#also a good high collar shirt mod

[josiesaltzmanstyle]

1.06 Mombie Dearest

It’s giving Sky (TM).

Josie starts off the episode in this Ted Baker London sky-blue ribbed sweater. It has a sewn-in white scalloped collar and white cuffs, and hanging white fabric at the bottom that gives off the illusion of being a full undershirt. It’s reminiscent of the Modcloth sweater she wore in 1.01, though the psuedo-undershirt and the keyhole at the back of the neck are distinct details that make it feel less mature. I’m biased, not being a fan of either of those details in general. The illusion of an undershirt is a detail I generally do not love in blouses; I think it looks a lot 'cheaper', for lack of a better term, than simply wearing an individual undershirt or having an undershirt sewn it. I think it could work for a different character, but something about it feels a little off for Josie to me. BUT, also, she tucks her shirt into her skirt here, so it's not too bothersome to me. It's not really visible.

Another fun Saltzman Twins Style Note: Lizzie is either wearing a blue twist-tie crop top or bra/bralette under her white netted tee, and the shade is very reminiscent of Josie’s sweater.

One fun thing about this project is how much more I’m noticing these fun coordinating moments. I’m curious about whether they talk about coordinating like this, or if they have a siphon twin psychic sense that influences choices like these on occasion. I’d imagine a mix. Regardless, it’s fun to see common threads (🧵) between their relatively disparate styles—so far, Josie leans vintage/mod-influenced, and Lizzie trends modern but often more casual. It's noteworthy to me, too, that Josie is in her school uniform - we'll see a glimpse of that signature plaid skirt in just a minute, and the Salvatore S is pictured above, emblazoned onto her sweater - while Lizzie seems not to be dressed to be going to classes. Interesting to note, given Josie being presented as the one that's a little more 'studious' between the two of them.

No clear shot of her shoes, but Josie has a classic/adorable knee high socks thing going on, too.

She has also been experimenting stylistically a little the last few episodes, this color palette and generally studious look is (perhaps refreshingly?) a return to form.

Lots piercings, once again, but unfortunately hard to make out.That's an interesting styling choice to me, though, that even in some of her more traditional outfits, she tends to wear multiple earrings in one ear. It's a detail that somewhat contrasts the more studious persona she's often trying to present.

Later, we get a repeat of Josie’s pajamas from 1.02 as she’s helping Lizzie get ready for their sweet sixteen party, her hair pulled up in sensible ponytail. Not much new to say here, particularly because I still can't pin down the specific items for how generic they are. But it is interesting to note the contrast being made here - Lizzie complains that Josie's not even dressed for the night yet so that the narrative can highlight that Josie's been helping Lizzie get ready for their party at the expense of getting herself ready on time. It's also interesting that we don't know how this happened - is this a regular occurrence/something that they both just presume will happen? Did Josie start getting ready and pause when Lizzie needed help? (I actually feel pretty confident that she did - her makeup is done. Which, I mean, her makeup is always done, it's a CW show. But her hair is pulled back in a way that would be really efficient for doing her makeup, and she has different earrings than the ones from the day in.)

Obligatory talisman moment. I naively assumed that this necklace was custom-made for the show, but it's actually this necklace named "Adventure" from Pyrrah. According to the description, "The ship featured on this talisman represents adventure, while the anchors are symbolic of safety and security. Elephant trunks signify good luck. The caduceus is a symbol of Hermes, the patron saint of travelers." While not exactly what Hope describes (a charm to "make quiet things heard), it still seems appropriate for a character whose arc is so wrapped up in repression vs. expression, self-discovery, etc.) Particularly interested in the adventure/patron saint of travelers aspect, given when Josie makes her last appearance with it.

It costs a pretty penny, and there seem to be limited quantities left, as the item has been archived, but it's out there, for what it's worth out. (I'm on a grad student's stipend, sadly, otherwise I would be more seriously tempted. The details seem really intricate.)

She's also sporting what looks like a golden/bronze tie-on charm bracelet in this scene, but alas, I can't find it anywhere. Still, I find it interesting - I don't believe she wears it with her day outfit, but she is still wearing it when she approaches Jo in her dress. It's very pretty and feels a little more whimsical than her usual fare re: accessories.

What I love about Josie’s party dress—its timeless, classic, and elegant nature—also makes it hard to narrow down. I found a few options that it may be, but realistically, I’m not sure. (Am I mad at myself for being able to find so little this ep? Yes. Alas, if I keep letting that stop me, I will never finish this project.) If I had to guess, I would say I think they may have gotten this dress from a bridal shop and altered it somewhat.

I also usually try not to color correct quite so much, but this shot called for a little more, as Legacie's often skewed-green filtering was washing out the color, making it hard to tell the dress is pink.

Anyway, Josie is sporting a pale pink, gauzy dress with a sweetheart neckline. It's one of the looks that stands out to me most from season one (though maybe I just like formal wear), making me a bit said that we never get a particularly great shot of it. The one above is probably the clearest shot, but I wish we could have closed in on it to see some more detail, and seen it in better lighting. Alas, alack. The bottom is also cascading and a bit purposefully-torn looking (I don't know a better word for this, unfortunately), giving it almost the air of a dress from a fairytale.

She's also taken her hair down (though she seems to have perhaps curled it?) very specifically so she can ask Jo to braid it. It's very wholesome.

More readily visible here is that rhinestone belt Josie accessorizes with. (I didn't color correct as heavily again with this one, so you can see how much the lighting/color grading affects the look of the dress lmao.) It adds a bit of modernity to any otherwise very classic look. I'm also inclined to think it's either sewn into the dress itself, or is a cuff of some kind, because it doesn't extend to the back.

Instead, there's a white, silky looking bow on the back! It's simultaneously very classic and traditional while also coming off a bit young/juvenile, perhaps emphasizing the vulnerable position Josie finds herself in this episode.

Not pictured because we never get a great shot of them, but I would bet my life the white wedges she's wearing in this look are Aldos.

I know this is a series on Josie’s style and I keep bringing up Lizzie’s too, but I often find the comparison adds something interesting to the conversation! It’s fascinating to me (especially in an episode so focused on the differences in and unspoken but real tension between Josie and Lizzie’s wants and needs) that their different style preferences are SO on display in their birthday outfits. Josie’s dress is classically feminine and princess-like with a sweetheart neckline, whereas Lizzie’s bright blue fringe dress and white faux-fur shrug is reminiscent of old Hollywood with a modern it-girl twist. The differences in their personalities couldn’t be more on display here and given the content of the episode, I imagine that’s intentional. I also find it interesting/notable that Lizzie stays in-color theme with what both of the twins were wearing earlier, while Josie shifts away from it.

After getting buried alive, I think I'd probably feel the need for a shower, too. There was a LOT of dirt involved.

Her white tie robe looks fairly basic/standard. I think we may later see her in one that has the Salvatare 'S' emblazoned on, but this one doesn't seem to.

Not easily seen here, but if you pay close attention in this scene, she's still wearing the talisman Hope gave her underneath. <3

As Josie and Lizzie and Alaric say goodbye to Jo before the twins siphon the magic keeping her 'alive', they've both changed into much more casual clothes - Josie wearing grey sweats and a (very dark) blue sweatshirt, Lizzie in a red hoodie. VERY fair, considering the day they're having. It's interesting that they've switched color schemes, with Lizzie's red a deeper, warmer variation on the pink from Josie's dress earlier, and Josie's navy sweatshirt a similar callback to Lizzie's blue. Very ebb and flow of them. Also noteworthy, Josie's put her hair back up after her shower, whereas Lizzie has let hers back down.

Once again, if you look closely, the chain of the talisman is still visible underneath Josie's sweatshirt. I keep on noticing it because it seems like the type of thing she would normally take off for a shower or getting ready for bed, leading me to wonder if it's helping her feel safe, given what Hope said earlier about it helping them find her.

That's a wrap! I'm a bit disappointed I could only really find one item with this episode, but ah, well. You win and you lose some. As always, if anyone has any info on them, feel free to reach out so I can edit/update this post, and I'll be happy to credit you.

Favorite outfit:

Did you even have to ask?

[psychicthepsychic-daily]

what type(s) of clothes do you think psychic likes to wear, other than the set seen in his mod?

hehehe. ty for the ask :> some specific ones:

LONG JACKETS!!! he is a big fan of the Aesthetic it's unmatched

high collared shirts. he's a very sophisticated lad

turtlenecks in fall/winter :o not that he needs them but they look good and it's the perfect time of year

heels, on occasion. make himself even Taller than he already is lol

clicky shoes!!! fun to walk around with them and Alert others to your presence

for functions, etc. a suit :]

blazers on their own!! very fancy

belts

ties, sometimes. if he has to

he prefers long sleeves. never anything revealing. he's extremely quiet and reclusive and his dress style tends to reflect that

however he's also very expensive and his dress style reflects that as well lmao. High-end brands, pure leather or wool, etc.

He likes wearing more muted, dark or pale, neutral/cool colors. Blues, blacks, greys, etc.

I feel like in general he goes for outfits with a very serious, refined look. That's the image he's put out into the world and it's what he feels complements the Dearests' look the best.

on his off days you'll find him wearing a bright magenta jacket that is definitely not a hoodie no sirree nope

no he's not drinking tea from a mug. no it does not say "employee of the year" what are you talking about

no those fifty mugs in that cabinet aren't identical to this one. stop looking reeeee

[bosspigeon]

oh, hey! finally got my Chase sim to look pretty close to how i like him!

[oliveroctavius]

It's the Harry Osborn fashion post nobody asked for!

I'm no expert in menswear (all info + photo examples come from VintageDancer) so take this as speculation and feel free to correct any terminology. Still, I wanted to ramble about his interesting progression of clothes choices through the classic comics.

Ditko era (1965)

An outdated look even for the time: the bowtie, brown/grey color scheme, and wide high-waisted pants with a skinny belt are all kind of 1940s/50s things. Not to mention the hair.

It seems Ditko's only vision for Harry was Norman Junior. You know those eerie photos of politicians' families where the kids are dressed identically to their parents? Yeah.

Of course, once characterization catches up, there's a lot to be said about Harry's relationship with imagined "good old days" and his father's self-image.

Characterization catches up (1966)

John Romita is here and we get a flashback to baby Harry, who in contrast to his dad looks like an easter egg.

On a practical level, bright colors (1) draw attention to Harry as a new main character and (2) convey time passing. But it also fits with the reveal that he's a mostly sweet kid trying too hard to conform to an aggressively traditionalist role model.

I like that the bow tie sticks around. It has old-fashioned, dweeby connotations (as probably originally intended) but it also has appropriate oddball performer connotations.

Roomates era (1966-69)

Big checkered patterns, vests, and expanded colors; a showy take on the Ivy League 50s/60s style, unless I miss my guess. A bit more modern, but still in the realm of uptight dweeb. I love how Romita made him friendly without making him less weird.

It's a rather slow makeover from monochrome to bright and patterned. On a Watsonian level, it's fun to imagine that living away from his dad lets him gradually rediscover a colorful fashion sense.

The less formal at-home version of this look is a sweater or sweatervest with a collared shirt, a la baby Osborn.

The New Osborn Image (1969. nice)

Eventually both Harry and the editors get self conscious about keeping up with the times, and...

This is so charmingly "repressed young adult finally has their awkward rebellious self-discovery phase halfway through college" to me. Artists love to call back to this look because lol, retro facial hair, but I think its status as a bona fide short-lived Embarrassing Phase makes it sacred.

The New(er) Osborn Image (1970-72)

Exploratory phase over, his new look is something between Mod and Peacock Revolution: long coats, double-breasted tailored jackets, colorful turtlenecks, neckerchiefs instead of ties.

