enough to let him take care of the minor, yet still troublesome offenses. There had been a thief around— one that focused on stealing smaller stuff like makeup or clothes, things that weren’t necessarily important but these places had a business to run.

While Midoriya at first was a little discouraged with being assigned something so...small and seemingly easy, he grew to learn that this particular criminal would prove to be quite tough. He had meet his match with you, that was for certain.

Over the years, as he rose in popularity and number, beginning to focus on much more heinous crimes and serious rescue missions— his quarrel with you was still ever present. He knows what you look like, what your quirk is and the basis on how it works (even now, grown and a professional hero, he still analyzes any quirk that sparked his interest). He just had no idea how to actually catch you.

He’ll see you, either in the midst of stealing or running away, and as he gains on you— only one touch from your hand is enough to shield yourself from his vision. You’re still there; he can feel your presence, but no matter how hard he tries he can’t remember where you were last standing or figure out where you could’ve moved to. It’s frustrating; he’s smart! Resourceful and cunning, this should be a breeze for him!

You always gain the upper hand though, and damn if it isn’t just a little bit exhilarating.

You’re not much for higher-stake thefts.

Your quirk works on living things, not cameras and sensors, so if you choose to steal without any facial protection— you’d be able to be identified pretty easily. Luckily though, you’re a master at concealing yourself when the need arises— getting away is as easy as taking candy from a baby. Not that you ever would, your morals are much higher than that.

Today was a day where you were feeling a little brave. An itch to steal and put yourself in a more stressful and exciting heist than normally. You had been laying a little low these past weeks; Deku was less busy with more important missions and used that time to try and gain the upper hand on you. He was getting increasingly more frustrated, you could tell when you had slipped away yet again, but that’s why it’s so fun!

You were confident in what you knew you could do, and it never ceased to stump your Pro Hero.

There was a necklace in the local jewelry shop that had caught your eye the other day; a pretty gold chain decorated with drooping diamonds, glittering in the light almost mockingly whenever you passed it. It was much too expensive to afford on your own, and it’s not like you had the means to save up for it— you could just easily steal it.

You thought it best to wait until the shop was slow, but busy enough that the workers could still be occupied with other customers. The plan was to make a move when the necklace had been placed out of the glass case for display, but that was taking too long and you had a flaw of getting antsy. You’d go ahead with it anyways, messy escape or not.

The little shop had about seven other people in it, besides the four workers. The employees were busy chatting and making sales, leaving you to stand in front of the glass case where your fated necklace was hanging delectably. It wasn’t often you’d indulge in treating yourself like this; more so stealing items you’d rather not pay for or basic necessities...but you supposed with your success on evading Deku’s capture all the time you’ve gotten a little cocky in your abilities.

Pressing a hand against the glass, you sighed through your nose. There was the option of just breaking it and running, but that meant more attention on you— making more people to touch to get away. Fingers tapping, thoughts of how to go about obtaining this necklace racing through your mind.

“I-is there anything I can help you with?”

Glancing up, you were met with the nervous gaze of a young worker. Her smile was kind and a little wobbly, posture stiff. If you had to take a guess, you would say she was new.

Smiling back, you tapped a finger against the glass. “Would you be able to take this out for a better look?”

With his mother's birthday coming up, and more than enough money to go all out for the wonderful woman who raised him, Midoriya decided to browse the local jewelry store. His mother didn’t own a lot of nice things for herself; too busy raising him to be the best he could be and saving her money for more important things, she had always missed out on treating herself; even just a little bit. He wanted to get her something nice; expensive and pretty, one that would certainly catch the eye of other people. He knew it wasn’t necessary, but he couldn’t help himself.

The shop had many pretty accessories to choose from, all expensive and genuine, but nothing he couldn’t afford. As he gazed down at an emerald encrusted bracelet, Midoriya perked up when he heard a familiar, soft voice.

“Ah, thank you so much!”

