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[gghostwriter]

One Single Thread of Gold

Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Summary: The three times Penelope tries to solve a Spencer Reid riddle and the one time she (and the team) meet the reason behind all the changes Trope: Fluff! Just fluff and team banter! w.c: 4.0k a/n: For some reason, my earlier post on this disappeared dunno why. But this is a very self indulgent fic as reader’s background is basically based on the industry I work in. I had a lot of fun writing the team banter and I hope you enjoy it too! Comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated 💗

The first clue presented itself on a dull Wednesday night as the team, minus Hotch and Rossi, were leaving the bullpen after a full day of pushing papers. Penelope in all of her sunshine and colorful glory was buzzing about these accessories that she once spotted on a storefront window.

“I saw a pair of earrings and a matching necklace that would look so good with that top you bought the other day, JJ. You know, the blue one with those soft sleeves—they would look great with it. It’s tres boho chic.”

JJ smiled, opening her mouth to reply, but Spencer beat her to it.

“Did you know that boho chic was actually a response to political and social movements?”

“Wait, what?” Emily interjected.

He took her disbelief as a sign to continue on. “Yeah, yeah. There’s an article written about it in Vogue—softness and femininity historically appears in moments of political stress and war. Just like in the 70s with the hippie and anti-war movement that defined their style as a generation.”

They all piled into the elevator and turned to face the boy genius like he grew another head. For all they knew, this could be a clone and a very bad one at that. The Spencer Reid that they knew had absolutely no interest in the realms of fashion.

Penelope was the first to break the silence. “Vogue?”

“Kid, what gives? Just the other time, you didn’t know how many shoes a woman owns and now you’re some kind of expert?” Derek asked with both eyebrows raised.

“Did not knowing activate some kind of button that made you want to read about it?” Emily added on, feeling like she was in some kind of TV prank show.

“What?” Spencer licked his lips, nervous with all the attention on him. He felt like he was about to slip something up that he had been keeping to himself for a while now. A hidden precious gem that was you. “I—I like to read.” A believable excuse except his voice went up an octave, giving him away.

The three women shared a look.

“But you read academic textbooks and classic literature,” JJ stated.

Penelope added on. “Not fashion magazines.”

He shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “I don’t discriminate when it comes to reading. If it’s interesting—” he shifted his weight one side to another, thinking that the ride down on the elevator seemed to be taking slower than usual. “—I’ll read it.”

Penelope narrowed her eyes. She was no profiler but she could smell a lie from a mile away way. That wasn’t the whole truth. Dr. Spencer Reid was hiding something.

“Okay, see you tomorrow!” he squeaked out as he ran out of the elevator once it hit the lobby.

She turned to the three profilers, stunned with the boy genius’ erratic behavior. “Huh, did anybody else get the feeling that Spencer was hiding something?”

“Maybe, but the kid does read a lot. Maybe he just ran out of books.” Morgan shrugged.

The other two profilers tilted their heads and slowly nodded in agreement. It wasn’t far off on something Spencer would do. He did once pick up a pamphlet in the airport to read as mentioned before to her by Derek, granted it was for a case but still, Penelope couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something else.

So when she arrived home that very same night, she propped up her laptop and got to digging. Boy Genius was hiding something big and Little Miss Oracle of Quantico can find anything with her tech skills. She’ll get to the bottom of this mystery, once and for all.

———

Spencer was glad to be coming home to your presence. Having spied the lights still on from the outside of the apartment, he took the steps two at a time, excited to see his 2nd favorite person after his mother—you.

“Spence?” You called out, having heard the mahogany front door open. “Is that you, baby?”

“Hey, love. I missed you,” he deposited his satchel to the nearby sofa and ran to give you a hug.

You burrowed yourself into his arms. All the muscles in your body relaxing as you caught a whiff of his cedar wood perfume—the same scent you’ve gifted to him during the early stages of dating. “I missed you too. How was your day?”

“Better now with you,” his words coming out muffled as he refused to detach himself from the embrace. “Actually, I almost slipped up today.”

You extricated from his arms to give him an inquisitive look. The slight scrunch on your nose and raised brows made his heart flutter. How expressive, free, and trusting you were. It reminded him of your first encounter. How you teasingly asked him if he was a serial killer when he offered you a ride home in the pouring rain and how you easily accepted regardless.

“Yeah? Did any of them catch on?” you probed as you pulled him by his belt loops to the direction of the bedroom.

He laughed, finding your aggression cute. “No. At least, I don’t think so.”

“Maybe we should schedule dinner with them sometime,” you coyly suggested as you slowly started to unravel his tie. “I mean, we’ve been together for over a year now and I have moved into your apartment, under the guise of watering your plants while you’re away. Which is a lie, by the way—”

“I have plants!” he protested. His hands divesting you out of his sweater, bringing to view his favorite silk set in deep purple that accentuated your skin and the blush on your cheeks.

“—that I brought over, Spence,” you quipped back. “But don’t worry, I won’t spill how the intelligent FBI agent fooled naive me into moving in with him.”

There was a glint in his eyes that sent shivers down your spine. “Love, I wouldn’t exactly call you naive—” his voice going an octave lower. “—not when you’re looking at me with those tempting eyes of yours.”

Giggling, you leaned in for a kiss, one that he quickly took over. His calloused dominant hand wrapped around the back of your neck, effectively caging you in while his other cradled your cheek—a stark contrast to the other. Kissing Spencer had always felt like a religious experience that you never want to part from.

Reluctantly pulling away, you caught glimpse of his need for you. His hazel eyes now dark as ink, nostrils slightly flared, teeth sinking into his lower lip, and his dominant hand dug into the fleshy nape of your neck. It made you feel desirable, like the goddess that he would call you when he’s on his knees tasting nectar from the source.

The discussion of inviting the team out for dinner was long forgotten. No other words were spoken as you pushed him on the bed—only the cries of his and your name and moans of ‘yes’ echoed well into the night.

***

The second clue was uncovered when Spencer walked into the cold windy bullpen with new black cardigan adorning his lithe body. It was non-descriptive to the untrained eye but for fashion enthusiast Penelope Garcia, she knew what those four white lines on the sleeve meant—luxury label and priced well above their pay grade.

She narrowed her eyes. The Spencer she knew wouldn’t dare spend his salary on anything besides limited first edition books. Something was truly up and she planned to get to the bottom of it as her initial online search turned up nothing.

“Reid, that’s a really nice sweater,” she complimented, throwing in her bait.

He smiled. The thought of who gave it to him warmed his heart. “Yeah. Yeah, thanks Garcia.”

Her sparkly pink kitten heels clacking on the floor as she came closer. “Can I see it?” she innocently asked.

The request threw Spencer off the loop but thought nothing of it as he shrugged and handed it to her—still warm from body temperature.

Her squeals caught the attention of the other profilers filling into the office.

“What is it, baby girl?” Morgan deposited his bag on the table and stationed himself beside her. “It’s Reid’s new sweater. Are you seeing something I’m not seeing?”

Garcia rolled her eyes. This was why females are considered more observant that their sex counterpart. Her chocolate thunder was a profiler but how could he not notice what she was deducing?

“Huh,” Emily surmised. “Based on the fibers, it’s definitely not polyester. Possibly a 100% wool, what do you think, JJ?”

“It says here on the tag—100% virgin wool,” she read out loud. “That makes it very expensive, right Garcia?”

The colorful tech analyst smiled. Her girls could never let her down. “Right you are, girlfriends! But it’s not only that, this—” pointing at the four stripes on the sleeve. “—this is a signature Thom Browne detail. Their prices go up to at least 600 dollars—” they all turned to Reid who seemed clearly agitated. “—now why does our boy wonder have a piece that could buy at most five cute heels?”

With his vast intellect, he couldn’t think of a way to weasel out of this impromptu interrogation. He couldn’t very well say that it was a gift now could he? If he did, that would lead to another hard hitting question ‘from who?’ He raked his hand through his curly hair, taking the same path as yours did just earlier as you gave him a kiss goodbye.

When you gifted him the cardigan from your last New York business trip, he really thought nothing of its material equivalence, besides feeling grateful and loved. It was proof that you paid attention to even the littlest details about him.

“Hey Spence, I got you something,” you looked up at him with sparkling eyes. The first thing you had done when you got home was run into his arms. A simple act that healed his aching heart from missing it’s other half.

You reached into your luggage, enthusiastically pulling out the black clothing wrapped in tissue paper like some magician pulling out a rabbit from a hat. “Here you go!”

“A new sweater!” He exclaimed.

You rocked on your heels, looking bashful as you explained the reasoning behind it. “I noticed you fidgeting when you wore the cardigan JJ gifted you last Christmas, the polyester fibers used on it must have been really itchy so I got you a new one—” your eyes widened at how your explanation could be taken the wrong way. “—not that her gift wasn’t great! No, it was very cute! It’s just—I want you to be comfortable and protected during your cases in cold states. Polyester is a good insulator of heat but wool is still the best.”

He loved how unabashed you rambled about your interests. That was one of the first things he piqued his notice. How you liked to share your knowledge about the fashion industry that you work for but never coming across as stuck up or snobby, you just genuinely wanted to educate anyone who had a wrong perception of the billion dollar commerce. Admittedly, he was one of them but hearing you rave about it’s nitty-gritty details and socio-economic movements changed his mind. It also helped that a beautiful and intelligent woman, such as yourself, was educating him.

He pulled you in for a kiss, stopping all the worries that ran through your head. “I love it. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing at all, baby. I like taking care of you. Just like how you take care of me,” you reasoned. “Plus I got it on sale courtesy of the magazine connections.”

A tap on his shoulder brought him out of his reverie. It was Penelope with an eyebrow raised at the subtle smile that graced his face while he replayed the moment in his head.

“Okay,” Morgan drawled. “What’s got you smiling, Pretty boy?”

“Nothing,” he squeaked out, turning to see Hotch make his way across the office. Spencer hurriedly collected his things and started to move even before their unit chief could call their attention.

“We have a case,” Hotch announced.

The remaining BAU members all looked at each other, silently communicating about Reid’s irregular demeanor, before piling into the conference room for another grueling scene of murder.

“He’s been acting weird,” Garcia rushed out. “Definitely hiding something. What do you think, Em?”

Emily nodded. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“A girl?” JJ guessed.

“Yes, must be a special one for him to keep secret for so long,” Garcia surmised. “Do you think he’ll hate it if I go further digging around to find out who she is?”

“Further?” Emily clarified.

JJ laughed. “Probably, let’s wait for him to volunteer the information. Okay, Garcia?”

She sighed, shoulders drooping, before nodding in agreement.

***

The third clue was quite literally handed to Penelope Garcia on the jet after a case when she accompanied the team.

“Cold Alaska is so not good for my skin,” she grumbled as she rummaged her bottomless bag for her favorite hand cream. “I love going with you all on trips rather than being stuck in my own tech cave but the weather wasn’t it.”

Morgan chuckled. “Aw c’mon baby girl, don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy our time together?”

“You, my sculpted hunk, and the fireplace were the highlight,” Penelope turned to the other female profilers. “My beauties, do any of you have lotion? I think I lost mine.”

Before JJ or Emily could even utter a word, a tube made its way to her lap courtesy of her seat mate, Dr. Spencer Reid.

“Reid, since when do you carry lotion?” Emily inquired.

He shrugged. “Hand cream has it’s benefits besides from moisturizing the skin, it also provides an additional layer of protection. Depending on it’s properties, it can also repair and undo damage.”

The females all shared a look. This was another unexplainable behavior from their resident genius.