In my totally unbiased opinion this is the pinnacle of Harry costuming. He's found a public-facing sense of style that's fun. It's formal, but not just in a Norman-impressing way—he got here via personal experimentation and peer inspiration. It's the most joyful sartorial self-expression he ever seems to get.

Sure hope he's not about to experience personal-identity-shattering amounts of stress and tragedy!

spice up your mental breakdown by raiding your father's closet (1973)

At least, I think that's Ross Andru's angle. Harry moves back into his dad's townhouse and his clothes are uncharacteristically oversized and formless.

Drop the metaphor, fill your father's shoes for real. The fur-lined coat + leather gloves in particular strike me as unnaturally Normanesque. Earlier periods illustrated his Garbage Mental Health Hygiene with untucked shirts and unfastened collars, though his hairdo is still perfectly in place because everyone knows it just grows in like that.

I think the shirt he's committed in is the first short-sleeved shirt we ever see him wear. Probably too early in history for him to be given a pair of those grippy socks.

back to basics/dadclothes (1975-on)

Harry comes back in ASM 151 with two outfits: a grey suit and tie and a plaid short sleeved shirt with jeans. This split between utilitarian business clothes/simple comfort clothes sticks around into Buscema and JMD's 90s run.

This was probably meant to signal that he's more "grown up" and stable, but after everything else it just feels like a very lonely return to form and a widening fracture between public presentation and personal identity—this time self-enforced.

JMD uses the goblin costume to talk about Harry's struggles with self-image and emotional compartmentalization, but I think it works because that theme was already there in a less dramatic way. Particularly once the colors went back in the closet.

The thing about toxic performative masculinity is that it hates to admit that it's just a performance. Showy fashion can be attractive to people who've been told they flunk out of gender for physical or mental reasons because it's entirely performance (hence the art of drag) (and hence transmascs who joke they dress like silver age Harry). Also, I think it's just a fun personality trait for him to enjoy bright and meticulous dress, dangit.

[evolution-went-backwards-with-us]

“I didn’t expect a good ending, all I wanted was a ending. “ ~Leon Kuwata x Reader~ !Angst!

Hello everyone, Mod Taka here. I promise I’m still alive, I just don’t have a lot of time to write. But anywho, here something that made me cry while I was writing it.

-Trigger Warnings- Cursing, Degradation, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Daddy issues, Parental Abuse (father), Loss of Father, PTSD, Alcoholism, Domestic Abuse, Violence, Described Blood, Flashbacks, Verbal Abuse, Physical Abuse, Fatal Car Crash, Implied absent mother

     Leon faced up against his father, a red glow in his eyes. Letting anger out during baseball just hadn’t been enough lately, and he had gotten into a fight with another kid today. Look where he ended himself up at, in the burning gaze of the man who makes his life a living hell. He was just like Leon at his age, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Leon hated what he had become, but he wasn’t left with much of a choice. Leon barely flinched when his father’s clenched fist met his face, much to used to the pain of it all. However, this time Leon fought back at him, bitch slapping him across the face. He could see the new found rage swelling up in his dad’s expression, and it didn’t take long for it to come bursting through. 

     He cursed himself as he felt his shirt collar being lifted up off the ground, taking him with it. Before he had time to react, a hand was wrapped around his throat. His head started to spin as the grip became harsher, clawing his nails at his fathers hands. Screaming silent cries for help that came out as short, ragged breaths. He felt himself slowly losing consciousness, as his esophagus started to collapse. Like his father could see the exact moment before it was too late, his hand was withdrawn. As soon as he was let go, he fell to the ground, his knees roughly hitting the ground. Gasping for air, he looked up at him. “How fucking dare you hit me! I fucking raised you and this is how you repay me?! You should respect me, this is exactly why Marisa left! It was all your fault, it always has been.” His father said with a harsh tone, the scent of the alcohol lacing his words with an even worse poison. He roughly grabbed Leon’s jaw, pulling him eye to eye, ”You were a fucking mistake.” Leon hit the ground as he was once again let go of, but the next time he looked up, his father was gone. 

     A tightening of his throat and a short intake of breathe broke his façade. The all-to-familiar grief engulfed him as he was taking on another heartbreak. Gut-wrenching sobs tore through his chest as he covered his face with his hands. He felt the sudden urge to collapse in and on himself, as the human sounds of suffering escaped his lips. Oh, what the situation he had gotten himself into now. Laying on his living room floor, his dad no where to be seen, crying. He rocked himself as his hands wiped the tears away from his eyes every few seconds, causing them to get red and swollen. The thoughts started to worsen as time passed, still alone with his own mind as his own little form of torture. 

     “Is it really are worth it?” he asked himself, fighting back against his own thoughts but all efforts ending in vain. 

“It would be easier of you were dead.”

“The days would be brighter without you in them.”

“Is suffering this much worth the beauty of living?”

“Maybe your dad is right about what he says.”

“Everyone and his life would be better without you.”

“Maybe- no. He is right.”

   Leon got up on shaky legs, the exhalation of his emotions still clouding his vision. He collapsed onto his bed, the thoughts of things he didn’t want to think about finally being drowned out by nothingness. He passed out moments later, letting the numb feeling consume him.

     Luckily, it was a Saturday and he didn’t have to go to school. He groggily got up from his bed, finally getting his shit together. He walked through the house, scared but also relieved at his father’s absence. The high pitched ringing pf his phone blared through his ears, and he picked it up and answered it. “Hello?”

“Is this Leon Kuwata?”

“Yes...?”

“Your father got into a accident last night, we need you to come to the scene. 

~Time skip brought to you by Hina’s doughnut addiction~

     He got there in enough time to see his father’s bleeding body being pulled from his car. He opened and got out of the car so fast he tripped on the door itself. Getting to the car, the seen the trail of crimson along the dash and splattered along the seats. There were empty beer bottles scattered periodically in the floorboards. Oh. He turned his attention back to his father, who was now being put into the ambulance. He hopped into it, starting to feel the grief swelling up in his chest. He sat next to his father, taking in the sight of him. Blood was staining his plaid shirt, and there was dried blood along his head and neck. But he was still alive. 

     That was until they got to the hospital, and Leon got the pleasure of hearing the monitor bleep to signify the flatlining of his dad’s heart. He watched the life drain out of his eyes as doctors poured into the room. Leon was pushed out , and left staring at them through the door window as his dad was attempting to be brought back to life. After moments of terror, it only got worse. Every second added to the heart break as the doctors pronounced him dead. Leon fell on a chair, tears leaking from his eyes. He hated him, but he didn’t want him to be dead. And now, there was nothing he could do about it. 

-

“y/n, if I ever had a moment I wished for death the most, I would be that one.” Leon turned to you and said, “All of my life I have wondered how much pain you would have to go through until you are allowed to give up.” He placed his hand on top of yours and laid back in your chest. “I still have nightmares of that crash. I still have flashbacks of him, but nothing prepares you for the pain that comes when it is lived through. I have learnt that the hard way. I didn’t expect a good ending, all I wanted was a ending. But I no longer want that now, I want the moments I spend with you to last forever.” He looked up and spoke, “So please, never give up.” 

[castlevania-afterdark-imagines]

Halloween Headcanons

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM MOD ROSE AND MOD SOVIET! Thank you guys for continuing to read the blog! We hope to be releasing some of the character matchups soon, but for today please enjoy this quick post covering the crew's holiday activities! Assuming modern for this post, kids probably aren’t trick or treating at Drac’s castle. 

Trevor

Costume for this year: Zombie, easy to make and fun to overdo when you've got the time. 

Favorite candy of all time: Snickers, he actively buys the fun sized ones for himself instead of full size because he knows his lack of self control. 

Favorite autumn treat: Baked apples, with a pint of whatever fancy autumn ale the local brew pub is trying out this year. 

Trick-or-treat etiquette: Leaves the candy in a big bowl on the front porch, which he guards by blending in with his ridiculous amount of decorations and scaring the daylights out of anybody who tries to take more than needed. 

Sypha 

Costume for this year: Mad Scientist,  complete with fake green blood spattered  robe and pipe cleaners shaped into *electricity* coming out of her floofed out hair. 

Favorite candy of all time: She loves all the tart and fruity things, but if you forced her to pick one she'd say Nerds.

Favorite autumn treat: Pumpkin bread, homemade and covered in a maple brown sugar icing. She tried incorporating the seeds into some sort of crumble on top but nearly burned the kitchen down trying to toast them.

Trick-or-treat etiquette: Answers the door, gushing over the kids who dress up and closing the door on teens who show up without costumes. She also keeps a small stash of allergy sensitive alternatives in case a parent asks for it. 

Alucard 

Costume for this year: Werewolf who just changed back to a human again, or at least that’s what he calls it when he realizes he forgot to get his costume together and wears a torn up shirt and pants with a little makeup to make him look haggard. (Offer to add on a dog collar and cuffs to sell the costume and watch him be really fucking prepared for next year)

Favorite candy of all time: Redhots, or any other cinnamon candy. They were always super easy to trade for, in that most kids didn’t want them so he just got to take them all home for free.

Favorite autumn treat: Hot and fresh apple cider, with a splash of brandy if he’s feeling particularly chilly that night.

Trick-or-treat etiquette: He’s not a big fan of answering the door every 5 min, but he manages a smile and a few pieces per visitor. Lights go off as soon as the sun goes down though.

Dracula

Costume for this year: He just fucking hauls some old ass armor from his closet and goes as a warlord and has won every costume contest every year. Cheater.

Favorite candy of all time: Dark Chocolate pieces, not too sweet and also no kid is going to complain if he fishes all of them from the candy bowl.

Favorite autumn treat: Homemade toasted pumpkin seeds, they’re infinitely better than the basic store bought ones you find year round, and he adds a little bit of extra spice to them in the form of ghost pepper powder. He can handle it, and it keeps people from filching them.

Trick-or-treat etiquette: His is known as the house that only the bravest kids go to, for no particular reason. The decor is pretty standard, the handfuls of candy are GIGANTIC, but Vlad is more than aware of the tall tales kids spin for each other about the giant who lives there.

Lisa

Costume for this year: She tosses a doctor’s coat over a long body hugging black dress, dawns a black big and dark makeup, and goes at “Morticia-n” Adams. It doesn’t matter if no one gets it, she knows and is smug as hell about it.

Favorite candy of all time: Caramels, just by themselves but she won’t turn down a caramel apple if one happened across her path.

Favorite autumn treat: All the fun autumn coffee drinks, she needs that caffeine hit for long hours at the doctor’s office and hey, gotta spice it up now and then.

Trick-or-treat etiquette: Loves answering the door, hypes up the kids over their costumes and kneels down to their level to hand them their candy. She doesn’t give them a ton though, doctor’s guilt and all.

Hector

Costume for this year: Elf, very much inspired by Lord of the Rings styling. It fits in well at the vet clinic with all of the animals and keeps him looking normal enough to not spook them.

Favorite candy of all time: M&M’s, they’re simply and easy to just fill a bowl with and munch on throughout the week of Halloween. Plus no extra individual wrappers that he was to worry about Cezar trying to munch on.

Favorite autumn treat: Caramel corn, again a simple and sweet finger food. But this one he much prefers to get at a festival booth when it’s still hot and you have the smell of it cooking lingering in your nostrils.

Trick-or-treat etiquette: He’s not a huge fan of answering the door, but he’ll put on a brave face since he knows for many kids this is a big deal. If he notices any kid getting bullied or jeered at he unceremoniously dumps the entire bowl in their bag and tells them to head home early to avoid any more issues.