Turning, he met the sight of you, gazing down at a sparkling necklace. There was a glimmer in your eye, and he watched in shock as the worker turned away for just one moment…

One moment was it all it took too. Gently, you touched the poor woman's hand and lifted the necklace with care, placing it in your bag before turning tail towards the entrance of the shop. You were out before the worker noticed, and Midoriya was right after you.

He found it careless to do this during early evening, all kind of witnesses mulling around— anyone of them could have the means to stop you! You’ve grown cocky, that’s for sure, and a part of him wondered if it had to do with his continued failure in catching you.

You were moving through the crowd like a snake, dodging and stepping around backed up foot-traffic with such a lightness to your step that he thought you could very well have a second quirk. Midoriya was faster though, heart racing against his chest as he reached out, closer, so much closer until…

A tug on your wrist put your escape to a stop, a sinking feeling making you nauseous and your head light. There was no way you could’ve been caught, everyone else in the shop was busy with their own matters and the people outside were too focused on getting home than the inside of some little corner jewelry place! With a deep breath, you turned to meet a swirling green gaze— a perfected, innocent smile on your face.

“Can I help you with something sir?”

If Midoriya didn’t know any better, he would think he had grabbed the wrong person. Your (e/c) eyes were wide and curious, innocent looking just like your smile. Your face was sweet, foolproof acting if he wasn’t so smart. It was a shame you were so cute, you actually brought a blush to his face.

You weren’t freaking out though, and it dawned on him that every time the two of you clashed he had been on the clock— dressed in hero gear and his mask...you didn’t know what he actually looked like. Still staring at him with wide eyes, Midoriya grinned, free hand coming up to grasp your other that had been reaching out to his arm slowly.

Gasping as you were tugged closer to the man, an unsettling shock shooting down your spine as he continued to gaze down at you. He had completely encased your hands in his, giving you no openings to conceal yourself. You were screwed.

“Funny seeing you here, (Name).”

Shit. Double screwed.

Deku, clad in casual clothes and face exposed to you for the first time, let out a laugh at your widened eyes. You were frozen in shock, struggling to believe that you were finally caught— when he was off duty.

With ease, the man shifted both of your wrists into two hands, reaching into his jean pockets to pull out his phone. You watch him type your location in— no doubt to the police to bring you in. The weight of what was happening finally settled in, shoulders slumping closing your eyes in defeat. Your little cat-and-mouse game with Deku was finally over; he won.

Slipping his phone back into the pocket, Midoriya looked up to your solemn face. He was happy, finally succeeding in bringing you to justice (although short-term, petty-theft was the least worried about in this society) he had to admit he would miss the thrill of chasing after you. Reaching into your bag for the necklace, he cleared his throat.

“These last years have been fun, but it’s too bad really.” He watched your eyes peek open, watching him in suspicious interest. “You’re very skilled, you could be using that for something better.”

Deku carefully pulled the necklace from the bag, holding it in his large hand with the utmost care. A grin broke out on your flushed face, eyes narrowed. “Sure, but where’s all the fun in that?”

Looking back up at you, a gentle smile on his freckled face only made yours hotter; he was still too kind, even restraining you from any movement. Throughout you years of evading him, he had always been polite in a gentle, yet stern way. You never hurt anyone, or made moves to harm him, so you’re sure that played into his refusal of getting too physical...but a part of you was wondering if there was more to that kindness then Deku was letting on.

“It’s fun to do good though. Helping people is the best kind of thrill you can get!” When he noticed the look of amused doubt, he only tried harder. “Really, I’m serious! You’d be pleasantly surprised at how good it feels!”

You tried tugging your wrists free, as he squeezed a little harder than comfortable as he got excited. “Whatever, incase you can’t tell, I’ll be on my way to jail here pretty soon— there’s not a chance for me to do any good.” His grip loosened only slightly, apologizing under his breath as his thumb rubbed against your skin softly.

It was quiet a little longer, and dread settled in the pit of your stomach when you saw the cop car pulling up across the street.

“When you get out then, I’ll take you out and show you how fun it can be.”

Startled at the offer, your gaze snapped back to his. Green eyes were sparkling with determination, a shaky, handsome smile adorning his face. Another beat of silence past as the two of you stared at the other, until a toothy grin stretched across your lips.