“We know that,” JJ stated. “We just thought you didn’t.”

His brows furrowed. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, besides from the fact that you’ve never shown interest about skincare before, isn’t it a stereotype for men not to know? Unless—” Emily slyly smiled and nodded at Garcia to continue.

“Unless you have a girlfriend that we don’t know about,” Garcia bounced on her seat.

Hook, line, and sinker.

Spencer’s eyes widened in alarm. He didn’t realize he was walking into a trap before it was too late. “What makes you say that?”

They laughed.

JJ started. “Besides from you suddenly being knowledgeable in fashion—“

“—or having a pricey sweater you’d never buy for yourself—” Emily added on.

“Or, or—“ Garcia reached out to touch his hand. Which made Spencer react with a high pitched call of her name. “—having a shea butter lotion with rough hands!” She waved the tube up in the air. “Plus, this is half empty. So either it’s not working which I doubt since this is a good brand or you keep this in your bag for a special someone to use!”

Derek chuckled. “Baby girl, you could be a profiler at this point.”

“Oh tell me something I don’t know,” she quipped back. “So Reid, want to tell us the truth?”

He sighed, finding no escape. “Yes, yes I have a girlfriend.”

The girls all shrieked with laughter and their own corresponding questions of who is she? How did you meet? How long has this been going on? What does she do for a living? Is she pretty? Oh I bet she is!

“Looks like that cat is out of the bag,” Rossi nonchalantly stated.

Four sets of eyes turned to look at one of the BAU founders. “Rossi, you knew about this and didn’t tell me?” Garcia gasped, a hand to her chest at the thought of betrayal.

He laughed. “I caught them on a dinner date once and our boy wonder over here—“ nodded in Reid’s direction. “—begged me not to out him yet, said he wanted to be the one to tell the team the news but that was like what, six months ago?”

“Six months ago?” Emily repeated.

“Wait, wait. Hotch, don’t tell me you also knew?” Morgan asked.

The unit chief smiled. “She was added to Reid’s emergency contact last February.”

“February? That’s almost a year ago!” JJ sputtered out.

The tech analyst turned to glare at the youngest member of the BAU. “Reid, you better start spilling all the details or so help me, I will stalk all your digital footprint when we land until I find out who she is, where she lives, and what her deepest darkest secret is.”

“What about hearing it all from her, instead?” He rubbed the back of his neck. The secrecy had gone on for so long and there was no time like the present to introduce his chosen family to his chosen partner—hopefully until the end of time. “She wants to treat you all out for dinner tonight.”

All four nodded vigorously as they watched him pull out his phone and send a quick text to which you readily replied and agreed to.

“My man,” Derek sighed. “Can’t believe you got a girlfriend without me being your wingman.”

“Answer me at least this, is she pretty and does she make you happy?” Garcia asked. No matter how nosey she may be, she only wanted the best for Spencer and if the recent lightness and smiles were all caused by his mystery girlfriend, she already approved.

“The prettiest,” Spencer gushed out. “She’s my own personal sunshine.”

The three girls melted into their seats. Their youngest was all grown up waxing prose over his lover.

“She makes you sappy too,” Derek teased.

***

[EXTRA - When the mystery was uncovered]

Spencer had never felt any more nervous that this moment as he, with the rest of the team minus Hotch and Rossi, wait for your arrival. He sat with his back to the restaurant entrance and his cardigan laying on the empty seat beside him as a reservation mark. His eyes had been going back and forth to his idle phone and to the conversation the team was having.

Morgan noted his state of distress and chuckled. “You okay there, lover boy? She’s still coming right, your mystery girlfriend?”

“Yeah, yeah. She said she was on her way 9 minutes and 24 seconds ago and based on the route and traffic, she should have been here 45 seconds earlier. Just worried that something might have happened.”

Penelope leaned in, picking on her bubblegum pink choice of drink as she did. “You know, if you just told me her name I could have tracked every movement by now and you wouldn’t be sitting here worrying.”

“What—no Garcia, I don’t want her tracked plus she didn’t want you to know everything about her even before meeting her,” his voice going up an octave in your defense.

She shrugged. “I’m just saying. I mean we don’t know a single thing about her—”

“We do know she exists and you’ve been together for almost a year now,” Emily interjected.

“Actually, it’s been more than year—one year and 124 days to be exact.”

“Buttercup, all I’m saying is we don’t even know how she looks—” Garcia gasped, having spotted a passerby on the window and what she was wearing. “Oh my gosh, that maroon coat is to die for and that textured leather bag—I wonder if I could track her down and ask where she got it.”

“Oh she’s pretty,” JJ noted.

Derek smirked. “Baby girl, tell me if you plan to ask her ‘cause I wouldn’t mind asking for her number.”

The tech analyst’s eyes further widened as she noted the attractive woman going inside the restaurant.

“You weren’t kidding about that coat, Garcia, it looks really nice,” JJ appraised.

Emily squinted her eyes, taking note of the garment in question. “It looks high quality, probably vintage and—is she going near us?”

“Oh gods, she is! Act natural, act natural!” Penelope chanted as she repeatedly slapped Derek’s arm.

The stranger stopped behind Spencer. “Hey handsome,” your melodic voice was a siren that called to his every being. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Penelope’s jaw dropped as she took in Derek’s flustered reaction.

“Me?” He pointed at himself, getting picked up in such a public setting was new even for him—the ladies man of the BAU.

You laughed. “Well, you too but I was more of talking to this lover of mine—“ you bent down, kissing your boyfriend’s cheek. “Hey, Spence.”

A series of gasps were heard all around the table.

The youngest stood up and turned to give you a soft kiss on the lips. “Hey, Y/N. I was starting to get worried.”

“I missed the train, sorry I forgot to send an update,” you explained as he helped you into your seat.

Promptly seating back down, he angled his body to yours—all attention on you as if you were the only one in the room. And in a way you were, with how molten his doe eyes stared, alternating between yours and your painted lips that begged to be kissed.

He always felt breathless when you were near. It was as if he found his very own Aphrodite to worship here on earth. Spencer was no believer of fates or destiny but he would pray and light a candle if he needed to, just to keep you his. Your intelligent mind complimenting his, your outgoing personality that draws anyone in, and your face that could launch a thousand ships.

Those eyes that could read the deepest crevices of his fiber of being. Those cheeks that begged to be caressed by his calloused hands. Those soft lips that deserved to be kissed and devoured until you, in turn, were as breathless as he was. He suddenly wished you both were anywhere else but here—specifically in the confines of the apartment where he was free to express his love, devotion, and adoration until you scream his name and beg him to stop. His hand, having found it’s way to your thigh, squeezed the flesh three times—communicating his promise to have your hair laid around you like a halo as you lay under him, bare and writhing with need.

The blonde on the other end of the table cleared her throat, cutting through the tension.

“Okay, Spence,” she smiled. “Mind introducing us to your girlfriend?”

He brought your hand to his lips, leaving a series of sweet kisses on your knuckle. “This is Y/N, my girlfriend. Y/N, this is the rest of the team. Morgan—“ he gestured to each one. “Emily, JJ, and Garcia.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you!” You exclaimed. “So sorry we’re only meeting now. We wanted to stay in our little bubble for as long as we could plus this handsome FBI agent—” you nudged Spencer’s shoulder. “—wanted to keep me to himself. But where’s Aaron and Dave?”

Emily whispered under her breath. “Aaron? Dave?”

“They had prior commitments, love. They did send their regards and Rossi wants to invite you to the next gathering at his mansion,” Spencer explained.

“Love?” Penelope squeaked out. This was really starting to feel like Twilight zone for the team members.

You nodded. “I’ll definitely plot it on my calendar. Now, I heard you had some questions for me?”

“How’d you two meet?” JJ asked.

“When was the first date?” Emily inquired.

Penelope brought out a pen and paper. “What’s you social security number?”

Derek snorted at that. “Do you have any other siblings?”

Spencer’s eyebrows raised further and further up with each question while your shoulders shook with laughter.

“She has all the time in the world to get to know each of you,” Spencer laid out. “No need to make it sound like an interrogation.” He was wishing to keep you forever, if you’d let him.

You smiled as you caressed his cheek, having caught on to the veiled meaning behind his words. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated!

[chan-skz]

Makeup - Bang Chan

His fingers were delicate. He was so close to you, you weren't used to such closeness. You prayed he couldn't notice the growing blush on your cheeks, as his gaze was focused on your makeup. You made the mistake of leaving your house without an umbrella, not having bothered to check the weather forecast, thus finding yourself stuck in the rain, ruining completely your hair and makeup.

"You're so stupid." Chan said slightly coldly, tearing his gaze away from you for a short moment to change accessories. You pouted, crossing your arms. He wasn't wrong, you should have thought better.

You decided to ignore his comment, watching him cleverly place a bit of the concealer against the back of his hand and lightly tap your beauty blender against it. At least you had the decency to bring your makeup bag with you. “I didn’t know you knew how to put on makeup.” Speaking of makeup, you didn't even know that he was an expert on that either.

"Don’t judge me, but I watched several videos just in case my girl friends needed help. And also I sometimes had to retouch my own makeup behind the scenes during concerts." He added calmly with a small grin on his face. But his expression quickly returned to focus as he began to apply the cosmetic on your skin. "So yes, I can manage to do it. I'm telling you all that because by the look on your face, you look rather surprised."

The sweet smile he gave you made your heart race. But you pushed all feelings aside, you had no chance. Not only was he your friend, but also an extremely coveted man. After all, how could such a perfect man be attracted to someone like you? So many girls would dream of being in your shoes right now. He could easily get girls much more beautiful and experienced than you in a snap of a finger.

"Are you okay?" He snapped you out of your thoughts, his gaze boring into yours. You nodded slightly, smiling softly at him. “From the way you look, you’re clearly not okay.”

You tried to reassure him but he cut you off directly. “Do you want me to make you feel better?” You stare at him, not knowing what his next move. Before you could even retort, his face moved closer to yours. "Can I?" His gaze was fixed on your lips. You didn't know what to say. Your face was red like a tomato, you slowly nodded it. This was the last thing you would’ve expect from him.

His lips were soft and delicious. Kissing your own friend had never been on your bingo of the year, but here you are, sharing a soft kiss that he himself had requested. Quickly, the makeup was forgotten and the kiss became more intense. Your arms wrapped around his neck and his hands came to grip your hips.

Suddenly he withdrew. "I forgot you had makeup on. Sorry I didn’t want to ruin it for you again." It was clear he didn't mean it. Seeing your lipstick ruined turned him on so much, but was he even going to admit it to you?

You laughed, knowing that this heated exchange had already done it. "You're telling me that when it already happened. Look at yourself in the mirror, your lips and the area around your mouth are completely stained." You wanted to kiss him again when you saw that it was his turn to be flustered by your comment. You took this opportunity to tease him even more.

“You know, you can ruin my makeup however you want and even further.” You smirked lewdly, gently sliding your hand down his chest to his crotch, clearly insinuating your desire for more than a kiss. In a flash he took your hand and pulled you towards another room. It all happened so quickly that your brain only registered the fact that you were now on his bed, him leaning against you.

“Say that again?” Now you were the one being humbled. You didn't expect this turnaround, even less from him. He had always been the shy type, although sometimes he could be bold. It was all part of his personality, but right now the person you were facing wasn't the same Chan you knew.

Suddenly you lost your voice, you didn't dare look at him, feeling ashamed.