Isaac

Costume for this year: Grim Reaper. It’s literally a robe and a scythe, super easy and minimal effort, but just enough effort to avoid being called out for not trying harder.

Favorite candy of all time: Not really a candy person, it’s all high processed garbage to him. But he does have a soft spot for butterscotch and strawberry hard candies like his grandparents used to have around all the time.

Favorite autumn treat: Pecan pie, he’s not a huuuuuuge sweets person but a slice of pie with a dark roast coffee to offset the sugar and he is instantly in a good mood.

Trick-or-treat etiquette: Always conveniently ends up away from home that night, mostly so he doesn’t have to hear the doorbell constantly. He’ll leave some candy out to avoid getting his house egged but that’s about it.

Godbrand

Costume for this year: Pirate, then he can make all the booty jokes and drink all the alcohol he wants.

Favorite candy of all time: He likes the chewy things, like taffy or Twizzlers but will honestly eat anything. More specifically, he will eat EVERYTHING if you don’t hide the candy meant for the trick-or-treaters.

Favorite autumn treat: Cinnamon rolls, cake for breakfast? Fuck yeah. (Nobody tell him you can have them year round)

Trick-or-treat etiquette: Is of the mind a kid has to go through a fuckin gauntlet of spooky yard decor to earn their sugar rush. Yes he is going to jump out and scare them in the yard, yes he is going to get nearly punched by a few spooked fathers, but he always rewards the kids with a decent candy haul.

Carmilla

Costume for this year: Banshee, it’s dramatic, dark, and scares the sweet jesus out of men.

Favorite candy of all time: Godiva chocolates, she buys a whole fancy box for herself at the beginning of each month. And then pretends she doesn’t eat them all in the first two days.

Favorite autumn treat: Cranberry things, like bars or jams. People have tried to argue with her that it's more of a winter thing but fighting with her over other things has never worked either so...her opinion stands unchallenged now.

Trick-or-treat etiquette: She’s hosting a very lavish party at her house, to be honest she probably rarely hears the doorbell. When she does answer it she lets the kids grab a handful from the ONE bowl she keeps by the door and when that’s gone she just turns off the outside light and stops answering.

-Mod Soviet

[jaces-wasteland]

Layna Rose

Appearance

- Human female, half Caucasian and half Japanese

- Vibrant, light blue eye that glows slightly due to exposure to radiation

- Deep crimson hair  that is shoulder length and wild in style

- Five feet and six inches tall (five feet and nine inches tall in heels)

- Curvy figure with a large rear and thighs

- 38D (Imperial)/ 85D (Metric)-cup breasts with slightly large and dark areolas, and pierced nipples

- She lightly tanned skin with freckles across her cheeks and nose

- She has tattoos across her back of vines and vibrant dark red roses, along with two revolvers on her lower back

- She has a womb tattoo of black tribal looking vines in the shape of a heart, with one red rose in the middle and four outside the heart

- She has a tattoo of three black, clawed pawprints on the top of her right breast

- She wears a gold lip ring in her bottom lip on the left side, and a belly button piercing with a paw pendant dangling off of it. She also wears gold nipple piercings with bars that say "Fuck" on the left ends and "Me" on the right ends, with small chains that hold black, gold-trimmed paw pendants at the bottoms

- She constantly likes to wear black lipstick and black eyeshadow

- Has to wear an eyepatch over her left eye, which has three scars going across it vertically

_______

Prosthetics (Sadly not shown in her screenshots)

- Her entire right arm and below the elbow of her left arm are replaced by cybernetic limbs after she lost them both

- Her left arm is mostly dark red with black around the elbow and inner elbow area, the wrist joint and finger joints, the inner fingers, and the palms. Anything else, including the outsides of the fingers are dark red

- The left arm is mostly dark red and has a more compact, touch-screen personal computer built into the forearm with a black frame around the screen. Like with her other hand, the wrist joint, finger joints, palm and insides of her fingers are all black while the rest is dark red

- Both hands have palms and inner fingers made from synthetic materials to be soft and padded for softer touch almost mimicking skin

_______________

Outfits

Casual 1: She usually wears a red flannel shirt and black jean booty shorts along with a double collar around her neck and a silver necklace with a crystal heart attached. The collar has a chain leash attached to it that wraps around the back of her neck and hangs down between her breasts. She also wears black thigh high socks, and a pair of Heavy Metal Boots (Fallout 4 mod by IceStorm) with dark red metal. Lastly, she wears her dark brown cowboy hat.

Casual 2: She wears much of the same outfit as Casual 1, except she wears a pair of black jean pants instead of shorts.

Party: She wears her black jean booty shorts and her heeled boots along with her thigh high socks, collar, leash and necklace, but she wears a black fishnet shirt with or without 'X's covering her nipples

Fancy: She wears a black dress that exposes her back with only two stringy straps across her back in an 'X', and it has a fairly short skirt showing off her thighs. She wears her collar, leash and necklace, along with her socks and heeled boots.

Travel/Combat: She wears a dark brown cropped vest over her shoulders with a black crop top and a pair of black pants with the right leg cut off, and she wears a red lace stocking on her right leg. She also wears a pair of black heeled combat boots, a belt with shotgun shells, pouches, and a grenade on it, and a holster on her right thigh for her M9 pistol. She wears her double collar and leash, her cowboy hat, and a pair of fingerless gloves.

_______

Bio

- 20 years old

- Speaks in a slightly southern accent

- She is an Ex-Raider, having grown up in a large gang from a very young age. She grew up in a harsh and unforgiving environment with harsh and unforgiving people, and decided to take what she learned from them, killed the leader of the gang one night when he wanted to "claim her", and left them to help good folk rather than harm them

- She lost her arms and her eye in the same encounter one day as a young girl

- Shows no mercy to those that show no mercy to the innocent

- She has no issues with killing who she has to to survive and ensure that good people are protected

- She loves to tinker with any piece of technology or equipment she sees and has learned how numerous machines, weapons, and vehicles work

- She can also reload her own ammo and has all the tools she needs to do so, and can even make new casings if she has the brass or steel to do so

- Loves listening to rock and metal from her collection of music 

- She's basically been fighting for her life since she was a young girl that could hold a gun, and since she was taken by Raiders

- She was able to find and repair a couple of Lone Wanderer motorcycle for both herself and her partner, along with a military truck and trailer she kitted out to be a mobile base and home for the two

- Figured out how to incorporate Stealth Boy technology into her truck and the motorcycles, which keeps them hidden when she is away from them

- She's more than happy to help settlers with anything they need as long as they can pay

- Her closest friend is a former NCR Ranger named Angel Knox, and travels constantly with her around the wasteland in search of people to help, and bounty targets to hunt down

- She often does her best to give rides to people in need, as long as they don't try to kill her

- She will stop and pet any dog she sees and give them food, and does her best to gain their trust

- She has a very teasing and flirty personality with people she meets

- Loves to drink and get drunk

- She and Angel have made their home in the Commonwealth on the outskirts of Boston, at a hot spring and bunker that was there long before them.

- When at home, she's often found either in her workshop making sure her weapons are working properly, or she's relaxing in the hot spring

________

Weapons

Benelli M4: Once hailed as the best military shotgun in existence, Layna uses this weapon she found in an old military base as her main close-range weapon for when she has to get in close to her targets. The metal is coated in a new black finish, and the stock and forend are both black polymer. Chambered in 12 Gauge shells, Layna uses both buckshot and slugs, and the weapon holds 7 rounds in the magazine, one in the chamber, and one more ghost loaded under the chamber

M1911 Pistol: A standard military pistol that has seen much use over the years but kept in peak conditions by the Gun Runners she bought it from, chambered in .45 ACP

Service Rifle : A standard rifle of the NCR given to her by Angel she uses for shooting at targets from a distance, very well used since before it was given to her. Fitted with a short range scope. Chambered in 5.56

_______

Sexual Info

- She is kind of known to be a sexual deviant to those that really know her

- Will very often fuck those who hitchhike with her, or who she hitchhikes with

- There is another very specific reason for her to have the pawprint pendant on her bellybutton piercing, and hanging from her nipple piercings

- When she gets drunk, she'll basically do anything for anyone, and she doesn't care

- Loves to have sex with Angel, especially when Angel gets really rough

- She has whored herself out to people of very questionable morals many times in the past, and will do so again and again whenever she wants to

- Will happily whore out Angel as well

- If she feels it is the best, she'll give her body in exchange for information on targets, points of interest, or hidden stashes in place of more violent means of interrogation

[magica-witch-project]

I wish for more focus and motivation. I struggle with schoolwork and personal projects often, as I quickly lose interest or will to work, and my stubborn nature makes it difficult to start up again. I love art and learning, and when I do my work I try to do it well, but I’m also very unwilling to ask for help, even if I really need it.

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

Your magical girl form is sleek and elegantly Victorian, with steampunk additions. A long, billowy brown coat buttons down the front over a lightly-ribbed white collared shirt, and a frilly ascot is secured around your neck with your amber soul gem, cut into the shape of a sharp diamond. A pair of knee-high leather boots slip on over your light brown trousers, and on your head, a small brown top hat that matches your coat, with a silver screw and bronze bolt holding two red feathers to the red-ribbon band, clip into your hair, white lace poking out from underneath elegantly. Thick leather gloves protect your hands and arm from the bronze and silver compound bow that serves as your weapon, your arrows silver with the fletching made of the same red feathers as the ones stuck in your hat. In the magical community, you become well known for your focus during fights, as the mechanical wings on your back give you the best angles from any direction, and your stubborn motivation makes you a fantastic partner. In your daily life, schoolwork gets done quickly and easily, personal projects are never left unfinished anymore, and you’ve never been more focused on anything before.

Sadly, all good things come to an end, and you start to find that your focus is consuming, leaving very little room for you to simply relax when you need to. Soon, your focus becomes hyper-focus, then obsession. In labyrinths, you become so obsessed with ending the witches that you forget to cleanse your soul gem, until it’s too late, and you become Josephine, the clockwork witch. Her nature is bullheaded, and her labyrinth is a maze of gears, pipes, chains, and traps. Unlike most other witches, her labyrinth has no familiars, but that’s not to say she’s easy to get to. The twisting, wallpaper-peeling halls of the old Victorian manor one finds themselves walking through are filled with hidden clockwork traps, some that hold one in place, others that send sharp broken bits of metal into the air, and others more that explode with hot, scalding bursts of steam. Once past all of these, one may find themselves in the master bedroom of the manor, where they come face-to-face with Josephine herself, the witch’s head a large clock with the twisted, tarnished bronze hands spinning wildly around the face numbers. Her body is a mess of gears and torn cloth, steam escaping from time to time as the gears strain to move, locked in place, with a pair of broken and rusted wings behind her, the old canvas torn and dirtied. The best way to defeat Josephine is with a group, as she will focus her attacks on a single person with her enormous and rusted bow, but be cautious still, as the room is filled with the same traps as the manor halls. Upon her defeat, Josephine’s clock hands will slow to a stop at midnight, and the gears that make up her body will collapse in on themselves as a brass bell rings out twelve times.

So, this was my wish, and I had a lot of fun writing my own downfall. I was supposed to be sleeping last night when I had this idea, and decided I would make a post about it because it sounded fun. I really do have focusing issues, and I really am stubborn as a bull, (ask Mod Mami), so breaking habits is difficult for me to do. Advice I’d give myself is definitely make a schedule, and put it somewhere I can always see it, that way I’m always reminded of the things I have to get done before I do something personal, like working on the various art pieces and comics I have. I’m chaotically organized, y’know?