“Are you asking me on a date, Deku?” The teasing tone of voice had him flustered, but his resolve didn’t crumble; nodding his head and stepping closer.

“If that’s what you want to call it, then yes. I’ll gladly take you on a date when you get out.”

As you sat in the back of the cop car, hands cuffed and on your way to a cell, you couldn’t find it in yourself to be too worried. You had a date to look forward to these next couple of months.

[8831blog]

My New Project

I own a lot of clothes. Clothes for days when I wanna look like Jem and the Holograms. Clothes for when I am so sad I have to wear something that feels like a giant fuzzy blanket to stop from sobbing in public. Clothes I wear when I want a whole room to look at me. Clothes I wear when I am absolutely not paying for drinks. Clothes for when I am the witch of the wood, tell Stevie Nicks to eat shit because actually I invented her look. I use all my clothes, shoes, accessories, and to inform whoever happens to look at me how I am feeling at that particular moment. Except for when I don’t.

Taking cute pics for Instagram

But anyway, I own a lot of clothes. Too many to properly count. And absolutely too many to ever wear. I have clothes from fifty pounds ago that I can’t bear to let go because I tell myself again that “I’m going to lose weight. I need to keep this”. I bought things that still have tags attached that I never even wore because I bought them without trying them on, or they were so cool I just HAD to have it, or I saw a cool way to wear it in my head, or it looks like something I saw in a magazine (yes, I still read and worship fashion magazine editorials like it's 2006). SImply, over the years I’ve hoarded quite a collection of stuff. And I use hoarded in the literal sense. I have boxes of stuff I don’t use or wear or have a place or even care for, because I say that I know it will be of use some day (plot twist 99% has never been). The mass of fashion items I’ve got is a problem for me and others!

Quite twisted at a party after working all day and pulling this outfit out of my ass

So here’s the project. I’m not going to stop buying clothes. I’m not going to Marie Kondo clean out my closet because I think everything in there does, in some form, give me joy. What I am going to do is wear every piece of clothing, every piece of jewelry, all my shoes, my bras, underwear, socks, all of it, and really truly examine why I’m holding on to it. Life is not just good or bad, happy or sad, black or white, and neither are my feelings about clothes. I am plus size (currently around a size 18, but can fluctuate from a size 14-22), 5”10 (six inches taller than the average american woman), so finding clothing that actually fits on my body is difficult. Finding items that fit my body well is another story. My body and self image are all over the place, and so is my mental health. Once upon a time I wore a steel boned corset for 10+ hours a day for six months until I could take 12 inches off my waist, but also I bought shirts I wanted to fit baggy but in reality they are too small now, or never fit in the first place. Basically, everything in my life is wildly, outlandishly,  inconsistent. Fashion is what I care about most, which brings me back to introducing my new project- wearing every item of clothing I own and deeply examining why I should keep it.  I have a whole closet, wardrobe rack, vintage armoire, and more full of 25 years of collecting. Truly, I own some cool shit. That corset I mentioned, a vintage beaded floor length gown in a size two I thrifted, stuff I found on the ground in New York City, things my friends made, my mom’s clothes, so much of my late dad's clothes, lots of stuff older than me, things that sold out instantly I managed to snag, its just endless. Actually, it's not- it just feels that way because I put so much emotional weight into fashion.

Middle of a shift at my nursing home job- no makeup and working eight days straight. Pre COVID so no mask!

If you’re still reading this, please follow my journey that starts with fabric, and ends I don’t know where. I do want to get rid of things (I need to get rid of stuff) but so much of it makes me “happy”. In this journey I am going to discuss how to properly dispose of clothing, how to tell if something fits right, make lots of fashion and film and pop culture references. I’m going to talk a lot about body image, gaining.losing weight. The fashion industry as a whole, my personal experiences and thoughts about the future. How it feels to be a woman, how it feels to be a plus size woman, how it feels to have  a perchant for black clothes, to love drama, to work twelve hour shifts in a nursing home, what it's like to NEVER PAY FULL PRICE BECAUSE PAYING FULL PRICE IS FOR S U C K E R S.I’m going to reminisce and fantasize. I’m going to examine the idea of perfection until it means nothing. I am going to show off but also be too vulnerable. I’m not going to stop buying clothes but hopefully I’ll get smarter at it. My name is Anna McCabe and this is what’s happening.