Before you could even open your mouth, you felt his lips exploring your neck. A small moan escaped your lips when he coincidentally found your sensitive spot. You couldn’t help but wrap your legs around his hips and arms around his shoulders, pulling him as close to you as possible. Doing so, you could feel his bulge against your core.

“Fuck don’t do that, baby. If you keep provoking me I won’t be able to hold back any longer.” He said in a deep voice in your ear. His tone gave you chills and he felt it. You were going to retaliate, but before you could even get a word out of your mouth he pulled away from you and knelt between your legs. His hands firmly grabbed your panties and a dirty smirk crowned his face. "Silly me, I completely forgot that you gave me permission to ruin your beautiful makeup. I’ll be happy to do so and honey, forget my words, I’m not going to hold back on you.”

[shinidamachu]

kagome higurashi, occupation: it girl

We're constantly talking about what a fashion icon Kagome is, but I haven't seen many actual analyses of her style or how it got translated from the manga to the anime, so I thought it was a fun, innocuous discussion to have this @inuvember. I'm not an expert on the subject by any means, but here's a compilation of my observations.

The first thing I noticed is probably the most obvious: she thoroughly enjoys showing off her legs, which she does by wearing an obscene amount of skirts, rarely jeans and never shorts, not even as a PJ.

The interesting detail is that she mostly pairs them off with a top that would completely cover her arms and shoulders, which is smart because puts her legs even more in evidence and brings an elegant balance to it. Sundresses seem to be the only exception to that rule:

Now, when it comes to prints, the anime left me the impression that she favors solid blocks of colors rather than especific patterns, but comparing to the manga it's easy to see that's just not true.

Not only does Kagome rock any print she wears, she also seems to have a preference for plaid variations.

Sadly we only got to see in the anime through the sundress above and the iconic Day of Days outfit (the high school uniform doesn't really count).

She likes her flowery patterns as well, although that's only really a thing in the manga. Of course, I understand Sunrise probably toned down this aspect of her clothing choices to make them easier to animate, but we can still mourn it.

The next one is particularly sad to me because it was one of my all time favorite manga outfit of hers and they replaced it with one she had used before in The Soul Piper and the Mischievous Little Soul.

The same outfit was recycled again in Sota’s Brave Confession of Love. It was literally copy and past, except for the colors.

And to add insult to injury, this was the original look:

Another thing that was pointed out by @kagomehigurashi in this amazing post is that her "stay at home" clothes are incredibly versatile: she can go from very fashionable sweaters to her fun SHAM shirt collection just like that. But when she goes out, she goes all out.

Overall, I think we can conclude that her wardrobe was pretty colorful. Especially in the anime, there's not a lot of black, if any, and Kagome tends to go for pastel. She also seems to be a big fan of overlaying: her outfits are often completed with cardigans, coats or jackets.

Plus, I'd say comfort is a priority for her. The vast majority of her clothes don't seem restricting at all and her shoes consist basically on loafers, sneakers and ballet flats. Even the heel we saw her wear once was of a wedge type.

She rarely uses accessories, but she limits herself to one or two when she does. It's usually a purse and some jewelry or belt (at least in the manga). Her hair is always down except for the occasional braid (also only in the manga), PE ponytail and bath bun.

It could have been interesting if Takahashi had also used Kagome's fashion sense to showcase how much she changed during her journey, but Kagome's style remained extremely consistent. I guess she found it very early on what she was about. I'd describe it as romantic boho, but I don't even know if that's a thing.

What I do know is that it was far from basic, that she appeared to be having a lot of fun expressing herself throught it and that it felt more mature in the manga, even if most of them are just covers or bonus art.

[ravangie]

Ta-da!! ✨

Here are the designs that i came up with for Tulia and Miguella! I tried to make them as historically accurate as i could.

Let me explain some of the details down below:

So, we are talking about the beginning of 16th century.

Lets start with the base: both of the girls are wearing an underdress: the thing that is peaking out of their sleeves and under skirts.

The dress styles are a bit different from each other: Tulia's got a bit of an older one. She's probably not the first person to wear this dress, since it's a bit short for her. However it's a good thing for Tulia, because it's much easier to run away when you're not tripping over your own skirt. Miguella, on the other hand, has a dress, that is a perfect size for her, but, since she also doesn't want to trip over it, she's tucked the hem of the skirt into her belt.

For practicality's sake i gave both of the girls removable sleeves and something to put their gold - wich they've earned with ,,honest,, work - in: pockets with embroidery for Miguella and a purse on a belt for Tulia.

The round neckline of Miguel's shirt turned into a square shaped neckline of Miguella's dress. And Tulio's vest turned into Tulia's partlet - a very fashionable 16th century accessory.

When it comes to shoes, Miguella's got the latest fashionable silhouette, while Tulia has a classic design of previous century.

And lastly: the earrings. Both Tulio and Miguel had hoop earring in early concepts for the movie. So it felt only fair to give them to Tulia and Miguella.

P.S.: I am no expert on historical fashion, I've only started reading about it when i started working on these designs of Tulia and Miguella. So 1) I can not say with 100% confidence, that everything said earlier is true, even though i tried my best, and 2) if you are an actual expert on the subject, please feel free to educate me if there are any mistakes.

All my previous and future Tulia and Miguella artworks are here

[otherkinnews]

Therian quadrobics popular for children in Finland; two schools ban animal masks

[This article was originally posted on the main blog for Otherkin News, on DreamWidth: https://otherkinnews.dreamwidth.org/94635.html Orion Scribner @frameacloud wrote it on September 14, 2024.]

In Finland, between May and September, newspapers published many articles on therianthropes. The papers are Iltalehti (Evening Newspaper), Ilta-Sanomat (The Evening News), Yle (Finnish Broadcasting Company), and MTV Uutiset (Commercial Television News, no relationship to the MTV channel in America).

These articles show a hobby popularized among children and teens on the social media app TikTok, where therians exercise on all fours (quadrobics), imitating animal movements. With practice, they can jump high and land on their hands, and other challenging feats. Therian quadrobicists hand-make and wear a certain style of upper-face animal masks to express themselves and protect their privacy on the informal video-sharing app. Some other common accessories are a tail made of yarn or fur, fastened to their belt. Some wear sneakers painted to look like paws, or take their shoes off while exercising. They practice making animal vocalizations. The therianthrope community is multi-generational and has existed since 1994, but this set of practices– quadrobics and masks– are a new development among the youngest generation of therians. While some of these young self-described therians say that being an animal is an integral part of who they are, some others firmly say they don’t, and simply enjoy it as a creative hobby, which is another difference from previous generations of therians.

Therian children who express themselves in these ways have been becoming visible in some schools in Finland. Although this hasn’t been a big problem, school officials have started setting boundaries about it to make sure that class won’t be disrupted by students wearing masks or making animal noises. Students need to wear shoes outdoors and take them off inside the school, which means that kids who take off their shoes to play outside will track mud onto the floors, and dirty other children's socks. Before this school year started, the principals of the schools in the cities of Oulu and Joensuu sent messages to parents banning students from these behaviors in class, along with other sorts of costumes and toys. This brought public attention to therians. In the past couple of weeks, the newspapers followed up on that by interviewing teen therians, parents, public figures, locals, and child welfare experts. Aside from a few opinion pieces and some reasonable concerns, nearly all of these express a positive attitude toward therians and give accurate information about what they are. This shows that young quadrobicists have been successful at building a good image for therians, because parents and others who work with children like it when kids do crafts and play outside together.

I don’t know Finnish, so I’m having to access these articles with the help of machine translation. That’s not a proper translation. One challenge I’m aware of is that Finnish doesn’t have the words he or she, so the machine translation alternates between them arbitrarily, with no clue of what would be correct for that person in English. In the following annotated bibliography of the articles, I’ll do my best to figure out a probably correct translation of their titles and give a summary, but be aware that nuances may be confused or lost.

Finnish news articles from earlier this year, before the ban:

Maria Aarnio (May 29, 2024). “‘Käsite oli meille aikuisille aivan uusi’ – millainen ilmiö on nuorten keskuudessa suosittu therian?” (‘The concept was completely new to us adults’ – what kind of therian fad is popular among young people?) MTV Uutiset.https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/kasite-oli-meille-aikuisille-aivan-uusi-millainen-ilmio-on-nuorten-keskuudessa-suosittu-therian/8941648#gs.e0lnr6 Archived September 7, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240907063037/https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/kasite-oli-meille-aikuisille-aivan-uusi-millainen-ilmio-on-nuorten-keskuudessa-suosittu-therian/8941648#gs.e0lnr6

This describes therianthropy and quadrobics, and what parents need to know if their children are interested in them. The article also mentions the word otherhearted.

Samppa Rautio (June 16, 2024; republished on September 5, 2024 in response to the therian ban in schools). “Karhuna ihmiskehossa.” (A bear in a human body.) Ilta-Sanomat.https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000010677056.html Archived September 10, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240910233804/https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000010677056.html

This is an interview with a bear therian, age 34. Although the article shows many photos of this person, all have a bear mask on, and it changes the bear’s name to Karoliina for privacy reasons. The bear accurately summarizes many features of therianthropy. The article has remarks about therians from Rasmus Mannerström, Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology at the University of Helsinki, and Michael Bond, author of Fans: A Journey into the Psychology of Belonging. The article also cites a survey of therian mental health, run by Helen Clegg, Rosalyn M Collings, and Elizabeth C Roxburgh. In 2019, the piece by Clegg et al had been published as “Therianthropy: wellbeing, schizotypy, and autism in individuals who self-identify as non-human.” I think it might be partly thanks to this bear and this thoughtful journalist that the later news coverage of therians was well informed and positive.

Finnish news articles from after the ban, in chronological order:

Maija Kansanen (August 20, 2024). “Lapset puhuvat kouluissa kieltä, jota aikuisen voi olla vaikea ymmärtää – Tässä ovat tämän hetken trendit.” (Children speak language in schools that can be difficult for an adult to understand – Here are the trends of the moment.) Helsingen Sanomat.https://www.hs.fi/suomi/art-2000010633508.html Archived September 7, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240907102344/https://www.hs.fi/suomi/art-2000010633508.html

The other articles say this is the first article that reported the ban. The article itself is behind a paywall.

Emilia Saukkonen (August 21, 2024). “Therian-maskit pannaan: Karsikon koulussa oppilaat eivät saa enää käyttää naamioita.” (Therian masks are banned: Students at Karsikko School are no longer allowed to wear masks.) Yle. https://yle.fi/a/74-20106426 Archived September 11, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240911004645/https://yle.fi/a/74-20106426

This article talks about the ban at the school in Oulu. It also summarizes the earlier article that interviewed the bear therian. The school principal says that youth fads come and go, and has no opinion of it as being good or bad. The school can make an exception to the ban if the student welfare staff decides it's important to a child's psychological health.

Jussi Korhonen (September 3, 2024). "Lehdet: Lapset ovat alkaneet identifioitua eläimiksi – Kouluissa aloitettu toimet." (Magazines: Children have started to identify as animals – Actions started in schools.) Iltalehti.https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/1674616c-7c65-4c9f-a56b-810197927309 Archived September 9, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240909091227/https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/1674616c-7c65-4c9f-a56b-810197927309

This talks about the ban at both schools.