-Mod Kyoko

[markets]

waitwaiitwait ok are u still having fashion discussion?!?! if u are then yeaaa that collared shirt would look good with like, a short/a-line skirt and heels if u wanted a rlly femme/lovecore/mod kinda look? also it would be good tucked into bright colored pants (<- high waisted preferably) imo. if u wanted to go w black jeans then a really big cardigan over it & big boots is a good look too...(<- good autumn look esp) white is great bc it can go with anything u want. like its a good staple to have yk? ALSO if u like button downs, u should look at those sets of collar pins that r two brooches with a little chain connecting them. they arent super expensive and they make literally any fit look SO cool. & idk what ur style is usually like but one of my favorite things to do w/ collared shirts is layer button down + cool t shirt + tuck into pants, that can b cool too!!

also hard vouch for the jennifer's body cardigan Like its like hearts what else do u want!!!! idk if u like bright colors tho imo it would be cool whether its really bright colored or not? i think u could probably pull it off either way but do what ur heart says

THANK YOUUUU OMG also wait yes i think ive seen those collar pins before TYSM FOR REMINDING ME THEY EXISTED

[mens-fashion-thing]

Cracking The Men's Vintage Styling Code

It used to happen in the past will definitely be back. This is how the world of style works. Vintage Fashion means styling wear from the past. Which your grandpa used to wear them, it's also a wonderful reality of fashion that is cyclic. However, don't panic. What is too much and what is not enough can be hard to decide. Unique Vintage should seem just as time reveals and that is why men have put up many of the most ancient men's dress and accessories.

It is must to looked dapper

Get some Peaky Blinders blend ! Vintage coats with strong or designed colors come in both single and double-breast coats. That color combinations that are always in style never black, are swampy, gray, and brown. Just for formal reasons black suits were used.

A perfect vintage suit of three or four is an important component of any person’s retro collection, especially when working in a classical office setting or at night.

If you're a man who likes to dress in retro clothes each day in the 1940s or simply for retro activities, having a decent 1940s fancy suit is a major curiosity.

Trying to match and pairing vests with suits or sold individually added to the ensembles a professional touch, making it appropriate for men to turn up with no suit for such occasions.

Have a suspender to be simple 

In several working environments, suspenders are very popular wears by rural gentlemen, and perhaps your grandparent wears them.

Suspender or shoulder straps will make your wardrobe look like you have stepped out of a movie from the 40s without adding flair. Suspenders are very flexible and easily suit this bill. The suspenders instead hold the pants up when they attach to your tail.

It had leather buttons loops to tie them to the pants and they also came in tan, black or brown. Cowhide loop braces are found vital to an authentic look.

You wear that braces even if they hang loosely across your legs. This keeps your dress shirt in your trousers wrapped.

The Hat is recognized as a turban

The day was dominated by Derbies, Homburg, and Straw Boaters, as were leather caps and wheel hats for sports and recreation. Ruling elite with a matching baseball cap may be seen.

A good man would not be seen out without a hat in the 19th century, and shopkeepers gave a selection of styles to match every occasion. Though high blackhead hats were still appropriate at night, they did not enjoy the day wear. 

If you are a hat fan, a hat wearer for the first time, or a professional hat pro, the items are available

For both men and women in the 1940s, Hats were a very common accessory. Fedoras were the most widely used style for men, a form of wide-boarded Trilby. Types included big shoulder hats, pillbox hats, Breton hats, closed hats, half hats, and more. 

Knitted Tank Tops and Waist Coast 

Do you need to remain warm but keep the custom Retro dapper look? Large classic mod hosiery line includes a variety of quality, traditional Vintages mod jumpers, the timeless knitted retro tank tops of the quilted sweaters. V-neck tank tops were a common choice in the Fair Isle patterns.

In addition to the normal business preferred Spearpoint hems, when preparing for any leisure or work in the house these were often worn on neckless shirts. It just has a full vintage collection when the colder times of the year are layered and reached.

High Waisted trousers or Bell bottom

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Bell-Bottoms, leg pants wider than the knee were very common. Initial practical style was the elegant or blush legs on the pants of the bellbottom used in urban from the 17th century.

High-level and mid-level pants help protect your tummies and cover them. These pants are the flattering type of your tummy if you are interested in them. Although it can seem strange, a higher increase in trousers may do amazing things for a pear figure. 

This is because a high rise offers better coverage of the back as the legs are lengthened and the hip is balanced. In fact, the larger the back, the further you will go up and look great in trousers.

Presley, Polka dot, or Check Design

Elvis Presley was the style icon of every man. So you can never ever beat his signature design. Presley printed shirts were common during the beginning of the decade, but cuff button became the real trademark for 40's shirts.

The Polka dot shirt remained a male fashion staple in the retro vintage, whether it would be for unisex funky wear design. The design were in various types and made a fashion item certainly.

Such check design with pointy collars look extremely smart and the cross tiles form frames a casual knot so that they are suitable for a polished occasion. Men also wore it with neck bars to pull in the neck and lift their paisley tie. Check or cross line design always work best in any kind of shirt. But except cuban collar shirt , that have to be floral printed anyhow if you want to go Hawaii!

Shoes for men 

Everything is going on in the process of making an outstanding pair of oxford shoes.

The fact that they are all between your feet and the cold and rough ground. They must not only look good, but also sound gentle. The reason you love pointed Shoes is that some of today's top brands are in fact their own. 

Indeed, the general standards for shoemaking and leather were in many cases much higher than those on the foot market today. A real hand made shoe in the 1920s through the 1940s was much more popular than it was today.

A modern vintage style uses products with past either are not part of a specific style of design. A modern retro design style relies on the fusion of the old and new. Most men love vintage since classics are never out of style. Men stare at things of styles and see echos of the past that are not so elusive.

[rattusrattus3]

I absolutely love your style, it’s so inspiring!! Do you have any fashion tips for a queer gal who loves a mixture of punk, Faerie, and artsy aesthetics? I have trouble piecing together all the styles I like but you do it really well.

heck ye!! you are so sweet to say this thank u!!! ok i have a couple fashion posts here if u wanna check em out:

(from my FAQ)

My fashion (masterpost) (staples) (modifying clothes tips, x) (costume making tips, (x) (x)) (where i get patches and pins) (confidence tips, x) (thrifting tips x, x) (inspiration x)  (skirts advice) (closet tour video from my YouTube)

here is some other tips tho for each style (i reccomend mix n match the things for a good combo of the looks :)) general tip: diy/try to mod like every peice of clothing! whether its adding rips or patches or drawing on it with sharpie or painting on it w arcrylic paint or embroidering or adding pins or buttons or glitter this will help make all ur looks cooler cause handmade/modified stuff always looks 1000% cooler than perfect condition with these styles (imo) 

also i dont reccomend buying brand new clothes anymore (other than like undies and socks), i have only thrifted the majority of my clothes since i was 12 and thats how i have such a funky (imo) wardrobe, u just cant find weird funky shit at regular stores for a normal price imo, so go thrifting often and u will find some gems :)! 

Punk: -dye your hair weird colours, if u cant/dont want to, buy some cheap wigs or spray in color or tease it and make it huge or shave some off! -eyeliner can look v punk imo, if ur makeup is kinda intense u automatically look punk kinda lol -materials/patterns u should look out for at the thrift store: anything w (black and white or other) stripes, checkers, anything plaid, velvet, PVC/vynil, leather/pleather, cheetah print, lace, denim jackets, doc marten or work boots, chains to put on as belts or wear as jewelery -buy iron-on spikes online and put them on ur jackets n shit -long sleeve shirt under short sleeve shirt -turn ur t shirts into crop tops -diy band patches -make a shit ton of patches by using black denim (from thriftstore jeans) and white arcrylic paint and sew the patches onto black jeans with dental floss (or thread) -take a pair of fishnet tights (dollar store), snip a hole in the crotchal area and cut off the toes, then pull it over your head and put your arms thru the legs/sleeves and now ta da u have a a fishnet shirt to layer under clothes -throw or spray bleach on ur clothes for fun looks (or use a paint brush and make intricate patterns!) -facial peircings help, if u cant/dont want to get peirced just glue some little pearl gem stickers or something like that from the dollar store to ur face with lash glue or spirit gum (and carry adhesive with u if u go out) -black or dark nail polish -denim with rips (jackets or jeans or whatever) -temporary tattoos (on face is cool too) -plaid skirts , thigh high socks, also garters -rip ur tights in a million spots and wear two pairs cause it looks spider webby and cool -cat and dog collars from the dollar store -go to a pet store and buy a tag and get it engraved with whatever anticapitalist/anti authroitarian/punk message u want (i have one tht says Grrrl power and one that has my cats names) -pigtails or deathhawks or shaved sides or shaved head or V-shaped bangs or whatever else "weird" but truly awesome hairstyle u want -safety pin as earrings/put safety pins in all ur clothese but before u put them in piercings please santiize them with alchol

Faerie: -glitter on ur face (cosmetic glitter mixed with coconut oil works well, try to get an ocean friendly one if possible, etsy has lots of options) -buy fairy wings at halloween and wear them whenever u want -pastel makeup and colors -fake freckles -floral patterns -layersss -soft, cozy, velvety, satiny, or billowy textures -fairy dust from lush is jsut. awesome. not a fashion tip i just love it (its a glitter body powder that smells like bubblegum and its pink and soft and lovely, they also have glitter bars that are great, shimmy shimmy is awesome, i cant find the other one online) -sew floppy large soft animal ears onto your sweaters -carry stuffed animals around or poking out ur bag -flowers in ur hair or in your clothes (u can get fake flowers at the thrift store often) -flower crowns -aprons -lacy things layered on u -vintage night gowns

Artsy: -tons of layers again -scrunchies -paint on ur clothes, even if its just paint splatters so u look like an Artistè (i just have clothes i paint in that are splattered but i feel like a artiste when i wear them) -mustard yellow -paint brushes/pencils in a bun is v cute imo -funky weird makeup colors

my outfits/looks

my fashion tag (not my outfits, but fashion i like)

[faunusrights]

OFFAL HUNT REMASTERED LIVEBLOG // CHAPTER 17

IN THIS EPISODE OF CRYING CAT GALLERY:

“Nice?” Cinder laughed under her breath once, and returned to examining her threads. “Oh, come on, Glynda. Favor isn’t in my vocabulary, remember? It’s just a shame about your cape. The emblem looked good, and your new outfit would look much better with it. That’s all.”

CINDER FALL IS REALLY BAD AT NOT BEING GAY ON MAIN

we’re bacc baby B) let’s hop right in

When Glynda awoke from her dream of being consumed,

alright calm down we’ve literally JUST started we’ve literally JUST woken up can we chill Out,

“Cinder?” she yawned, surveying the room.

sneak peek of that Sweet Domestic Life we dream of once this enemies-to-lovers malarkey reaches the ‘lovers’ bit but no we’re just surrounded by enemies. two of them being the writers!

Still, she couldn’t go wandering around Cinder’s apartment in only her underwear, but rooting through the drawers and closet didn’t seem— 

STEAL HER CLOTHES BABY!!!! PRACTICALLY MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The clothes didn’t seem Cinder’s size or style; they were casual and soft, a black t-shirt and steel-gray sweatpants.

okay but the idea of cinder getting up and being like ‘do i have ANYTHING this Unit of a woman will fit into’ and like actually having to think abt it and then folding em up and leaving em there like ‘hope she finds em okay’????? peak. absolutely peak. shes so gay but does she know it? no,

The fabric had enough give to make it work, even if only barely, and she looked in the mirror to see the loungewear looking more like tight athletic wear. Funny that.

kc and diesel envisioning this: oh yes. oh YES. ohhohughohguhghuhu yessssssssss--

She had—trusted? Been trusted? She had told Cinder fragile little things, and had heard similarly earnest words in return. It had been strange. Nice.

i love glynda like. feeling out of the edges of her own comfort and Pleasant Feelings with this almost-wariness? like every word she uses to describe it just Edges a little closer to Softness but she has to taste the word first to see if it fits. her narration is SO fun 2 read yall what the shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit

This was Cinder’s house. It wasn’t just any house. These were Cinder’s belongings, Cinder’s resting places, and she was wandering around without Cinder.