TL;DR: I’m going to try on all my clothes and decide if I like them and I’m going to tell you all about it. Prepare for lots of dirty mirror selfies.

Easter Sunday 2020 in a pandemic that I only dressed up for because my brother’s girlfriend wore a pretty dress and my mom made a comment about my pajamas

[lazuliblade]

Figure Skating Charms and a Wealth of Nuance

Haha...so...*guiltily posts this months later* I had this in my drafts 70% completed since episode 10 came out, but with episode 11 and 12 the fandom exploded on other issues, and I thought it was kind of irrelevant since the rings have so many layers of meaning already. But in PASH magazine’s March issue, Kubo-sensei actually brings this up. 

I ended up cleaning this post and after finding out that @sachiro​ was going to make a similar post, we decided to have “pair posts” to submit for victuuriweek. You can read their yoi meta here , which discusses and connects specific moments throughout the series to the points I’ll lay out in the second half of this post.

About Yuuri’s charm. Yuuri has a figure skating precedent for buying jewelry to act as a charm - it isn’t a blasé “lots of good stuff around here...yeah, rings can make good charms, right? idk, but I’m doing it anyway.” Here’s yet another layer.

Charms are a legitimate THING in figure skating.

You won’t read about this in figure skating intros or on Wikipedia, and you won’t hear commentators talk about it either (if it’s brought up, consider it a stroke of luck and immediately save that video/interview forever). Unless you follow skaters to the point of knowing about their personal lives, then this is one meaningful aspect of figure skating that is easy to miss.

It’s not uncommon to see women and men in figure skating wear jewelry to bring them luck. When you spot a figure skater wearing a necklace/ring/bracelet/earring it’s often because it has special significance to them and the skater is somewhat superstitious. In other words, it’s not casual bling for costuming. Technically it’s against the rules to wear accessories in figure skating, but so many skaters have sentimental and lucky charms that the rule is essentially obsolete -- no one cares as long as the accessory doesn’t fall off and cause trouble. 

You might even call charm-wearing a trend for how many skaters have worn special jewelry over the years and inspired younger skaters to wear their own.

I’m including a short list of examples with a few anecdotes that I’ve come to learn:

Yuzuru Hanyu - a necklace with a rhombus-shaped pendant etched with a symbol and letters; 2 Phiten necklaces; one power-stone bracelet on each wrist given to him by his mother.

^The Phiten necklaces are relatively new (a few years old), but that rhombus-pendant necklace and the bracelets have been around since his Junior/early Senior days. The pendant in particular he believes balances his energy and brings him good luck. He never takes them off. (As an aside, the last picture shows Yuzu’s customary thanking the ice after a performance.) He also gave his coach, Brian Orser, a matching bracelet to wear, because they are a team:

Daisuke Takahashi - a necklace with a gold pendant.

Shoma Uno - a Colan Totte necklace with pendant. He appeared wearing it at a show once (it may or may not have been a gift), and didn’t stop wearing it.

Johnny Weir - a necklace with charms&bobbles.

^He never takes it off and does not allow anyone to touch it. It’s very personal, it brings him luck, and he believes that having another person touch it would mar the aura it has. He mentions that if he has to take a charm off to clean it, he’ll do so with the utmost care.

Evgeni Plushenko- a necklace with a cross that a relative gave him. He never takes it off. 

Over time he started adding more charms to the necklace. (above is 2002, below is 2010 and 2014 respectively)  

Michele Kwan -  a red silk string necklace with a gold dragon pendant given to her by her grandmother. She always had it in competition for good luck, and you would rarely see her without it even off-ice.