Jessica Helaskoski and Catherine Kähkönen (September 3, 2024). “Joensuulaiskoulu kielsi eläimiksi identifioituvien lasten naamiot – therian-ilmiö aiheuttanut ongelmia myös muissa kouluissa.” MTV Uutiset.https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/joensuulaiskoulu-kielsi-elaimiksi-identifioituvien-lasten-naamiot-therian-ilmio-aiheuttanut-ongelmia-myos-muissa-kouluissa/9000934

This talks about the ban at both schools. The school in Joenssu explained that their reason for the ban is that they need to be able to tell who's who, and anyone could be behind an animal mask, so those can't be allowed in class or at recess. The school in Oulu said that their own reason for the ban was that children had brought their play behavior in from recess and misbehaved in class. However, in all these articles about the ban in the Oulu school, it looks unclear to me whether they mean that this had really happened at their own school, or if they had only heard that it was happening at other schools in general.

Samppa Rautio (September 3, 2024). “Oululaiskoulu kieltää therianit – rehtori sai tarpeekseen: ‘Tunnillakin konttaillaan ja mau’utaan.’” (Oulu school bans therians – the principal had enough: ‘Even in class they growl and meow.’) Ilta-Sanomat.https://www.is.fi/perhe/art-2000010670861.html Archived September 9, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240909102458/https://www.is.fi/perhe/art-2000010670861.html

Riku Isokoski (September 4, 2024). “Hämmentävä ilmiö voimistuu lasten keskuudessa – Asiantuntija kertoo, miksi he matkivat eläimiä.” (Confusing phenomenon intensification among children – Expert explains why they mimic animals.) Iltalehti.https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/d561f1f2-b045-4bf9-9035-661b6ce2e61a Archived September 5, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240905015447/https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/d561f1f2-b045-4bf9-9035-661b6ce2e61a

Kaisa Önlen from the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare explains that therianthropy is deeper than a hobby, so will turn out to be a permanent part of the identity for some teens, whereas for some teens, it’s just something they’re trying out for fun. Children need to be allowed to experiment and play to discover who they are in the world.

Jasmin Levo (September 4, 2024). “Näkökulma: Kuinka pitkälle opettajien pitää vielä venyä? Therian-ilmiö on vain jäävuorenhuippu.” (Viewpoint: How far do teachers need to go? The therian phenomenon is just a tip to the iceberg.) Iltalehti.https://www.iltalehti.fi/perheartikkelit/a/f9527a79-095c-4547-8d75-c532f29e6e93 Archived September 9, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240909145615/https://www.iltalehti.fi/perheartikkelit/a/f9527a79-095c-4547-8d75-c532f29e6e93

An opinion article about how children who want to make animal noises in class are only one of many sorts of disruptive behavior in children’s classrooms, comparing this with cell phone use.

Samppa Rautio (September 4, 2024). “Nyt puhuu therianin äiti.” (Now talking to therian's mother.) Ilta-Sanomat.https://www.is.fi/perhe/art-2000010674287.html Archived September 11, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240911041011/https://www.is.fi/perhe/art-2000010674287.html

An interview with a mother about how the ban saddened her child to the point of asking to switch to a nearby school where it wasn’t banned. That mother saw the therian children have a healthy and positive experience together. She was concerned that the schools limit children’s freedom of expression too much, and might start banning nonconformist fashion styles too, such as goths. In contrast, another mother supported the ban. She had seen that her own child’s curiosity about therians had led to places on the internet that weren’t appropriate for children. The child had encountered an adult online with sexual content, and had planned to go to an adult therian meet-up. The mother grounded her child from social media. Her child had also gotten very sore from practicing quadrobics, but not injured.

Lilja Hannila (September 5, 2024). "Näin opettaja saa keskeyttää therianin ”kiisuilun” ilman, että syyllistyy laittomuuksiin: Juristi arvioi Wilma-jyrähdystä." (This allows the teacher to ban therian 'masking' without committing any illegalities: A lawyer will assess the Wilma message.) Iltalehti. https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/46005c9f-b27f-496b-b819-25de3100c47c Archived September 10, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240910091006/https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/46005c9f-b27f-496b-b819-25de3100c47c

It was controversial for the schools to ban masks, because that's a dress code. A lawyer at the Finnish National Board of Education, Laura Francke, explains about school dress codes in general.

Leo Jaakkonen. (September 5, 2024). “Eläinmaskit hämmentävät kouluissa – nyt puhuvat therian-lapset.” (Animal masks confuse schools – now talking about therian children.) MTV Uutiset.https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/elainmaskit-hammentavat-kouluissa-nyt-puhuvat-therian-lapset/9002214

Leo Kirjonen (September 5, 2024). "Paulan 11-vuotias lapsi kuvittelee olevansa kettu: Äiti järkyttyi, kun therian-ilmiö kiellettiin Oulussa." (Paula's 11-year-old child thinks he's a fox: Mother shocked when therian phenomenon was banned in Oulu.) Iltalehti.https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/5b167c83-51d6-45e0-b1fb-008089d45e8d Archived September 7, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240907083332/https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/5b167c83-51d6-45e0-b1fb-008089d45e8d

Jere Silfsten (September 5, 2024). “Therian-huuma näkyy kaupassa – eläinmaskit viedään nyt käsistä.” (Therian masks are now sold in the store – animal masks are getting carried away.) MTV Uutiset.https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/therian-huuma-nakyy-kaupassa-elainmaskit-viedaan-nyt-kasista/9002094 Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20240912185250/https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/therian-huuma-nakyy-kaupassa-elainmaskit-viedaan-nyt-kasista/9002094

In the capital city Helsinki, the craft store Sirpa Saviluoto talks about therian animal masks. The store started selling them less than a year ago. The owner hadn't heard of therians before then, but has been learning from parents. Most buyers are primary school children. The store only sells blank masks, not ready-made ones or tails. The owner believes it's important for children to do crafts and make their masks and tails for themselves. The ban brought publicity and now the masks are selling faster than they can keep them in stock.

Heidi Asplund (September 6, 2024). “Kommentti: Aikuiset sekosivat lasten eläinmaskeista – hävetkää!” (Commentary: Adults ban children’s animal masks– shame!) MTV Uutiset.https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/kommentti-aikuiset-sekosivat-lasten-elainmaskeista-havetkaa/9002926

Anna Hopi and Riia Pakkanen (September 6, 2024). “Supernanny Pia Penttalan suorat sanat therian-ilmiöstä: ‘Pitäisi alkaa hätäkellot soimaan.’” (Supernanny Pia Penttala’s direct words about therian phenomenon: ‘There should be an emergency bell ringing.’) https://www.iltalehti.fi/viihdeuutiset/a/feee8339-324e-4787-9be2-0b696ab0d162 Archived September 7, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240907014441/https://www.iltalehti.fi/viihdeuutiset/a/feee8339-324e-4787-9be2-0b696ab0d162

This article interviews several TV celebrities on what they think parents should do if their children say they are therians. These opinions are not well informed about what therians are. They tend toward conjecture about bizarre and unlikely scenarios that haven’t happened.

Mikael Kaivanto (September 6, 2024). “Fazer-kahvilassa viittaus therianeihin? Näin toimitusjohtaja kommentoi.” (In Fazer Cafe, reference to therians? Here's how the CEO commented.) https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/4a80fb39-18e7-4d24-8b31-1b78e367cf61 Archived September 7, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240907013741/https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/4a80fb39-18e7-4d24-8b31-1b78e367cf61

At a certain café in Helsinki, the figures on the restroom signs have animal ears. The CEO explained that the signs have been like this for a long time. It's part of their branding. Despite rumors, it’s not a reference to the recently fashionable hobby.

Mari Kononen (September 6, 2024). “Joensuulais­koulu kielsi therian­maskit.” (Joensuu school bans therian masks.) Ilta-Sanomat.https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000010681609.html Archived September 11, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240911091135/https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000010681609.html

The principal of that school explains his reasoning for the ban is that students' faces need to be visible, during recess, too.

Samppa Rautio (September 6, 2024). “Therian-raivo järkyttää – ‘Elämme ihan outoa aikaa.’” (Therian fad shocks: ‘We are living in a strange time.’) Ilta-Sanomat.https://www.is.fi/perhe/art-2000010679079.html Archived September 11, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240911073437/https://www.is.fi/perhe/art-2000010679079.html

The Ombudsman for Children, Elina Pekkarinen, looks at the hostile attitudes that adults have toward therian children. The Ombudsman explains that adults are often annoyed and scandalized by youth and youth fads, because adults want children to conform. She is disgusted at adults who have left comments on the internet saying that the children should be hunted like animals. It’s these adults who she calls strange, because it's terrible for adults to talk about children that way. She describes the therian hobby with approval.

Perrtu Kaupinen (September 7, 2024). "Pääkirjoitus: Lasten pitää saada leikkiä eläimiä, mutta leikkiä on vaarallista kutsua identiteetiksi." (Editorial: Children need to play animals, but it's dangerous to call play an identity.) Iltalehti. https://www.iltalehti.fi/paakirjoitus/a/8cc904b7-1c2c-461b-b9e3-c27313d0c740 Archived September 7, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240907013819/https://www.iltalehti.fi/paakirjoitus/a/8cc904b7-1c2c-461b-b9e3-c27313d0c740

This opinion article says that although the hobby itself is all right, it is disruptive if children try to continue animal behavior during class, and that calling therianthropy an identity makes a joke of the serious issue of gender identity.

Leo Kirjonen (September 7, 2024). "Rehtorit linjaavat therian-oppilaista: 'Emme me ole täällä eläiminä.'" (Principals say of Therian students: 'We are not here as animals.') https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/0d1ee0ed-e26f-4ae7-a3a6-129d6bfdf041 Archived September 7, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240907013152/https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/0d1ee0ed-e26f-4ae7-a3a6-129d6bfdf041

The newspaper asked the officials of schools in different parts of Finland to find out if therian hobbyists were really so widespread as believed. Several schools had no sign of it or hadn't heard of it. All of them agreed that it sounded like a healthy activity for children, as long as the masks aren't scary to other younger children.

Heini Kilpamäki (September 7, 2024). "Seiko, 15, on therian – Nyt hänellä on painavaa sanottavaa trendi-ilmiöstä." (Seiko, 15, on therians – Now they speak up about trending.) Iltalehti. https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/9f9616a8-9886-4540-9302-9b63caf8fb42 Archived September 10, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240910051442/https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/9f9616a8-9886-4540-9302-9b63caf8fb42

This article interviews a teen therian– only by the nickname Seiko, to protect the child’s privacy– and the child’s parent, who explain about what it really means to be a therian and an alterhuman, using those words, and how it’s different from being a furry, and more than a fad or hobby.

Samppa Rautio (September 9, 2024). “Kommentti: Therian-ilmiössä on kyse yksin­kertaisesta, mutta tärkeästä asiasta.” (Commentary: Therian fad is a simple but important issue.) Ilta-Sanomat.https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000010685958.html

An editor of the newspaper gives the opinion that it’s okay for children to use animal play to combat loneliness and find out who they are. The editor points out that adult therians are as able to behave themselves and speak normally as any other adult.

Heini Kilpamäki (September 11, 2024). “Lapset: Pilalla – Tässä 7 syytä.” Iltalehti.https://www.iltalehti.fi/perheartikkelit/a/aa1b3e49-7a6e-4a1f-a1a3-b47a5e87a3f4

This humor article reminds its readers that therians and TikTok aren’t the first fads that adults said were inappropriate for young students. It gives some familiar examples from previous decades, such as people who had thought Elvis danced in a much too scandalous way.