Voyeuristic was putting it mildly. Glynda needed to find Cinder, fast.

HJGDKJGHDFSSDF GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! glynda just. losing it at such LITTLE THINGS is so goddamn funny jesus christ. this is cinders house!!! her THINGS!!! fuck she NAPS IN HERE. SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

god i love how soft this is. i know exactly why this is happening and i know exactly how [REDACTED], but i’m living for this moment. living IN it.

Spread out on the table was a wanted poster with a mugshot of Cinder on it, defaced with black permanent marker and crease marks.

cinder: yeah they didnt get the eyebrows sharp enough and im mad abt it

“Well, your clothes are in the wash.” Cinder said, turning around, coffee in hand. It was so…domestic. “It would help if you had more than one set.”

shouting from a distance: you two should get MARRIED

“You’ve been wearing the same dress the entire time I’ve known you.”

look at these lil JABS... the JESTS... the JOQUES... i cant believe theyve been married 10 years already. im also deeply enjoying how very indulgent this section is. I Am Seeing,

Glynda scoffed, and when Cinder reached for the sugar on the counter, she gave it a subtle nudge with her Semblance. It slid out of Cinder’s reach.

JESUS CHRIST LOOK AT THIS WHAT THE HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! soulmates.

Cinder shrugged, still looking elsewhere. “Mercury thought it was funny.”

“Mercury?”

cinder: my son and BOY. and, one day, yr son and boy, tho he won’t take it lying down.

Cinder scoffed. “You just don’t appreciate my good tastes.”

i feel like the evidence is truly stacking up to very much prove this statement wrong but u kno what lets let her figure that one out for herself

“A souvenir from the brats,” she said. “And a letter excusing the mess they made of the place.”

KIDS KIDS KIDS KIDS

She said, “I just didn’t know you had kids.”

KIDS KIDS KIDS KIDS KIDS

“It’s fine,” said Cinder tersely, but not harshly. “It isn’t wise to advertise in my business, so keep it to yourself.”

KIDS KIDS KIDS KIDS KIDS KIDS KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GOD YES that little like... indirect admittance that em and merc r basically her own kids is a fucking BLESSING from ON HIGH are you SEEING THIS SHIT????????????? we have been fed today. my crops r watered and my lambs bouncing over the green fields as we feast. what a moment. wow. what a chapter.

When Cinder finally finished hers and rose to get another cup, Glynda allowed some of her thoughts to solidify. She said, “I want new clothes.”

as a side note, i think it rly shows the strength of the writing that the feeling of the narrative can change so much, esp when u take into consideration that we jump between the points of view of TWO characters? like with cinder we’ve gone from sheer fury to gruesome sickness, and with glynda we’ve gone from Complete Dissociation to this gentle and soft morning and you can feel it absolutely fluffing up in every word! still love how good the writing in this fic is its NUTS

Cinder shrugged. Her usual clothes were still in the wash; right now, she was wearing high-waisted black pants and a loose top tucked in.

diesel i want you to know im thinking abt what u said abt the high-waisted pants mods in sims 4 and im giggling

The necklace with Glynda’s earring hung from her throat.

i didnt mention it before but this is the... second time this chapter its been explicitly mentioned? and i know we could be like ‘ah the MEANING’ but honestly im like glynda r u rly not over the bobbies y

“You aren’t dead in there, are you?” came Cinder’s voice.

“No.”

“Well. At this pace, I will be before we get out of here.”

cinder, who probably once spent 7+ hours choosing an outfit: look its only cool if i do it, dipshit,

Unsnapping the lone earring left to her, she brought it to her collar and fixed it there, under the clasped button to dangle just over her sternum.

When she stepped out of the changing room, Cinder looked up. A slow dawn of interest eclipsed the boredom on her face. Glynda stood very still as her gaze flowed up and down again, pausing over the earring.

Cinder touched the matching one hanging from her own neck, almost in surprise. She cleared her throat. Her tone was very deliberately mocking: “Cute.”

OOOOOOOOOOOH MY GOD are we for SERIOUS right now??? jesus christ. jesus christ. we’ve moved on past married now this is ride-or-die shit right here what the FUCK. jesus CHRIST. theres- i- i have THOUGHTS on this matter that are spoilery and so i will SIT ON THIS EGG but HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLY SHIT

“Nothing,” Cinder said, smoothing her expression into something unreadable. “I was just thinking—nevermind.” 

no, no, go on, speak yr mind, please do, because if u were abt to offer to embroider that shit then PLEASE say it aloud for the audience at home

“If I was a cop, you’d already be in jail.”

“You’re welcome to try to take me in, darling.”

im sure its obvious but im BESIDE myself @ this flirting. im losing it. this is SUCH a treat and i KNOW that [REDACTED] [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] but AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

“That’s because of your—” Cinder was already gone. Glynda pressed her lips together, but watched her go. Rolling her eyes, she finished, “—Grimm tattoos.”

Whatever. She could gloat about figuring it out later.

/CHOKES

WHAT

@kc and diesel: CALL ME RIGHT NOW WHAT THE FUCK

okay okay. wait. okay. wait. theres. wait. okay. i cant. am i safe to say anything. probably not. so. im not gonna. but. you WILL be seeing me in dms, friends,

okay okay im moving on im gonna. keep going. okay. okay. im going. (but i will be in dms)

there was a brief discussion of dinner: namely, that neither of them wanted to make it.

oh god why is this me

“Give me your new cape.”

“What?”

Finally looking up, Cinder said, “Your cape. Let me have it, and I’ll put your emblem on it.”

THANK YOU MA’AM AND THANK YOU FOR READING THE FIC HAS ENDED ITS ALL OVER WITH!!!!!! WE DID IT!!!!!!! WE RODE THIS WHOLE TRAIN TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!!! UNFORTUNATELY IF ONLY IT WERE SO EASY.

Glynda ignored it for the time being and sent the vector of her emblem to Cinder.

i deeply love the idea of all hunters and huntresses carrying a vector of their emblem JUST IN CASE,,, SMTHNG HAPPENS,,, its right alongside the list of their next of kin and their will and testament,

Cinder Fall was a name built on Dust and money and extravagant demonstrations.

But Cinder Fall was also a woman with a family. A home. A favorite blend of coffee.

this is absolutely kicking me in the dick for reasons i cant say but also for reasons of SNOFT because oh my god. this is. like. this is why i rly vibe w. cinder in this fic and is also like one of my favourite characterisations of cinder of ALL TIME (which is why all my fav cinder fics typically have it as a Theme). shes SO good and SO dimensional and i just. god. GOD. i LOVE HER!!!!!!!!! ID DIE FOR HER!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAA CINDER FALL IS MY ANGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL

It felt like being told a secret, like being told a thousand secrets, and not knowing what to do with them. All she could do was hold them in her palms, delicate as she could, trying not to break anything.

GIMME ARMS TO PRAY WITH INSTEAD OF ONES THAT HOLD TOO TIGHTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! /goes apeshit

And because of that, Glynda asked, “Do you have any more stories?”

Without looking up, Cinder drawled, “About Witches?”

“Or dragons.”

Gold flickered her way.

👈😳👈

“They’d already been built by the Witches that came before her,” Cinder replied. “But she’d been a headmaster at one of them, and a teacher before that.”

Something in Glynda’s chest gleamed.

lore lore lore lore LORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lets GET THAT LORE as i peer blearily thru tears,

“...You haven’t just been pretending not to remember things, have you?”

firstly: called out lmao JHGSDFKJHGFSD and SECONDLY:

“The moon?” Cinder made a face. “I’m not sure if it’s that literal. Your soul is powerful, but it’s not a physical thing. Besides, the moon is…”

“Broken,” Glynda finished for her.

“Yeah.”

hm what a fascinating thing hm how interesting hm hm HMMMM 👈🤔👈

Even as they ate, they both seemed lost in their own heads, but somehow, to Glynda, it seemed perfectly clear that both of them were wondering the same thing.

wait glynda. hey glynda. did u uh. ever. did u uh. text winter back or w

WE DID IT CHAPTER 17!!!!!!!!!!! this was a Lot (4,500 words? yall better be careful before those 10k chapters return to Haunt Us) and was also, a Lot. holy shit. theres. i. id make a spoiler edition but tbh its just the SAME SPOILER thats like. rly driving this chapter. i know what its for. i know it. i feel it. dont trust winter more like dont trust the writers

ANYWAY I LOOK FORWARD (?) EAGERLY (???) to chapter 18, unsure when the vibes will turn rancid for the worse. when. honey. theres a big storm coming.

[jlf23tumble]

Happy birthday to Lisa!!

I can’t believe we have two back-to-back Virgo birthdays to celebrate this weekend, but it’s also high-key wonderful that they’re both turning the same age, they both live in Europe, and they’re both HUGELY into their respective faves because it wasn’t all that difficult to whip up some fantastic (if I do say so myself) celebratory posts in their honor!!

Let’s start with @setsailtomorrow​, one of my very favorite Louie Larries because she’s definitely not the hand-wringer type, she’s wayyyyyy into his fashion (literally at or ahead of the archive), and she avoids nonsense drama in a way that’s honestly hashtag goals. Plus, she’s on my exact wavelength with fic recs, she has an amazing sense of style, and she’s my secret weapon when it comes to finding the perfect Virgo in a pile of zodiac pictures. All the birthday love to you, Lisa! 

Alas, I can’t write you the perfect fic, so my gift is 30 amazing pictures of Louis from this past year, and it was an ORDEAL, here’s a picture of me dealing with his intense beauty as I made the personal sacrifice required to edit down to 30 key photos and sort them in a way I hope you find mildly entertaining…sighhhhh:

It’s officially your birthday in Sweden, so I’m officially cleared for take off...more under the cut! My apologies to people on phones: either this won’t work, and you’ll need to go to desktop, or it won’t work, and you’ll be scrolling madly through 30 pictures of Louis (I sympathize with people who have scroll rage, blame the game, not the player). Don’t scream at me unless you have suggestions for better pics, lol!

Let’s start with someone we both admire—Helen Seamons, the genius who styled Louis throughout XFUK and a bit beyond (and I *just learned* she’s the menswear editor for the Guardian and the Observer??? NICE). I’m a big fan of her IG posts from the show:

This look? FIREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE:

The posh background alert! His Halloween costume! So subversive on about four levels! God, I love him:

Krystle should get a lot of credit here, too, tbh:

Next up, Jordan Green! Sandro, the studio, his notes, and a not-pictured cheap, light lager:

I still contend you can practically hear the hahahahahah:

The aperol spritz, which is SUPER BRITISH TRENDY yet gets a Louis pass probably because Americans aren’t going on about it, but the real star is these pants:

Week after week, Louis served up 28 (!!!) episodes’ worth of sheer gorgeousness and cutting-edge fashion as XFUK judge. My personal fave (beyond his expert pen salesmanship) was the subtle use of chevrons all over the damned place. I wonder if Liam gave him shit about it in Ibizia:

I wanna say this is Stella McCartney, but who cares, look at him:

A born model, the power spread, the only man I wouldn’t give shit to on public transport if he dared to pull this kind of move:

The category is…British Olympian (ski team?) circa 1965:

For some reason, Louis was willing to brave the cold and pose with fans outside the studio (??), serving up looks AND fingers:

Champion indeed!