Gracie Gold - a necklace with a gold evil eye pendant. She wears it to ward off bad karma. Her first ballet instructor gave her the pendant and she went on to win the U.S. Nationals. It’s since become very special.

Yuuri Katsuki -  gold ring. One of a matched set of simple gold wedding bands, the other worn by Victor Nikiforov.

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A Treasure of Meanings

This is the tradition that Yuuri is drawing from when he mentions that he’s always wanted a protective charm (omamori).  It’s true that he DOES want a special charm for luck -- it’s a cool item that a skater will have associated with them-- but he’s also using the idea of a charm as an opportunity to carry something with multiple meaningful layers. We know by his stuttering in the jewelry shop and at the cathedral that Yuuri understands a gold ring has more connotations than being a charm for luck and protection. If he had just wanted a charm, he could have simply bought a necklace or bracelet, but he went for a gold ring precisely because of the additional implication of a promise. 

However, it’s important to note that there are a variety of alternate nuances he’s attaching to the ring, and the nuance of engagement is no more significant than any other one layer.

Yuuri bought it to center himself on the ice, he bought it to physically show that bond with Victor(ep5), he bought it to give a token of utmost gratitude to Victor, he bought it to link him to Victor even if he’s not by his side(ep9), he bought it to bring them luck and good fortune, and he bought it as a promise. Putting a ring on Victor was, to Yuuri, giving himself good luck while being grateful. He is stating his appreciation for Victor and intention to be a unit (a team).

The act of Victor putting the other ring on Yuuri (as opposed to Yuuri simply placing it on his own finger a la “boyfriend giving his sweetheart a matching gift and then wearing the match himself”) showed his acceptance for Yuuri’s feelings. This is one of those “he meets me halfway” moments. There is an implicit understanding to this moment when Yuuri is giving Victor the ring. As is very Japanese, Yuuri doesn’t discuss or directly state all of the nuances and layers. Victor, having lived with Yuuri for 8 months and spent many significant moments with him over this time, can understand what Yuuri is saying underneath the mere spoken words.

(special thanks to @sachiro​ for the gif)

When Yuuri can’t say what else the ring implies, Victor says it for him. If Yuuri’s action of giving the ring to Victor was all of those things above, then Victor’s action of placing the ring on Yuuri was a good luck charm to reassure Yuuri that Victor understands, that he will stay by Yuuri’s side (ep7/9 “Hanarezuni soba ni ite!” ), and that this sense of security should help stop Yuuri from overthinking on the ice. (“You always flub jumps when you’re thinking of something else, Yuuri~”) And if this method to calm and reassure Yuuri on the ice happens to take the form of a wedding ring -- all the better for this besotted man. 

Pair all that with what an omamori means, and the omajinai that Victor casts on the ring, and you’ll get a grasp on the importance of the scene that might be lost on Western viewers. Then in knowing this cultural meaning of protection, connection, and strong emotion influencing outcomes, you’ll have another interesting angle for why Yuuri chose a ring instead of a necklace or bracelet (I’ll warn that the writer goes into greater depth about omamori in Japan than may be relevant, but it makes a fascinating read).

And if I may add a modern Japanese dating culture angle to all this, couple’s jewelry is common (usually as bracelets and phone charms), and there’s the modern act of boyfriends giving their serious girlfriend a ring for their right ring finger to represent a promise….

In conclusion, wearing charms is an aspect in figure skating (and with athletes in general) that is fairly common. An athlete’s charms can carry special significance from the start with multiple meanings and wishes, and conversely the charms can have sentimental feelings attached over time. A charm can gain more meanings as experiences pile up, and sometimes they become inseparable from an athlete’s image. Yuuri chooses these rings with the intention of being his special protective charm while having many nuanced feelings attached, and through acts with Victor (the exchange in front of the church, Victor’s proposal comment, the kiss on the ring rinkside serving as a blessing) the rings will gain a stronger meaning over time.

To end on an overly flowery note -- it is victuuri week, after all -- the rings have layers of nuances that bloom like a lotus when showered with observation, and which shine like a beacon when Yuuri is lost in the mud of anxiety.