Sanna Ukkola (September 12, 2024). “Kolumni: Apua, lapseni on susi – Nyt hän vaatii raakaa lihaa kouluruoaksi, mitä teen?” (Column: Help, my child is a wolf – Now he wants raw meat for school food, what do I do?) Iltalehti. https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/29d8700f-9d9a-42df-9b23-ae04e7aada82 Archived September 14, 2024: https://web.archive.org/web/20240914005855/https://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/29d8700f-9d9a-42df-9b23-ae04e7aada82

A mean-spirited satirical opinion piece describing bizarre scenarios that have not happened. Despite the title, this is not about someone's own child, and children haven’t been asking for raw meat in school.

[spacemilkies]

stress management

pairing: könig x reader

rqt: [] yes [x] no

wc: 1.5k

a/n: i promised to write about this fandom ages ago but got distracted as usual. but hey, can we talk about this new autosave feature. saved a life today.

synopsis: könig knows how to fix a very bad, no good day

warnings: on the job stress. fingering. könig is a literally a king

if he knows one thing, könig knows a lot about hard limits. he grew up on the cusp surviving the severity of emotional cruelty at a young age. so he, subjectively, knew better than anyone the signs of a very bad, no good day. 

he was pre-warned throughout the day by both colleagues and indirectly yourself. his off-days were few and far between and rarely matched with yours, so he spent the first three hours straightening up the flat when he got the text about the surprise inspection.

 being part of the special forces did not excuse unscheduled routine checks and more often than not it never failed to catch soldiers off guard. he was one of those, metaphorically caught with his pants below the knees more than once. the job came with many expectations, it was impossible to keep up with them all.

but you. 

you were a perfectionist, priding yourself with promptness and precision. as a weapons specialist, your caches were always primed and ready. you were so particular, it had become normal for you to customize specific loadouts for different teams and specializations. each freight equipped with situation fixed accessories and artillery. 

it set you up for a lot of success but equally as much failure on the wrong day. 

the warning came from fender, the demolitionist expert whom praised you as his saving grace on more than one occasion. könig trusted him to watch your back in the field in his absence, the tacked on friendship came later after the result of too many beers and a local football match. 

you valued all your loadouts, but there were a few that picked up dust. the speciality meant that you catered to all factions, but lately kortac favored tactical contestation over free-roam agency. a forgotten division that apparently took precedence today, and unfortunately you off guard.

there was no telling the severity of the reprimand, for something as simple as a short bullet count could count towards you. but he knew your reliability favored higher than the marks. it wouldn't stain your record, but it would certainly ruin your day. 

könig had given you an hour after receiving the news to see if you would seek him out. he had no doubt that you would spend the rest of the day clearing and taking inventory of every cache on deck and likely recalling some others. when it became apparent that you weren't in the mood for comfort, he decided to strategize another approach.

it became increasingly apparent just how much the failed inspection wore down on you when you arrive home in a /mood. könig was ready, however, alerted by the pointed click of the front door closing. 

he’s a picture of openness, relaxed comfortably against the wall adjoining the kitchen and the hall as you kick away your shoes and stack them neatly at the door. he always finds it adorable how your persistence to structure is retained regardless of any emotion. it’s what makes you so good at your job and so proud. 

könig knows though, that now is not the time to mention work, instead opting to great you with his usual kiss and squeeze at the waist. you never withhold affection when it comes to external factors, though your reciprocation is a muted affair. 

könig matches your reservation at first, cataloging your stiff posture and rigid movements. he can see the tension taut in every muscle of your body, more obvious in the way you handle appliances and when your back is turned to him.

he knows you’re not yet ready to talk about it, so he offers peace another route, attentive to your reaction as he slides against you from behind. between the two of you, it’s difficult to catch one another off guard with your actions, on the job training making it imperative to be cognitive of your surrounds. 

so he’s assured that his approach is consented if not yet wholly welcomed as his fingers deftly unravel your hand from whatever you have in your grasp. könig is aware that he has a lot of ground to cover in the short range of your allowance before you catch on. he swallows your instinctive complaint, coaxing you into a rhythm of lips and tongue distinctive to your relationship. 

it’s a difficult angle for him to kiss, and likely stiff your neck to meet him over your shoulder due to his height, but it’s a perfect way to keep you secure. with the right tactic, he only needs a few minutes to effectively bring you down a few notches.

he loves when you curl beautifully into his touch, the role of a nurturer falling seamlessly into his palms when you allow yourself to be pliable like this. the two of you share the role, knowing when taking the mantle is necessary. könig has never let his size dictate a relationship, preferring to rely on healthy communication to assign what was needed in any giving situation.

you gasp into his mouth when his knuckles first brush against heat of your sex beneath your pants. the way you immediately latch onto the gesture and draw your hips away from the counter in invitation, give him all the approval he needs to make quick work of your fastenings. 

he planed for it all to be hasty but thorough. just enough to workout the initial frustrations before offering you the soundbox and a meal. he knew from experience that not all things could be talked out, but effective comfort could come from other gestures of affection. if all you wanted was an orgasm and hot shower, he’d pluck your strings until only he could keep you upright then carry you to the bath himself.

könig moves the articles of clothing out of place rather than pulling them down, easily finding the elastic at your inner thigh and slipping his fingers underneath. he is ready when your knees go weak, his free arm holding you at the waist as he slides a digit into the stretch of your body. you’re no longer invested in his offered kiss, so he pulls away in favor of blooming small red blossoms against the skin of your throat as his thumb strokes your pearl with each punctuated nip of his teeth.

the rate at which you wet his fingers only strengthens his decision to go down this route as he adds another finger to your weeping entrance, teasing them into a slow thrust that already has you tightening in anticipation. the hidden danger of a calculating mind gave way for perceptiveness to detail as he stroked your most sensitive walls with practiced ease.

the flat of his tongue traces the line of your jaw, the even exhale through his nose leaving a slight chill against the dampness left behind. “no matter what sours your day, i will be here to make it better,” he promises against your ear.

he’s aware that he makes it impossible for you to reply, but it’s intentional. for now he just wants you to feel— soak in all his love and adoration until is washes away everything on the opposite side of the threshold of the door. 

your head drops back against his shoulder, as your hips undulate with the rise of your toes as you attempt to meet him on each upward drive you’re sure the roses he’s littered against the column of your throat have brightened under the heat of your flush, projecting as beacon of your obvious pleasure. 

any thoughts of returning the favor are effectively cut off by a twist of his wrist as the calloused pads of his fingers create friction with a bundle of nerves. 

it’s tacky and slick as he glides through your passage. a particular angle brings him knuckle deep, as his thumb continues to rotate in circles without rest. you’re well gone by this point but he exhausts the point by crooking his touch inward to produce white spots in your vision as your eyes flutter shut. your body trembles with the effort of wading through the anticipation as pleasure coils in your stomach and radiates to pressure at the base of your spine.

somehow your threshold allows you to pinpoint the roundness of his nose as it meets the crown of your head. the tone of his voice dropping as his fingers widen to spread you open to his touch,” let go, little maus.”

and you follow the command like a wave pulling you to the sea, the sensations lapping over you in a consistent current. könig remains insistent, blunt nail scraping hypersensitive tissue until you squirm. he hums a note of satisfaction as you squeeze one last time before going limp in his hold.

you inhale sharply when his touch leaves you, but voice no complaint when soiled his fingers run excessively over your thighs to get rid of some of your release still clinging to them.

his lips return to your hairline, and there’s a delay before you realize the movement is intended to form words.

“…now then, tell me about your day.”

you can 100% send me your thots on this man. i can go on for days

[galaxysupreme17]

Prom

Emily Prentiss X Aaron Hotchner

Aaron Hotchner X Daughter!Reader

Emily Prentiss X Step!Daughter!Reader

The late afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the Hotchner household as Y/n paced the living room, her phone pressed to her ear. She was in a heated discussion with her best friend, Jess, about the unexpected turn of events. Peter Parker, the boy she'd had a secret crush on for the better part of the year, had just asked her to prom—only two days before the event.

"I can't believe he asked me now! What am I supposed to wear?" Y/n exclaimed, her voice a mix of excitement and panic.

Jess laughed on the other end of the line. "You'll figure it out! It's Peter Parker. This is your moment!"

Y/n ended the call and sank onto the couch, her mind racing. Aaron Hotchner and Emily Prentiss sat at the kitchen table, sharing a quiet moment after dinner. They exchanged a glance, sensing Y/n's distress.

"Everything okay, sweetheart?" Aaron asked, standing up and moving to sit beside his daughter.

"Dad, Peter asked me to prom!" Y/n blurted out. "But it's in two days, and I don't have a dress or anything!"

Aaron smiled, a hint of relief in his eyes. "That's wonderful news, Y/n. Don't worry. We'll figure something out. Emily, what do you think?"

Emily's eyes lit up with excitement. "A last-minute prom emergency? Sounds like a challenge I'm up for," she said with a grin.

Y/n looked at Emily with hopeful eyes. "Really? You think we can find everything in time?"

Emily nodded confidently. "Absolutely. We'll make a day of it. Get your things; we're going shopping."

The next morning, they were off to the mall. The bustling activity didn't deter Emily, who easily navigated the crowds, leading Y/n through the maze of stores. They started with dresses, visiting every boutique and department store for the perfect gown. After hours of trying on countless options, Y/n emerged from the dressing room in a midnight blue dress that shimmered under the store lights.

Emily's eyes widened in delight. "That's the one," she said. "You look stunning, Y/n."

Y/n twirled in front of the mirror, a radiant smile on her face. "I love it! Thank you so much, Emily."

They moved on to shoes, accessories, and makeup with the dress secured. By the end of the day, they had everything they needed. Laden, with shopping bags, headed home, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

On the day of prom, the house buzzed with excitement. Emily set up a mini salon in the living room, complete with curling irons, makeup brushes, and a selection of beauty products. She worked meticulously, styling Y/n's hair into elegant curls and applying her makeup with a practiced hand.

As she worked, Emily chatted with Y/n, sharing stories of her prom and giving advice on handling the evening. "Just be yourself and have fun," she said, applying the finishing touches to Y/n's makeup. "Prom is all about making memories."

Y/n nodded, her nerves settling as she took in Emily's calm demeanor. "Thanks, Emily. I don't know what I would have done without you."

Emily smiled, giving Y/n's hand a reassuring squeeze. "You're going to have an amazing time. And Peter is a lucky guy to be going with you."

By early evening, Y/n was ready. She stood in front of the mirror, taking in her reflection. The midnight blue dress fit perfectly, the shoes added just the right height, and the accessories sparkled in the light. Her hair and makeup were flawless, thanks to Emily's expert touch.

Aaron walked into the room, his eyes widening as he saw his daughter. "You look beautiful, Y/n," he said, his voice filled with pride.

Y/n blushed, feeling a surge of confidence. "Thanks, Dad."

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Aaron answered it, revealing Peter Parker standing nervously on the porch, dressed in a sharp tuxedo. He smiled awkwardly as Aaron let him in.

"Hi, Mr. Hotchner," Peter said, shifting from foot to foot. "Is Y/n ready?"

Aaron nodded, stepping aside to reveal Y/n standing at the top of the stairs. Peter's eyes widened, a look of pure admiration on his face as Y/n descended the stairs.

"Wow, Y/n, you look amazing," Peter said, his voice filled with awe.

Y/n smiled, her nerves melting away. "Thanks, Peter. You look great, too."

Emily snapped a few photos of the pair before they left, capturing the moment for posterity. She and Aaron exchanged a proud glance as they headed out the door.

The prom's venue was decorated in a whimsical fairytale theme, with twinkling lights and elegant drapery creating an enchanting atmosphere. Y/n and Peter entered, hand in hand, greeted by a sea of familiar faces and the sound of laughter and music.

"Y/n! Over here!" Jess waved from across the room, standing with their friends.