I know the buzzword is Liam Gallagher for some reason, but I read straight-up Alex Turner, Damon Albarn, and all the other clever nods to recent takes on mod whenever Louis goes full button-up:

This button-up gives a low-key country music star vibe I’m sorta into:

I call this one “Frank Ocean at the Met Gala”:

Power squat, button up, AND quiff? Help:

This feels like some kind of sk8te tuff look, and I’m into it:

Soft layers and a special jacket, he had to be freezin’ his balls off:

He’s worn SO MUCH Burberry plaid, but this was the best one, just a peep of it out of a classic, well-fitting suit:

If XFUK was more about the buttoned/zipped up, this year has given us more of the “h” peep and open collars:

Prada! The blue! The soft fringe! All the discourse about Liam Gallagher’s premiere, lol!

Louis in turtlenecks (roll necks?) always gives me a low-key “hickey city” vibe, but he just looks so damned cozy:

I almost grouped this one with the fingers because I swear he did one in this shirt, but I’ll be damned if I can find it, wahhhhh:

Fringeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee:

STILL serving up that British Olympian (swim team), circa 1965:

So far, I feel like I have some fairly good broad categories, so forgive me for this last lumping…basically, it’s “Jen’s faves, somewhat undefined,” lmaoooo, starting with this, and mainly for the entire moment of it all bts with Ayda’s dog:

Everything about this just screams soft, like a giant fluffy pillow on a cold day when you’re cuddled up inside:

Anytime I see shots from this part of XFUK, I beam with happiness, because here’s Louis in his Escapade shorts, buttoned up shirt, chillin’ out and smokin’ cigs with Dermot at “his” house in Ibizia, and he’s so serious because he wants to WIN and still do right by his team, and god, I’ll shut up, but I could go on:

HANDS DOWN (UP) THE VERY BEST SHIRT HE’S EVER WORN, I’M SO HERE FOR EVERYTHING ABOUT IT (plus he wore it during that tattoo segment, swoon):

I hope I captured some of your faves, too, and that you have/had an amazing day—the best is yet to come!!! :D

[r3b3lgrrrrrrrl]

A LunaTic and her Gunn (Part 10)

"Cut 'Em"

Back at Colson's, everyone is still in full swing. Making the quiet ride back, with Luna and Colson simply resting upon each other, even nicer. Foster the People's Torches is bumping, helping the weed smoke roll through out the house. Colson, Luna, Baze and Slim are sitting at the kitchen table about to play spades, surrounded by girls. Mod, Pete and Ashleigh are playing Mario Kart in the living room. Surrounded by girls. Benny, Phem and a few others are out by the pool with more girls. The scene looks as if they brought all of VIP back with them.

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

"So you think you can throw cards?" Slim says to Luna, eyeing her while he shuffles.

"I've sliced some hands off with a spade or two before." She says leaning back. After she takes a swig of her beer, she says "My cut."

"Sure." Slim slides the cards to the middle of the table.

Luna cuts the cards. Slim deals.

"Yo. Slim looks like he wants to fuck her up. He BIG mad she took me as her partner. My girl better walk as hard as she talks, Boy..." Colson thinks to himself watching the two of them.

Slim deals. Luna looks at her hand. She's got 5 solid and a possible 6. "First hand bid it's self?" She asks.

Slim looks a little surprised. "Yeah."

"Alright, on me. You ready?" She asks Colson.

"Get it, Kitty." He tells her.

She opens it up with the ace of hearts.

"Ok." Baze says throwing low.

Luna and Colson play off each other magnetically. One look. She walks all 6 books easily. He pulls another 3. "Just a preview." She smirks at Slim as she begins to shuffle.

"Well, if I had my PARTNER." Slim emphasises. Lighting up another joint.

"Whoah!" Throws out Baze. "You didnt pull shi.."

Luna interrupts him. "You want him, take him." She says, extending her arm across the table at Colson, turning her head. One look. Looking back, "I'll whoop both your asses." She taunts Slim with a half smile.

"Aight, bet. Switch places with me."

"Y'all are REALLY outta pocket." Laughs Colson. Watching them playfully bicker.

"Fine. It's still my shuffle tho." She says getting up. As she sits down, she leans over to kiss Colson. "I'm sorry, Bunny." She grins at him. Then she looks across to Baze. "You ready to run these hoes, Partner." She says swigging her beer.

The three of them look a her for a second before erupting into laughter. "THAT is definitely YOUR GIRL." Slim states. Luna swigs her beer again before she begins to shuffle.

After they bid, Slim throws the ace of clubs to start. It should've walked but Luna slices it with the 4 of spades. He looks at her. "You wanted your partner." She shrugs laughing.

"This is true, Bro." Colson backs her up, shrugging too.

"Fuck you both." Slim laughs.

It's a fun game. There's a lot of laughter and shit talking. Surprise books walk and others that are supposed to, end up cut. Luna and Colson play footsy under the table. It's not a massacre but Luna and Baze take Colson and Slim by 200 points.

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

"Good game. Where'd you learn to play like that?" Slim asks afterwards, impressed, as they light up cigarettes outside. They can see the sun begin to dance.

"I did a summer at Crossroads." She says exhaling, leaning against the house.

"What, like summer camp?"

Luna laughs. "No. Like maximum security juvie." She says taking another drag.

"REALLY?" Slim cocks his head towards her. "YOU and your 5 high to a knee high. For what?"

Luna chuckles at his metaphor. "A knee high though?" Crossing her ankles as she leans.

He shrugs. "For real tho, what cha do?"

"I picked up something like 96 charges. Multiple accounts on most, so some of them don't count. It ranged from terroristic threatening, 2nd degree assault, fleeing, resisting arrest..." She sighs, rubbing her forehead. "Annnnd assault on an officer and possession and intent. I believe." She finishes, taking a drag off of her Newport.

"God Damn, Girl!!! What you do all that for? His face scrunched up.

She throws her hands out as if, I don't know, as she looks at him. "Enh. These two bitches jumped my friend. So, I jumped em back with a Louisville, after picking up." She takes another drag. "I feel like they trumped up the charges because it was on school property."

"Not because of the Louisville?" Slim laughs. He puts his cigarette out. "You know," he says pointing at her "I wasn't sure about you at first but you aight." He nods his head. Agreeing with himself.

"Thanks. That means a lot and is important as Colson's best friend." She says honestly, taking her final drag before putting her cigarette out too. "I'm glad we got a chance to hang out." He agrees.

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

Slim sticks around outside admiring the sunrise.

"Rook was right, she is quick and funny as fuck.... Can hang too...Shooo.... The way she cut them books.... Kells'll be good if she's as hard as she's coming off to be..... At least she seems to be living up to the hype after the all years he fucking sweated her." He thinks, lighting one last Newport.

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

Walking inside Luna stretches wide and yawns, looking around for Colson. Things are surprisingly quiet. She finds him in the kitchen eating a cold fried chicken leg. "Ahhhh!!! Tell me you have more. I am starvingggg." She whines.

"YES." He proudly shoves one her way with paper towels.

"You. Are a God." He leans down so she can kiss him on the cheek. She then hops onto the kitchen counter and begins to eat her chicken. "So," she says swinging her bare feet "What's the plan for tomorrow?"

He walks towards her, she's still swinging her feet until he gets close enough that they rest on his naked stomach. He looks down. "You wanna get fucked right here?" One look.

She smirks and looks around " I mean...." She says biting into her chicken, shrugging. "I am trying to eat this chicken tho."

He laughs "You want another peice?"

"Yeeeeessss pleeease. This shit is slammen'."

As they hang out eating their chicken together, he says to her "Tomorrow's gonna be chill... I'm picking Cas up Sunday morning." He takes her finished chicken and throws it away. Walking back to her, he continues "I meant what I said. I want you to meet her. Maybe we can go out to dinner." He says moving to in between her thighs. One look. Pulling her across the counter, up against him. She puts her hands on his collar bones.

"HOLY FUCK MY LIFE. SHE'S GONNA HATE ME." Panics Luna mentally.

"I don't think that's how you meet kids, Bunny." She says to him, shaking her head. "Especially if you want them to like you." She laughs lightly. "Doooo you want my completely uneducated thoughts?" She asks.

"Always." He responds kissing her.

"I think, you should hang out with her first, and then maybe tell her about me when you feel it's right annd then ask HER if she'd like to meet me. Wherever she'd like." She's looking at him seriously. "Buuuuut I vote Disneyland." Luna smiles widely, raising her hand.

"I vote Universal." He says pushing her arm down with his now raised arm.

"You're an idiot." She laughs, squirming as they weirdly arm battle.

"You the one who loves an idiot." Trying to move, trapped in her things, continuing to raise arm battle her. The sight of him makes her retreat, laughing loudly as he continues on his own, pleased by her laugher.

"I do love you" she smiles pulling his face towards hers. With this he also retreats into her hands. Kissing her wetly and deeply as her thighs tighten around him even more. His hands run through her long hair, down her back, onto her ass, pressing her hard against him. She drags her blue nails down his bare chest, before she slides her hands alongside her own body and pulls off her bra with her black sheer shirt off in one swoop. Although he could see her breasts all night, he was tired of the shirt and is pleased to see it go. He NEEDS to feel her skin right now. Both of them begin to take the other's pants off. His drop to the floor as she lifts herself up for him to slide hers off. He runs his index along her lips before dipping inside of her.

"You're always so wet for me, Kitten. I fucking love it." He says gnawing at her neck as he slowly works his huge cock deep into her pussy. "And tight." They both groan in pleasure as he makes his way into her fully. Arms wrapped tightly around each, sloppily tongue kissing. Their hips slam together as they grind and fuck each other, deep and hard on the kitchen counter. "You're such a dirty, little slut." He says in her ear.

"Who's dirty, little slut am I? She asks lowly, bucking against him harder.

"MINE." He says firmly, "You're MY dirty, little slut." Kissing her back on the mouth. His words excite both of them. They're both close to cuming as they fuck each other harder.

"And what are you going to do to me?" She pants.

"I'm going to fuck you wherever, whenever, however the fuck I WANNNNNT." He growls loudly, pulling her hair as he releases himself inside her, for the second time tonight.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!" his mind explodes. He knows he's drunk but if he's going to believe in religion. It's her fucking pussy. He decides.

The yank does it. She buries her face in his neck as she tries to muffle her squealing giggle as she cums with him. "Mmmmm...Colson." She purrs. "I love you."

After a few moment, they unwrap themselves and kiss sweetly. "I love you too, Luna." He says before lifting her off the countertop. They do a quick clean up job before he grabs her bag and they head upstairs together.

"Jesus Christ that was amazing. I wonder if anyone heard us. Probably. Oh well....... Thank Fuck, I stayed on birth control. I knew shit was gonna pop off between us but DAMN...."

**********************************************

"That was fucking HOT. She wasn't lying. We do fuck like rabbits. How can I not with that fucking ASS!!" He refrains from biting her as he watches her ass bounce up the stairs. "And she fucking loves me." He thinks beaming, heart racing while admiring his view. "I've never came like that before...." his mind drifts watching her ass guide him.

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

To be continued...