Peter led Y/n to the group, where they were met with excited chatter and compliments on their outfits. The DJ played a mix of upbeat and slow songs, and soon, the dance floor was packed with students enjoying their night.

Peter smiled, his nerves easing. "Let's dance."

They moved to the center of the floor, and as the music swelled, Y/n felt herself relax. She and Peter moved in sync, laughing and chatting between songs. When a slow song began, Peter gently took her hand and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"You're good at this," Peter said softly, his cheeks slightly pink.

Y/n laughed. "You're not so bad yourself."

As the night continued, they mingled with friends, took photos at the decorated booths, and sampled the delicious refreshments. The atmosphere was filled with joy and celebration, a perfect send-off for their high school years.

During one of the faster songs, Peter and Y/n joined a group dance, where everyone mimicked the silly moves of the class clown, Ryan, who had somehow convinced the DJ to play a retro dance hit. Y/n found herself laughing so hard that her sides hurt, and she was grateful for the fun and light-heartedness of the evening.

The DJ announced the last dance as the prom began to wind down. Peter and Y/n returned to the dance floor, where he gently took her hand. The music was slow and romantic, a fitting end to a magical night.

"I'm really glad I asked you to prom, Y/n," Peter said quietly. "Tonight has been incredible."

Y/n looked up at him, her heart swelling with emotion. "Me too, Peter. It's been perfect."

After the final dance, they lingered for a while, saying goodbye to friends and taking a few more photos. Finally, Peter walked Y/n to her door with a gentle smile.

"I had a great time tonight, Y/n."

"Me too, Peter. Thank you," Y/n replied, feeling a warm glow of happiness.

"Maybe we could do it again. Not prom, but a date?" Peter asked with a small smile. As an answer, Y/n leaned in and kissed his cheek, a blush forming on both of them. "I would love that." Y/n smiled.

Peter nodded and waved as he walked back to his car. Y/n turned to enter the house, feeling the day's exhaustion catch up with her.

Emily and Aaron were waiting in the living room, their faces lighting up as Y/n walked in.

"Welcome back, Cinderella," Emily teased gently. "How was it?"

"It was perfect," Y/n said, her smile widening. "Thank you both so much."

Aaron hugged his daughter tightly. "We're glad you had fun."

Emily stood nearby, her eyes shining with affection. "You were the belle of the ball."

Y/n stepped over to Emily, feeling a rush of emotion. "Emily, I... I just wanted to say thank you. For everything. You've been amazing."

Emily's heart swelled with warmth. "You're welcome, hunny. It was my pleasure."

Y/n hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Goodnight, Mom."

Emily's eyes filled with tears, and she pulled Y/n into a tight hug. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

As Y/n headed upstairs, Aaron wrapped an arm around Emily's shoulders. "She's lucky to have you," he said softly.

Emily smiled, leaning into Aaron. "We're all lucky to have each other."

And with that, they turned off the lights and headed to bed, their hearts full of love and the promise of many more memories.

[stxr-bxy]

how to dress like you’re homeless (grunge/cryptidcore/ sid jenkins core)

this is how i dress so believe me i am an expert

1. have hair that isn’t long or short, somewhere in the middle. like it doesn’t quite touch your shoulders but it’s not a typical “short haircut”. color doesn’t matter.

2. next, buy band tees, bonus points if they’re oversized. and try to stick with darker colors. you don’t even have to listen to the band. If someone calls you a poser, flip them off.

3. you can’t have body image issues if you never look at your body. add some baggy jeans or cargos. maybe hippie pants or harem pants for a summery look. if you’re more of a fem person then wear a maxi or midi skirt. if it’s hot out put on jorts or baggy men’s cargo shorts (regardless of gender).

4. for accessories don’t put on too many. i usually stick with one or two necklaces and maybe some silver rings (i have fat fingers tho so it’s hard to find rings that fit). if you want to wear a hat you can wear a beanie or trapper hat.

5. pick from the holy trinity of shoes. doc martens, converse, or vans. if you can’t afford any of those, look for knockoffs or buy boots from the thrift/goodwill bins.

6. layer a lot of clothes, i like wearing long sleeves/turtlenecks under short sleeves tees but you can layer with other things like zip ups, flannels, or hoodies

7. to wear over shirts try zip up hoodies, flannels, sweatshirts, cardigans, leather jackets, or black denim jackets.

8. you can find these things from a variety of places. band tees can be purchased on amazon or really anywhere online. jeans i would recommend brands like jnco. cargos can be found almost anywhere. if you can’t find baggy pants buy ones that are too big and wear a belt or tie them with a shoelace. accessories can be found in lots of places but try thrift/vintage stores, see if you can get anything vintage from family, online stores, small businesses, etsy, etc. i buy my shoes online but you can check in stores near you.

reference images:

[schmergo]

One of the most specific kinds of targeted videos the algorithm has decided to show me is the 'wearing vs. styling' videos, presumably because I, like many people I know, wear clothes. These videos are so unpredictable because they diverge into two WILDLY different paths and you never know what it's going to be until you watch them, until you get to the point where you're not really sure what 'styling' means.

Type 1: "Wearing denim on denim vs. styling it!" The video on the left shows a lady wearing an oversized denim button up and jeans. The video on the right shows her tucking half of the top in, adding gold earrings, shoes, and a purse. So, basically just 'getting dressed the rest of the way.' The kind of revolutionary fashion expertise that we simply could not grasp without an instructional video.

Type 2: "Wearing denim on denim vs. styling it!" The video on the left shows a lady wearing an oversized button up and jeans. The video on the right shows her doing some weird trick where she wears the shirt upside down and only buttons two of the buttons, then layers a denim skirt with a feather boa attached to the hem over the jeans, then she layers a mesh tank top over the upside-down shirt. Then she puts on a floor length trench coat, 8 necklaces, one of those skinny scarves, a single elbow-length glove, rolls up the hems of her jeans, adds big scrunchy ankle socks and platform Mary-Jane shoes, then puts on a baseball hat, giant sunglasses, one of those 'belt bags' (aka fanny pack worn across your chest) and a reusable tote from Trader Joe's worn as a cross-body bag facing the other way.

And after seeing these two wildly divergent takes on what counts as 'styling,' I truly cannot tell you what styling means. Nor can I tell you who they are for. Is there a subset of the population that's never heard of accessories or layering to whom this is entirely new? Are these videos perhaps for babies, like an applied version of 'shapes and colors' videos? Is the rebranding of 'accessorizing' as 'styling' meant to make getting dressed look like something only experts should attempt? Am I styling my clothes? Or am I just wearing them? Am I human? Or am I dancer?

[peppapigvevo]

STYLISTA

Guess who got the Bootique Clawdeen.

Let's have a wholly unprofessional and unsponsored review post!

Boring stuff out of the way first; she was on Amazon for $44.99 USD. She's currently on a 7% off sale so you can get the set for $41.85 USD.

The back of the box shows off some styling ideas as well as a little blurb in multiple languages.

The sides have more styling options.

The top of the box has a nifty little inventory of all the things contained within.

I didn't take any pictures of the inside but the doll, furniture and accessories were packaged very simply; the accessories were inside white paper bags, the furniture was strapped in to fit and Clawdeen had her own compartment on the left side. Not a display packaging obviously, since the box itself has no clear portions. On that note, I think the QC for facial screenings has gotten better, since Skulltimate Secrets and now this were packaged with no way to see the doll until you open the packaging. all the Skulltimate secrets dolls and this Clawdeen have perfect faces.

This is how Clawdeen was packaged: wearing her purple jumpsuit, green belt, green earrings and the pink translucent booties.

The doll herself does in fact have the torso joint. The lighting in my room is a little yellow, so you can't see it clearly, but her lid and undereye are lavender, with a magenta crease. Her lips are a much more saturated fuchsia red in real life. her hair is a berry color, with the light lavender color she typically gets. On the subject of her hair...

...I am not an expert, i am just a doll-collecting homosexual, but it does NOT feel like the same kind of hair texture every other Clawdeen has. I can't be sure if its nylon or saran or whatever, but it feels denser and waxier than the polypropolene. It wasn't as tangled before or after a wash, and the ends weren't as frayed.

You can see how it washed. This does NOT look the same as my other Clawdeens I washed, so take that as you will. I still need to reset the curl pattern, of course.

On to the clothing. The jumpsuit is actually a pretty heavy and dense denim, in this purple leopard print with lavender and blue spots, and magenta and black slash marks. It has short, cuffed sleeves and a pointed shirt collar, and cuffs on the hem of the pant legs. the waist has lime stitching and faux pockets.

All of Clawdeens belts have 3 different closure holes, so they can be worn tighter or looser at your discretion. This lime green belt has a skullette buckle and a very long trailing tail.

The booties are a light fuchsia with spikes on the top, and the heels are crescent moons. I know a lot of new MH shoes have interesting detailing on the soles, but these don't, probably because they're clear.

I'm gonna do the outfit pieces in groups. The sweater is yellow, with blue, white and purple circle detailing. The chest has an aqua triangle, the same color as the slash marks. The collar, cuffs and hem are the same blue as the circles on the sweater.

The tank top looked black at first, but it actually has a very subtle bleach dye effect that looks like mist in the dark, it's pretty nice irl. The shirt also has a tri-moon vinyl on it, with a howling wolf on the center full moon.

The green skirt is a lighter weight denim than the jump suit, with darker green spots and a frayed hem under a stitch. The cupcake skirt is in a metallic fabric with a slight blue shift; its really pretty in person. The waist is black elastic and the skirt is covered with criss-crossing claw marks.

The dress is a one-shoulder thigh length ruched number. Because of the design, it doesn't look like much on a hanger but it sings on the doll. The dress is blue with purple and pink leopard spots.

The scarf is hot pink with gold metallic flecks. The stole is a softer pink.

If you're insane like me and already have Skulltimate Secrets Clawdeen, this bucket hat should look familiar. It's the same mold in a periwinkle blue, sans the leopard spots. The canvas and stitch molding is REALLY nice.

I thought the boots had layers of fur, but theyre actually molded to look like slouchy fabric boots, with a repeating skullette pattern. The heels are lined in spikes, and theres a tie molded at the top.

The lime sneakers are the exact same mold as Ghoul Spirit Clawdeen, but in a solid green.

The set also comes with 5 hangers for extra outfits. They're kind of swirly and dainty looking, more like g1 Catrine. They come in pink, lavender, purple, blue and green.

Our girl comes with a lot of accessories! The lime green necklace, again, is the same mold as one that comes with Skulltimate Sectrets Clawdeen. Its a short chain with three dangling crescent moons, with a longer rope chain under that. The magenta necklace and choker are recast from her g3 signature; a circular moon pendant on a crescent moon chain, paired with a star choker.

The gold fur bangle is reused from her Ghoul Spirit doll. The magenta spiked cuff and purple cuff are new though. The magenta one is a simple spiked band while the purple has teeth detailing all around it, I did a terrible job photographing these so if anyone wants any clearer pics just let me know lmao.

The glasses are her signature glasses, in black. The magenta comb is a tiger-striped crescent moon with a studded handle.

The long gold piece is a hair barrette that says MONSTER. The long purple piece is a three-finger ring with the triple moon motif on it.

The black earring is a double crescent moon. IIRC this appeared first on Ghoul Spirit from this gen. The blue hoop with the dangling moon is also from Ghoul Spirit.

I didn't take close up picks of hem, but the green earings are a spiked hoop and a triple moon, recast from her signature earrings.

The gold belt has a double crescent moon buckle, mimicking the Gucci logo:

Finally, her bag is a large tote or shopping bag, covered in the same skullette molding as her boots. The green "HOWL" is flanked by pink bands with small crescent moons, and the moon shaped handles have tooth details.

The furniture she comes with are really cute and would look ADORABLE with her bedroom playset. The coffin-shaped clothing rack is studded, with the triple moon detail at the top. At the bottom are purple trays, and the lavender wheels do function.

The moon vanity has a circular mirror with two small shelves, a moon phases detail on the faux-drawer, and a moon shaped foot.

The pink stool has a starburst on the foot and the seat is molded to look like its padded or has draped pleats.

Final looks and thoughts in the next post!

[genderqueerdykes]

I saw your post about offering advice for trans folks and had a question! Any tips for dressing more masc while still having good style? So many of the tips I see lead to the most boring white bread styles. You look like the expert in Not doing that

masculine fashion is super fun, i am very flattered that you asked, so here are some tips

a lot of people i think assume that "masculine" means it needs to blend in and be bland, but if you take a look at a broader variety of men's clothing, you can see that there are a lot of very fun styles. it depends on where you live in the world and what you have access to of course, but i highly recommend checking out thrift stores if they are accessible to you because they will give you a good idea of a broad range of masculine styles to choose from

there are so many different styles and cuts of clothing. especially when it comes to men's jeans. men's shoes can also vary surprisingly wildly and and shoes can make a big different in an outfit. it's good to look and see what styles appeal to you

a lot of ppl gravitate toward very bland, plain button ups with maybe a simple necklace, or just a v neck or something, but i've found that there are loads of fun and even flamboyant styles when it comes to men's streetwear. you can find all kinds of modern fashions that prioritize bright funky colors.

keep in mind that "masculine" in the modern era generally refers to the cut of a particular garment. generally angular, square, straight lines, etc, no flare or flourish or much dangling cloth. clothes that prioritize a bulky chest and upper arms. no frills design, but the patterns and colors however you can absolutely go nuts with.

i think people often forget that scarves are a great accessory and men's scarves can slap super hard. big dress coats and trench coats are also genuinely very cool. overalls and coveralls are also very slept on and i think that's a shame.

you can do a lot with hats, i recommend seeing if a particular hat type calls out to you and see if you like it. a lot of dudes i know had 1 particular style of hat they'd wear all the time and idk sometimes you're just the hat guy LMAO i was when i was younger. no wait i still am

vests are absolutely delightful. i own several, you can find them premade or literally make your own out of an old jacket. vests can be very masculine and make an otherwise femme outfit have an edgier masc look instantly.

also consider that the wilder the pattern on something, the more it visually distracts from the shape of the body underneath, so it's worth trying out. useful tip in hiding one's chest.

those are some random tips but i hope that was somewhat helpful. thank you so much

[poly-thot-one-piece-edition]

Between the Three of Us

Marco x afab!Reader x Shanks

CW: omegaverse elements (it is such a small part of the story I almost hesitate to mention it), violence, group sex, sex, swearing, it's a noir detective AU I'm sorry I really don't know what else to say.

Chapter 2: Ponderance

You’re in another room with no windows, a level down from the office itself. This room is sterile to the point that even the door leading in has a heavy seal on it to help keep it that way. You’re sat up on an operating table, your shoulder bag in your lap, and your shirt pulled up over your head so it’s in front of your chest.

The straps and accessories of your bank job were already long removed during your run, and your shoes were off in a corner.

“You sure you don’t want to lay down?” Marco asks for the third time. You learned the two men’s names before coming down into this lower level.

Marco D’Edward was a doctor, and the feathery side of Feathered Talon as far as you could tell. He certainly had a softer aura than the one-armed red-head, Shanks MacKenna.

“I’m sure.” You reiterate.

“It’ll be easier on the doc if you do.” Shanks says. He looks relaxed, but you’re not sure he actually knows what it is to relax.

“We’re not going to confiscate what’s in your bag.” Marco assures you.

“It’s what you were hired to steal, isn’t it?” Shanks asks, his eyes shifting down to the bag and back up to you. Your grip on the satchel tightens for a second, as though his gaze was enough to pull the bag from your hands on its own.

“… It is.”

“We’re going to know what it is then anyway,” Shanks asserts. “Since you need to pay for this patch job with a good story.”

You sigh. Honestly, if these two wanted to know what was in your bag you had no way to stop them. You didn’t have any viable defenses for yourself no matter what they might decide to do. A little give and take could go a long way, and you needed the bullet out of your shoulder regardless.

“It’s…” You relax a little and reach into the bag, pulling out the orb. “Supposed to be the map to the One Piece.”

You aren’t sure if Shanks relaxes after seeing it, or not. You could feel Marco flinch behind you, and he lets out a low whistle after a second.

“Stole from the museum.” You can hear the grin in Marco’s voice. “I can’t imagine how long the prep for that took.”

“Long enough.” You put the orb back into the bag, and then lower it to the floor, and adjust so you’re laying down on the table. “Arm up or at my side, doc?”

“Side’s fine.” Marco says. “I’m going to give you a shot, I promise, it’s not anything that’s going to knock you out. It’s just going to numb your shoulder so it won’t hurt as bad.”

“Sure. S’not much I could do even if you did put me under.” You say it a little more defeatedly than you mean to, but after the brief sting of the needle poke, Shanks clears his throat.

“So – you prepped for this job for however long, it goes well enough you have the orb, but poorly enough you get shot in the shoulder. What happened?”

“I was betrayed, in a sense.” You grumble. Talking let you focus on something that wasn’t Marco working on your shoulder, so you leaned into it. “The job went fine. Smooth as silk. Probably one of the best practiced, best executed jobs I’d been on with a team in years.”

“We have an expert thief in our midst.” Shanks teases. It’s a jab, but it doesn’t actually hit like a low blow.

“Treasure hunter, if I could’ve gotten off this damned island.” You grunt, moving your hand just enough to flip him off. “But sure, thief. We can go with that. Even thieves need to eat and pay rent.” You’re quiet for a moment, but no one says anything. Marco pulls the slug from your shoulder and it hurts, feels surreal to have a piece of metal pulled out like that, but it doesn’t hurt so much you can’t take it.

“They decided I was the key to the map, or at least the key to deciphering it, and instead of letting me be on my way, they seemed intent on me going back with them.” You grin despite it all. “They insisted I come with them, I insisted that I wouldn’t. It was a bit of an impasse.”

Shanks snorts, and then just full-on laughs. “Bit of an impasse!” He repeats, and you can hear a soft chuckle escape Marco. “So, how’d it resolve? Sure, you got here, but how?”

“Two broken noses and a dislocated knee.” You say flatly. “I took the orb and ran.”

“You got the drop on mafia?”

“No one expects a little thief to be able to fight, and I don’t – when I can avoid it.” You sigh again. “That secret’s out now though, and I’m not that good of a fighter, I needed that element of surprise.”

“Hmph. So, two broken noses and a dislocated knee bought you enough space to get the orb and run. How long?”

“Not sure. Three hours at least, maybe a little longer. What time was it when I got here?”

“3:42.” Marco says flatly as he cleans the wound. “Twenty minutes later and I would’ve been up on my own.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, you didn’t wake me up.” Marco admits. “You’re impressively quiet, ladrona.”

“It’s (Y/N).” You say. You hadn’t shared your name earlier when the other two had introduced themselves. You had still been trying to think of a way you could leave, and you weren’t giving two gumshoes any free information.

“Don’t apologize, (Y/N),” Marco reiterates. “Shanks sent me a text, and that’s what woke me up.”

“A text?” You look over at Shanks as realization dawns on you. “You saw me!”

He smiles and shrugs, the most genuinely relaxed actions you’d seen from him all evening. “Lucky timing. I was on my way here from the pub and noticed you coming into the courtyard in a mess.”

“A mess? I was exceptionally composed for someone with a bullet in their shoulder.” You nearly growl. His earlier jab didn’t feel low, but for some reason this one did.

He grins and you realize that he’s enjoying riling you up. “Back to the story. It was 3:42 when you got here, how long were you on the move?”

“We started at 11:33.” You admit. “Guard patterns and all that fun stuff. It was a 13 minute and 47 second plan. The conversation went south as soon as we finished, and couldn’t have lasted more than three minutes.” You hiss a little as Marco starts stitching the bullet wound. “We’ll call it 11:50 to 3:40 then? Just shy of 4 hours.”

“That’s quite the merry little chase, to end up barely a dozen blocks away from the museum.” Shanks seems completely amused.

“I shed most of my gear. Stole the bag.” You admit. “And before you give me any kind of lecture, I have every intention of returning it, but I didn’t see anything like a wallet or even money in there.”

“Oh I wouldn’t worry about that.” Shanks is laughing and you can hear Marco laughing too. “We already know who this belongs to. He’ll be home in another hour when his shift ends.”

“Probably hot under the collar.” Marco adds.

“Bah, cranky cause his bus snacks are missing, but he’ll survive.” Shanks grins.

“… Are you telling me out of all the bags in this city, I stole one belonging to an employee here?” The statistical improbability of that was already starting to melt your brain.

“A-yup.” Shanks answers with a wide grin. “It’ll be a good lesson for him. You wouldn’t have nicked it if it wasn’t an easy target, right?”

You make a bit of a face, but he’s not wrong. You couldn’t risk any sort of commotion, so everything you’d taken had been easy pickings.

“All done.” Marco says, and you can feel him pressing a bandage over your shoulder. “We’ll get you set up in a spare room, get some breakfast in you before the hot head gets home, and once you two finish arguing about the bag, you can get some rest.”

You sit up, putting your shirt back on, surprised at how little your shoulder hurts and only vaguely remembering that Marco had numbed it earlier. “Rest? I can’t stay here. You’ve both already-.” You stepped onto the floor and vertigo hit you like a bag of bricks. Shanks was already by your side steadying you.

“You lost a lot of blood.” Marco says evenly as Shanks helps you keep your feet. “Between the wound, all your running around and what you lost while I was patching you up, you need food and rest. Even if I had blood on hand for a transfusion, I don’t know what your type is.”

“I don’t know it either.” You admit, trying not to hurl on Shanks. You were trying not to think about how rock solid this guy was. For someone who moved so fast and quiet he felt like he was made of metal.

He smelled really good too. You expected him to smell like stale booze and sweat honestly, but there was a sweet, cinnamon scent, and something warm and soothing, like bourbon-soaked butter.

“F-food then, thank you.” You manage to get your feet steadied underneath yourself and take a couple steps under your own power. “We’re heading back upstairs then?”

“Grab her stuff.” Marco says, pulling off his gloves and pulling off the mask and apron he’d put on. “I’ll get her upstairs.”

“Sure thing, doc.” Shanks grabs your shoes and the shoulder bag with one hand and heads upstairs.

“Help me up?” You question groggily. Your head feels a little fuzzy, and you’re certain that it’s a mix of the numbing agent, blood loss, and your own exhaustion. Running about town for nearly four hours wasn’t easy under the best of circumstances.

“Aye.” Marco crouches down and scoops you up in his arm in an easy motion. It jostles your shoulder a little, but not much. By the time you have sense enough to tense from the action you’re already well-secured, and Marco’s opening the door to head upstairs with you.

“I – I’m – I can walk!” You nearly cry the words. Relying on others isn’t high up on your general priorities list, and they’ve already hid you, mended you, and are going to feed and shelter you. Being carried is a step one too many.

“Not easily. This is more efficient.” Marco assures you. “If you topple going up the stairs there’s no safe way to catch you without risking your stitches.”