[imnotcameraready]

chivalry is dead (20)

A/N: BIG YEEHAW HOURS TODAY Y’ALL ITS BALL TIME!!!!!!! AND WE CAN’T HAVE A BALL WITHOUT A PRINCE *stars bawling*

costumes will come in another post bc i. got really excited and then drew them all like, last month (most of them, some were finished last night y e e et)

WARNINGS: remus mention, heist details, wound descriptions, sword mention, scar descriptions, threats of violence, thoughts of dying — alright, im pretty sure that's it, but this chapter has thicc details so if i missed anything pls pls pls lmk

Words: 4550

AO3 link!

MASTERPOST! <– look here!! for the longterm warnings!! including sympathetic Deceit and cursing/swearing!

enjoy !!! <3 <3 <3 ,3 <3 

Deceit really was right, Patton thought while he looked around at the town. His arm was linked around Logan’s as they walked down one of the town’s side streets, from Dr. Picani’s office, and he was taking the time to admire how intricate all of the architecture had gotten. It was intricate and worn and every building seemed unique now, something that he hadn’t realized was missing during their first pass through. 

There were arch ways, bridges between doors on the third floors of buildings. There were seemingly hand-woven canvases shielding some of the streets from the sun and, if Patton squinted hard enough, he could see actual detailed stitching and some stains of age. They passed buildings that had scratches and chisel marks, and Patton could clearly see that it was made from stone bricks that had been painted over. Twice, actually. Once with a very old and faded blue, then with a lighter cream that still let the blue show through in spots where the paint was gone. 

He wondered a little what had caused those spots. Was it because you weren’t supposed to layer house paint? The spots were different sizes — how many memories were made here? 

Patton stumbled, tripping over his thoughts and heels, and leaned more into Logan’s side.

Logan tugged at his arm. “Don’t ponder too hard, Patton,” his voice was soft, hushed to not draw attention.

They’d figured that the best thing to do was to not think about the world around them. Thinking too much about the world and specifically the things that they would affect about it made their focus wander onto fixing those things. Logan would get a headache, Patton would space out, and Deceit would….well, okay, Deceit hadn’t disclosed how and if he’d been affected. But Patton noticed he’d been sweating like a sinner in church, and how his fist would clench every so often, so it was clear that something was happening with Deceit. He didn’t want to force him to talk; honesty wasn’t Deceit’s strong suit.

The four Romans had agreed that that was the smartest decision; none of them nor all of them together were able to limit the Imagination enough. The Playwright had argued that, had Dragon and Damsel known that it was hurting the other Sides, then they would probably all have a unified thought enough to close up the unused worlds. But that would require discussing the entire matter with them, which, as the Thief pointed out, is “pretty fucking useless where they are now.” 

So the focus thing was their current strategy. Patton grinned at Logan. “Thanks for the reminder, Octo-cutie-pie,” he smiled wider as Logan blushed. 

“I–I’m–Octopi is the plural for octopus and there is only one of me,” Logan bit his lip, then patted Patton’s hand gently, “Thank you.”

Patton giggled, snuggling against Logan’s side briefly as they kept walking. They hadn’t actually talked about the whole love thing, hadn’t really established boundaries, but that seemed like a problem for tomorrow. 

Right now, they were all going across town, invitations in hand, to the ball. And, at the very specific right now, Patton was admiring the Playwright and the Artist’s handiwork. They’d worked together to make everyone’s outfits and he’d be a liar if he said they weren’t handsome and beautiful.

Patton himself was themed after a cat — a grey cat, but a cat nonetheless! His dress had a long train for a tail, made of shimmering silver tulle, the same as his poofy sleeves. The skirt went from his waist to the ground, with a built in flair in his corset at the waist. Like, all of it was sparkling, all three tiers of his skirt, which went from grey to black with an inner layer gradient of blue to grey. His favorite part were his gloves, though. Silver for the most part, but with soft circles on his palms and the tips of all his fingers. His own lil’ toe beans! 

Logan’s outfit was one of Patton’s favorites. His was themed after an octopus (“Known for their intelligence,” the Playwright had explained, face bright red as he tied Logan’s necktie into an Eldritch knot) with a dark blue blazer and slacks. He wore a vest that shimmered royal blue, with a white button down underneath. There was a piece of coral in his lapel where a flower would usually go, and his coat tails seemed to spiral in shapes that resembled an octopus’ arms. There were even rhinestone bubble decals on his shoulders, or suckers, if you wanted to interpret it that way. The Artist and the Playwright had a small argument about that.

He was dashing, in summation. Patton leaned his head against Logan’s shoulder. “Who knew the town was so big!” he said. 

“That’s actually on purpose,” the Playwright said from behind them, “It’s actually not so big as the castle is small, using the same foreshortening techniques used at the Disney theme parks to make Cinderella’s castle, or Sleeping Beauty’s castle depending on which park you’re at—”

“I think he means how far Picani’s office is from the castle, God Mod,” the Thief responded.

The Thief and Deceit were walking in front, swords drawn on the chance that they ran into any guards, and so that the Thief could critique Deceit’s sword fighting skills. Surprisingly, he’d taken to the weapon, something about it being good to have at his disposal while dealing with the Others. The Thief offered to make him one once this escapade was over. 

Or maybe it was an excuse for the Thief to keep touching Deceit’s hand. Because that was happening every so often. A lot more often than would be considered normal. 

It wasn’t like Deceit was complaining about the touching. It was more the other way around. The yearning for physical contact was frustrating, but neither of them were going to admit that they wanted to hold hands. Even though they’d confessed to at least caring about each other. 

“Oh,” the Playwright hummed.

“Cheer up, butter cup, I love hearin’ bout the forced perspective! The Disney parks are so~o~o fun,” the Bard sang out. “When’s the next time we get to go to California? Are we making a trip down to Anaheim? Can we PLEASE take a trip down to Anaheim!”

One of his arms was looped around the Playwright’s, while the other was looped around the Artist’s. They had settled on outfits that complemented each other’s, pulling from the same red and black color palette.

The Artist was the only of the trio in a suit, though his outfit could be considered the loudest. Buttoned down the middle with a high collar, half of his shirt was a solid black, while the other half was a diamond checkered pattern. All of the accents were gold, and his pants were half solid red and half checkered as well. Tonight, the Artist would be a jester. 

An improvement on his self-esteem, the Bard had thought. The Artist had said so, too, saying he’d be dressing like a joke. It...was nice to hear.

The Playwright had also gone with a more light-hearted outfit, pun completely intended. He was dressed as the queen of hearts, with an A-line skirt that skimmed the ground and was almost entirely a replica of the skirt worn by the Queen of Hearts in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland animated movie. His corset had a low scoop neckline with a long heart that stretched down from the neckline to the bottom of the waist. His sleeves were poofy, black with red stripes between. 

It was a deck of cards theme between the three of them. Honestly, they took a bit of solace in their three Musketeers situation. The Bard was dressed like a harlequin in a ball-dancing dress. His entire dress was checkered, a stiff corset traded for a looser fit bodice that was sinched at the waist by a thick black belt with a heart clip. Bits of tulle were attached to his wrists, ideal for dancing in, which was perfect for the plan. He and the Playwright had matching heart chokers, too. 

As he’d said earlier, “We cute.”

Neither the Artist nor the Playwright had argued, and they had yet to pull away from him holding their arms. Maybe they didn’t hate him. 

They didn’t! They were moving beyond all that! 

Because they had to get the Child back, and Virgil back, and save the Damsel and they had a plan. Actually, they should run through the plan again, because the Bard had already forgotten most of it. 

“Thief?” he called ahead. 

“Mhm?” 

“Can we run through the, uh,” they had a code word for it, shoot, what was it? Oh! Oh, right, “The waltz again?”

“Great Mona Lisa, Bard, how the fuck did you forget how to waltz?” the Artist groaned. “We’re going to a ball.”

“No, no, no, THE waltz,” the Bard nudged the Artist’s side with his elbow. 

The Artist shot him a small confused glare, but realization struck his face quick after. “Oh. Oh, that waltz. Yeah, uh,” he turned to the Playwright, who also seemed confused, then to the front again, “Before we get in, we should go over the waltz again.” 

The Thief and Deceit both stopped as well, fingers brushing once again. The Bard saw the motion and chuckled to himself. Sweet Chopin, they needed to just hold hands already. He could envision the love birds flying around their heads. 

He felt a smidge bad, though. After all, he was the lucky Roman who got to kiss Patton. 

Logan and Patton both turned back to them. Patton let go of Logan, then looked around. They weren’t quite at the castle yet; a side alley, wide enough for all of them to stand in and with ample trees, barrels, and an open door beside it would provide good cover. 

“Let’s go over there,” Patton grabbed Logan’s arm again and led them all into the alley. 

They grouped up into a small but tight circle, the Thief pulling them together. He was in a suit, and an ironic one at that. Originally his costume was intended for Deceit, but he suggested switching them, so that the Dragon would think he were Deceit while being less suspicious. He was themed after a snake, though the theming was less noticeable than the color palette; there were yellow sequins arranged in scale patterns across his black blazer’s forearms, and his vest was black as well, undershirt yellow, and bowtie black. It looked a little like a snazzed-up version of Deceit’s lawyer suit and, though he’d tell no one, the Thief loved the look.

Deceit had said it looked nice on him, too. The bowtie, specifically, but also the entire outfit, and also the Thief simply looked good — yeah, they were both kind of messes. Gone was the ability to seamlessly flirt, apparently.

Still, it was nice to see Deceit in something other than yellow for a change, too. He was dressed as a peacock, with no blazer but a side-cape that shimmered iridescent purple and green. Part of it had blue and green rhinestones inching up the shoulder, and his vest beneath was teal, while his undershirt was mint green. There were bands on his upper arms, keeping his shirt bunched back, that were dark blue. Even his ascot was an iridescent purple and blue. 

They leaned against each other in the huddle. Brown eyes trailed all around the group, meeting similar expressions of steely determination. 

They could do this. 

“Alright,” the Thief started, “For the first hour, we’re gonna scope out the room and surrounding rooms. Meet wherever the snacks are in pairs, alternating pairs, and spread details. Patton and I will go twice.”

“Because you and I are gonna peel off after the first hour to go get Virgil and the Child,” Patton said, meeting the Thief’s eyes.

The Thief nodded. He looked around at everyone — Deceit and the Bard had both been fairly defensive about that choice, but he argued that they needed people who were good at causing distractions on the floor. Patton would be the best at comforting both Virgil and the Child, and the Thief was the only one who had any inkling of what the inside of the castle looked like. 

He continued. “Right. We’re gonna try to get out and—”

“Say, what d’ya think that’d make us?” Patton asked, a tiny grin on his face. 

“Oh, no,” Logan groaned, “Not—”

“Cat burglars!” Patton exclaimed with a giggle. 

The Bard immediately broke out into a fit of giggles, leaning into Deceit a little as he did so. Deceit just rolled his eyes and patted the Bard’s back, letting him cling to his side. 

The Artist stifled some chuckles of his own, and the Playwright grinned. Oh. Oh, no, not the idea grin. 

“I think Dragon will be hard pressed to find flaws in our purr-fect plan,” he said, eyes shining as Patton laughed as well. “We’re just gonna have to distract him with our adorable kitty-Pat.”

Logan groaned again, in good humor this time. “I thought you were supposed to be on my side, Playwright,” he grumbled. 

The Playwright immediately sobered up, mouth pressing into a line. “Ah, Logan, darling, I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

“Hey, but,” the Bard raised a finger at the Playwright, smile wide and mischievous, “If he catches wind of anything, you, Artist, and I can pull a wild card and deck him.”

That got the Artist and Patton to both laugh aloud, and even Logan smiled a tiny bit at the Playwright, if only to reassure him that his frustration was not directed at him.  