“… I’m accepting under protest.” You grumble, trying to relax and resting your head on his shoulder.

“Noted.”

“You smell nice too.”

Marco pauses halfway up the stairs. “… huh?”

“The smarmy drunk smelled nice – like cinnamon and boozy butter.” You explain matter-of-factly. “You smell like…” You stop for a second, breathing in without thinking. “Pineapple and honey, and something smokey.”

“… I… see.”

“Oi, Marco we’ve got -.” Shanks stops, looking up as Marco walks into the kitchen with you. “Are you-.”

“What do we have for breakfast?” Marco interrupts. He’s knelt down and steadied you on your feet before helping you sit.

“Eggs, bacon, and enough buttermilk to make pancakes if you want.” Shanks answers. There’s a grin on his face that catches your attention and you turn to look at Marco, but whatever has Shanks amused, you miss it.

Marco considering for a second. “Bacon and eggs. Black pudding would be better if we had any.”

“Little bit, enough for our guest, at least.” Shanks admits, pulling items from the fridge. “Can I leave the cooking up to you?”

“Sure.”

Marco and Shanks trade places, and Shanks sits down next to you at the dining table. “So, your story’s not over yet. What made them think you could decipher the orb?”

You shake your head. “I don’t know. I’m good at puzzles, and… stuff, but there’s no reason for them to think I can use that orb.” Lying was harder when you were groggy, but you’d worry about dodging the red head after you’d had some sleep. Giving half-answers and being vague was all you had in you right now.

“Should’ve just left it where it belonged.” Shanks says, and you give him a funny look, but you aren’t sure what to say.

“Technically it belongs to the W.G.” Marco says. He’s busy cooking and his back is to both of you. Something about their tone and words is irritating you.

“It belonged to Roger.” You nearly snap the words.

Shanks gives you a look you can’t sort out. “You his kid or something?”

You relax a little, sitting back in your chair. “No.” You answer flatly, eyes on the satchel that has the orb in it. “But he’s dead, and I’m alive, and I’m keeping it.”

[maybe-a-dinosaur]

the y2k glitter jelly accessories were MADE for hanamaki. dress code whatever he was rocking that shit like nobody’s buisness.

wrist? bangled. waist? belted. bag? you can see All His Shit he wouldn’t have it any other way no you can’t have a piece of gum. even the SSHOES he shows up to practice in slides has become an expert on dodging oikawa’s attempted toe smushing. on off days he wears clear jelly sneakers you can see his unmatched socks he blinds passerby with the inordinate amount of glitter.

THIS IS THE SHIT he’s OBSESSED!!!! matsukawa’s fucking inconsolable he wants to chew them. he wonders if they make clothes like that too. he stops at a convenience store to buy hiro more watermelon gum even though he won’t share so he buys himself spearmint that melts in his pocket on the way home and hiro steals it anyway even thiugh it’s “not sweet enough, why do you like this shit?”

oikawa claims he does not want to be Seen with such “heinous accessories” (“you just can’t pull them off”) he claims to not know hanamaki when they’re out and about. iwa grabs a bangle pulls it back waits for the *SNAP* but it’s not stretchy???? makki slaps his hand iwa glowers slaps his head. issei wants to slide his fingers under that fucking belt he settles for staring at the shoes until he sees spots and stealing a piece of gum while hiro’s distracted.

[fashionbooksmilano]

Jane Austen's Wardrobe

Hilary Davidson

Yale Univ. Press, New Haven 2023, 239 pages, 20x26,5cm, ISBN  978-0300263602

euro 35,00

email if you want to buy booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

Hilary Davidson delves into the clothing of one of the world’s great authors, providing unique and intimate insight into her everyday life and material world 

What did Jane Austen wear?  Acclaimed dress historian and Austen expert Hilary Davidson reveals, for the first time, the wardrobe of one of the world’s most celebrated authors. Despite her acknowledged brilliance on the page, Jane Austen has all too often been accused of dowdiness in her appearance. Drawing on Austen’s 161 known letters, as well as her own surviving garments and accessories, this book assembles examples of the variety of clothes she would have possessed—from gowns and coats to shoes and undergarments—to tell a very different story. The Jane Austen Hilary Davidson discovers is alert to fashion trends but thrifty and eager to reuse and repurpose clothing. Her renowned irony and wit peppers her letters, describing clothes, shopping, and taste. Jane Austen’s Wardrobe offers the rare pleasure of a glimpse inside the closet of a stylish dresser and perpetually fascinating writer.

16/10/23

[etheirysnoir]

just the basics — yiuno.

[ lore / writing / answers / gpose / aesthetics ] — Updated 2024.09.14

An adventurer by day, and an assassin by night—Yiuno Reine is an enigmatic Viera who walks along the blurred line of light and darkness. From the politically righteous Grand Companies to the unknown depths of the Eorzean underworld, Yiuno will work for anyone for the right price, especially if the job aligns with his personal agendas. However, the dangerous secrets that have slept within him for so long will become the key to the fate of the world… once more.

— basics.

NAME. Yiuno Reine. ALIASES. Yiune Rei (alter ego), Sigrid Rindr (birth name). AGE. Unknown; appears to be in his early twenties. NAMEDAY. 15th Sun of the 3rd Umbral Moon. RACE. Veena Viera. ORIENTATION. Demiromantic Asexual.

— appearance.

HAIR. Born silver-white, which he normally keeps short. Changes hair colors and styles often due to personal circumstances and line of work. As Yiune, he wears bobcut wigs. Dislikes long hair. EYES. Originally born with blue eyes, Yiuno now has heterochromia—blue right, green left—ever since the coup d’etat in Ul’dah. Has larger irises compared to common male Viera, with long eyelashes. Red markings accentuate the corner of his eyes, with a beauty spot under the left. PHYSIQUE. Considerably tall for a male Viera with a gracefully lithe frame. Sometimes mistaken as female even when he’s not in Yiune guise. Very fair complexion. No visible wrinkles, scars or tattoos. CLOTHING. Usually seen in an assortment of suits or military uniforms, consisting a combination of trench coats, shirts and ties, and dress shoes. For casual wear, Yiuno favors hoodies, high-neck sweaters, and survival boots. As Yiune, he may go for more daring designs, such as high-silt dresses or low-cut tops, and over-the-knee heel boots. ACCESSORY. Due to his circumstances and line of work, Yiuno often avoids having telltale items that may easily blow his covers. However, he does wear a leather-bound necklace with a wind-aspected crystal—a gift from his twin sister, Yiuna, with quite a story behind its origin.

— résumé.

PROFESSIONS.

ALCHEMIST. Cover story when he travels from city to city. Usually conducts trade with curative potions and antidotes. GLEANER. Mostly known amongst guilds of arcane arts. Mainly hired to hunt and retrieve dangerous magical artifacts of eons past. Also works as normal treasure hunter (at times, a dungeon raider), possessing a collection of rare items of his own. ASSASSIN. Only known in the Eorzean underworld. Goes by the cover identity “Yiune Rei,” a Hingan courtesan deeply shrouded in mystery, prized for her beauty and talent in Astromancy. Uses honey traps to kill her targets in cold blood.

SKILLS & ABILITIES.

JACK OF ALL TRADES. The perks of being immortal grants Yiuno unlimited time to acquire an arsenal of skills and abilities, which would usually be difficult or even impossible for beings with a normal lifespan. However, regardless of the numerous know-how he has under his belt, he never considers himself a master of any. He has no interest in becoming an expert in a specific field or area, anyway. MAGICAL APTITUDE. Both Yiuno and his twin sister, Yiuna, are naturally gifted in aether manipulation—so much so that even the likes of his former mentor, Shatotto, and later on his partner, Y’shtola, are able to discern in one glance. RECONNAISSANCE. “Knowledge is power,” is a quote often used by scholars, usually associated with books. However, to Yiuno, the same can be applied to field work, especially the kind of jobs he’d take on. Terrain of the site he’d be scavenging as a gleaner. Profile of the target he’d be killing as an assassin. Always preparing himself for the worst.

TRAITS.

MOST POSITIVE. Resourcefulness. Yiuno has lived for a long, long time, which gives him a wealth of knowledge and experience well beyond any beings with an ordinary lifespan. It has helped him to live in the shadows for millennia, enabling him to constantly adapt to the ever-changing world he’s forced to live in—for eternity. MOST NEGATIVE. Cynicism. Yiuno harbors a strong mistrust towards people in general—after all, he has lived through many calamities and countless wars in his immortal life, which have shaped him into a bitter, pessimistic man. He’s driven by personal interests, and he believes that others are no different from him, since he sees it as a basic survival instinct that every living being is born with.

— personal.

HOBBIES. Reading and research, people-watching, training (usually by himself, sometimes with Y’shtola or Sora), traveling. COLORS. Monochrome—the different types of gray, including black and white. Doesn’t mind neutral colors like brown. To a lesser extent, the darker shades of red and blue. AROMAS. Freshly brewed coffee or tea. Amongst musty old tomes in libraries and bookshops. TEXTURES. Soft, fluffy hair of the people he really likes (ex. Y’shtola, Sora). Cold, hard surface of bladed weapons. Rough, wrinkled pages of ancient books. BEVERAGES. Drinks that contain high amount of caffeine with low to no sugar content at all. Long black and herbal tea are his go-to.

FAMILY.

Born into an ancient clan built upon strict matriarchy and meritocracy, Yiuno’s understanding of a family greatly differs from common Eorzeans. Shortly after their birth, kits (young Viera children) were placed under custody care in a specialized facility within the civilization; raised collectively by adult Viera designated to be their caretakers, none of the members knew who their birth parents were. They didn’t care, either—the concept of blood relation never once crossed their mind, for they were taught since young that everyone in the clan is family. The only exception to this is Yiuna, his twin sister. Their birth was met with scrutiny, for no twins were born in the clan for centuries until they came. They share a special bond that they can’t explain, but they know and they can feel it between them. They were banished from the clan due to Yiuna’s deceit—she disguised her brother’s true gender and made him to pretend to be a female so that the wood wardens wouldn’t take him away from her when they hit puberty. After the Seventh Umbral Calamity, Yiuno woke up in the middle of the Black Shroud with an amnesiac Xaela, Sora Amariyo; Yiuna was nowhere to be found. He became a mentor and guardian both to the young Warrior of Darkness, and they began their journey through the realm. As of DT, Yiuno is still searching for Yiuna, trying to reunite with his missing twin sister.

PETS.

Yiuno owns a collection of minions—automated mechanical dolls that he uses as either unsuspecting scouts or diversion puppets in his line of work. He can also summon familiars, in the form of black-feathered owls, to do his bidding.

— law & order.

SMOKES? Never. He despises the smell. ALCOHOL? Drinks socially to maintain some cover stories; this is especially so when he assumes the identity of the mysterious courtesan, Yiune. While he’s unable to get drunk due to his unique body condition, he does enjoy a wine or two on special occasions. DRUGS? Similar to alcohol, drugs have no effects on him due to his special circumstances. However, he has no qualms to use them on others. MOUNT? Yiuno rescued a chocobo sometime during the ARR timeline—the chocobo was apparently abandoned by its original owner because it was an albino. To avoid any issues with the law enforcement, Yiuno registered this chocobo as his mount with the Grand Companies, naming it “Sören”. CRIMINAL RECORDS? Too many to count, given his immorality; some were major historical incidents, such as the War of the Magi. Though Shatotto erased his name from history and bore the weight of his crimes onto herself, Yiuno would never forget the sins he’d committed, even till this day.