The Thief seemed actually annoyed, though. He snapped his fingers in the center of the circle. “C’mon, focus here. Patton and I are going to get Virgil and the Child, then we’re going to come back up to the ball room at the second hour. At that point, Deceit—”

“I’ll be dancing with Dragon and, once you’re back, I’ll be distracting him enough for you to get out,” Deceit waved his hand, also slightly exasperated. He wanted Virgil back immediately and, as the time to pull off their hest approached, he grew more nervous.

“Right. Then, Playwright will take you backstage once everyone else has filed out,” the Playwright nodded to the Thief regarding his involvement, and the Thief looked around the group once more, “All of that sound good? Everyone else, be on the look out for Damsel. We don’t know where he’s gonna be. If he’s out on the ball floor, Logan, you—”

“I will approach him and explain that we are here to get him out,” Logan grimaced, “If he is not on the ball floor….”

“Then I’ll be on standby to head into the dungeons,” the Artist said, smile deflated, brow furrowed in thought.

“Good,” the Thief patted his shoulder, gripping reassuringly, “And if Remus is there, then Bard is going into the dungeons with Patton and I’m staying in the ball room to kick his ass.”

“This all sounds like a plan, Thief,” the Bard said, smiling at him, “Logan, thoughts?”

Logan huffed, frowning at the ground. He’d rolled the details over in his mind a few times, so he’d already worked out some of the issues, such as the irrationality of the original plan’s “jump out the dungeon’s windows, really, how large are the windows, and how do we know it’s not underground.” For right now, it seemed as though the plan were efficacious, but they couldn’t be certain until it was enacted. 

But at that point, it’d be too late to change the plan to any degree of impeccability. They would have to wing it. And Logan wasn’t a fan of that. 

But what choice did they have?

“It is as detailed and as faultless as we can arrange for it to be currently,” he said.

The Thief’s mouth twitched into a slight grimace, but he nodded all the same. That was as optimistic as he would be. “Once this is all over, we meet at the tree as fast as we all can get there,” the Thief said, casting one more look around, “If we pull this off right, no one’ll be leaving alone. If your partner gets injured, you carry them to the tree.”

“I don’t think….” the Artist said, frowning a tiny bit as his voice trailed off. 

The possibility of injury was very high, actually. Death for the Romans, at least. And they didn’t know if the Dragon had injured Virgil or the Child. To be honest, they didn’t know if the Child was alive. Oh, goodness, what if Dragon had killed him? 

“It’s gonna work,” the Bard said, “It’s gonna.” 

He squeezed the Artist’s arm and gave him a nod. It was going to be okay. Roman was optimistic by nature, and the Artist did crave that sort of positivity. 

“It must,” Deceit affirmed none too positively. 

“It will,” Patton said, smiling at them all again before clapping, “And break!”

Everyone stood up on instinct. Then, they all shared slight laughs, small smiles.

The Bard leaned over and hugged Deceit with an arm, reciprocated a little. Patton leaned against the Artist, who didn’t hug back, but also didn’t flinch finally. 

They were getting somewhere. It was going to be okay. 

It was going to be okay. 

….Without Virgil, they all felt as though their optimism was naively placed. But that was why they were going to get him back! 

Once he was back, Deceit thought, he was never letting go again. If he was back. No, no, once he was back. He was coming back soon. 

“Let’s go,” the Thief pulled his mask out from his coat, a black half-face mask covered in yellow sequins arranged like scales.

Everyone shared looks, nodding to each other as they slid on their own masks. Logan, Patton, the Artist, and the Playwright all had special masks that mimicked their glasses prescriptions so they wouldn’t need contacts, too. With faces obscured, they nodded once more, squeezing arms in reassurance and patting backs and giving smiles, and hurried out of the alley. 

The Playwright walked at the front of the group, the only one not paired to any Side. He looked up at the sky. A storm had grown, clouds angry and grey above the castle, which was only a few blocks away now. Perhaps it would thunder during the ball. 

He wondered vaguely what had caused the sudden shift in weather. During their week alone, it was all sunny skies. 

Was it….

No. No, no part of Roman was that desperate, to have gone to Remus. Right? He’d been telling himself that ever since they’d begun this game, but the darker their future seemed, the more he worried about the Duke’s involvement. 

The Thief seemed to think it was very real, enough to have a back-up written into the plan. C’est la vie. Such was life, he thought, the show must go on.

They walked quietly for only a few minutes. The closer they got to the castle, the more Imagination inhabitants they saw walking around them, some in pairs, some in groups, some alone. Everyone was in costume, most intricate. Good. This would be good, for coverage. The Thief had been a little worried that the ball would be sparsely attended, but this was good. 

It was going to be okay. 

They approached the drawbridge. Patton leaned against the Artist, gripping his arm tighter as the wind picked up. The Thief and Deceit were stoic behind them, and Logan and the Bard were simply quiet, though their hands were interlaced tight. It was going to be okay.

A line had formed on the bridge, in front of one man in a suit, perhaps the medieval equivalent of a bouncer. The group shuffled into the line, looking around at the castle, at the moat (“I think it’s filled with alligators,” the Bard murmured to Logan, who shook his head and was about to respond that that didn’t make sense, until an alligator’s maw jumped up and snatched a low-flying bird) and at the sky. 

Angry, angry clouds. 

It took an excruciatingly long eleven minutes for the Playwright to finally reach the front of the line, but when he did, he immediately grinned. He had to hand it to the Dragon. 

“May I see your invitation?” Zac Efron asked, dressed in a black butler’s outfit.

Bless the Imagination’s castings. The Playwright handed over his invitation, and Zac looked over a list in his other hand before handing back the invitation and checking off a name. “You may enter to the ball room,” he motioned to the door. 

The Playwright curtsied and hurried in. Behind him was the Artist and Patton, both of whom gasped a little, becau se holy shit, it’s Zac Efron. 

The Dragon was really out here casting Thomas’ celebrity crushes as butlers. It was the first thing that the Artist had wholly agreed with the Dragon on, actually. Once they were Roman, they were going to have to look into that as a possibility. 

One by one, each entered, walking down a grand hall with a ceiling so high and so vaulted that there seemed to be a sky inside. But, then again, there probably was. This was the Imagination. It looked somewhat like the Great Hall from the Harry Potter movies, this time shining with stars and constellations. 

Logan could identify Aries and Pieces. That was actually accurate for the season and hour, so he gave a mental kudos to Roman for his design, then considered if it were his knowledge that had been used to perfect the stars. Well. That was inconsequential, I guess?

The hall was also lined with suits of armor, and bannisters adorned with Roman’s full crest. Though, Deceit noticed while he walked through, the entire crest was outlined in gold and the castle in the center was colored with grey and brown and black. He thought the Dragon was only supposed to be the outer tower and walls. If the Dragon called all of the shots around here, then why was the center tower also colored?

The walk was long, heels clacking against the stone. They turned with the carpet to the left and entered through a pair of double doors that had to be at least two floors high. 

Inside was life. The room was massive, stretching almost the size of a football field. There was a stage near the entrance door where there were musicians (with undetailed faces, Deceit noticed) were playing loud enough to echo across the room. The dance floor seemed to take up about half the room. 

Farther away from the entrance were some circle tables, arranged around with some citizens already sitting down. Further back were some long tables, food stacked atop them, and even further….

The throne was elevated so the Dragon could see across the hall to the dance floor. The Thief’s fists clenched immediately upon seeing him wearing the Prince’s attire, white uniform a stark contrast to the black he was typically adorned with. It was a jarring difference. 

He was taunting them. By Doc Holliday’s pistol, they were gonna take him down.

Beside his throne was a large Ottoman seat, where there was another figure. The Damsel, most likely, though his face was obscured by a sheer red veil and distance. He was wearing a large dress, which had a triple-tiered skirt that seemed to flare out orange, then red, then black. His corset was decorated with red and orange and yellow rhinestones, and raised behind his head. It almost looked like flames. 

Burned. The Damsel’s scars were also entirely visible, scabs on his arms angry and red, clearly not fully healed. They weren’t openly bleeding, but the Playwright could tell that they would start bleeding at some point in the night. 

His nose scrunched as he examined the pair. They didn’t seem to notice him, the Damsel leaning against the throne’s side and not moving, the Dragon stroking his chin and looking across the hall absently. He had a sword sheathed beside the throne, too, with its handle sticking up in an easily accessible manner. 

He was waiting for them, he realized. Of course he was, this was a trap, you fool. You knew this. You’d planned. It was going to be okay.

The Playwright turned back to the group just as the last pair, Logan and the Bard, entered. 

“Okay. I am going to move toward the snack table,” he nodded toward the thrones, “Octopus, would you like to join me?”

Logan let go of the Bard, who curtsied and stepped back, and then offered a hand to the Playwright. “It would be my pleasure,” he said, “How about we acquire a table, Hearts?”

The Playwright nodded, then shot the Thief a look. “Snake,” he said, a promise, a warning, “Let’s waltz.” 

“Let’s,” the Thief responded, squeezing Deceit’s arm. 

The Bard and Patton had already taken each other onto the dance floor, hoping to not be conspicuously waiting in a group by the door way, and the Artist was meandering around — nope, no, he just asked an Imagination citizen to dance. Blending in well. 

Operation save Virgil and the Child was a go. 

Virgil could hear the faint music from above. He squinted up, then closed his eyes and exhaled. What’d that matter? 

His side was throbbing. It seemed that just wrapping a bandage around a wound did fuck all to stop it from hurting, or bleeding, especially if it was just wrapped once and around the front. Virgil would have to remember that for the next time he got stabbed by an evil Dragon, he thought snidely. 

He and the Child had relocated themselves to the bed. Pretending to not be panicking was tiring, but luckily for him, the Child had fallen asleep. 

He sniffed quietly, rubbing his eye with the butt of his palm. For the past half an hour, ever sine the Child fell asleep, Virgil had been silently crying. And there was no Damsel to conjure him a glass of water or tell him it’d be okay. Because he knew it wasn’t going to be okay. 

Even if he didn’t die in the Imagination, he’d be exiting it alone. And that was fine! 

The Child snuggled closer to his chest, tiny arms wrapped around him. Virgil sniffed again and hugged him tight. 

If he did nothing else, he’d at least protect this Roman. 

He wished he’d at least told Roman how he felt. 

Maybe he’d never get the chance. 

Gosh, this was really fatalistic, even for him. It wasn’t like he was gonna die in the Imagination. 

Virgil shielded his eyes with an arm and, as illogical as it was, wished that he could use that one arm motion to block out the sounds of the ball going on above. Shit, he was gonna die in the Imagination. 

….Usually that’d freak him out a bit more. Maybe he’d bled out to the point where he was too tired to be worried. And, maybe it was childish, but he really did want to dance with Roman. 

taglists!

chivalry taglist: @starlightvirgil @forrestwyrm @daflangstlairde @marshmallow-the-panda @askthesnake @k9cat @patromlogil @theobsessor1 @ninja-wizard101 @fandomsofrandom

general taglist: @jemthebookworm @okay-finne

[theremharths]

After a day of slapping things together in blender and Hoping, I’ve finally figured out mesh modding in me3. Pictured is a simple tweak of an existing outfit mod--I made the arms bigger (I use the buff fshep mod for this Shepard) removed the necklace and swapped the high heeled boots for some casual ones from another existing mod (both creators allow modification). Also I replaced the Vanilla Ugly Dress with it instead of the intro outfit because this all started as me not wanting this Shepard to get forced into feminine clothes by the game, lol

I didn’t do any texture editing beyond combining the boots/shirt and jeans textures together and making the shirt collar blue because I like fun contrast collars. ANYWAY I think this is good for a first try at me3 mesh modding