#also: this is not my first corset but it IS the first time ive done embroidered eyelets

[autisticaradiamegido]

day 88

not my usual art medium BUT! since i did post about it earlier i thought it would be fun to show yall the finished product

i generated the pattern at freesewing.org using the Tristan Top design and lord having a pattern that was so easily printable AND fully customized to my measurements was such a game changer. 10/10 cannot recommend this site enough im like going fucking insane over it. (they also have a bootlegged version of the pattern for the blåhaj ikea shark plushie that you can scale up or down to make either a very tiny or a preposterously fucking huge shark of your own and i think that is so wonderful)

also dont mind my duct tape torso. dress forms are fucking expensive. broke bitches make do.

[call-me-lizbeth]

I’m very proud, and a little shy, to share my latest love project that I’ve invested weeks and weeks of my time in! This is a full mourning gown I sewed on my 1916 Singer treadle sewing machine and by hand. It was heavily inspired by the LA ghoulettes in Ghost’s Rite Here Rite Now from their LA Forum live performance. I like to think this dress looks like something that could definitely be seen within the ministry. I’ll explain the process below and the pieces that make up this incredible gown ensemble!

I made the corset first, which was made from an authentic 1903 Edwardian era corset pattern, and I used lightweight imitation feather-boning and a real metal busk piece, I’m tall, so I had to order a longer one just for me and alter the pattern a bit to adjust for my longer torso. The corset is black canvas with a skull crochet overlay! I was definitely looking to Papa IV’s costuming for inspiration there with the texture and subtle detail. It’s trimmed and lined with black lace. It reduces my waistline by a full 6 inches!

To go underneath the corset, I made an Edwardian era style ruffled chemise with black muslin cotton, layering the chest with more and more tiers of black lace and black ribbons, even the shoulders and neck are trimmed with lace.

Next I made a black petticoat using 5 yards of black cotton fabric, trimmed with black laces. After that, I made the outer skirt, which was also made of about 5 or 6 yards of fabric too, so it’s very heavy, but it has so much volume! I added a panel in the front of the skirt with a lace overlay with very subtle, tiny skulls!

I used the same skull lace in the dress’s 56 inch long sweeping black train, too! It honestly looks like it could be a black wedding dress, even though I was definitely designing this as a mourning gown. The French lace veil adds to that, and it also doubles as a shawl. It’s elaborate and elegant enough it obscures my face just enough to add mystery but won’t keep me from seeing to walk around. I’ve done a secondary headpiece that goes over the veil that features a small black skull, black jewels, and black ribbons and tulle.

Overall, this has been one of my biggest projects yet, and I’m a historical costuming seamstress. Even 1876 and 1880 style dress projects made out of corduroy did not consume as much time (and love) as this gown, so I’m very pleased with how it turned out! But I wanted to make sure I shared it with the Ghost community, where I’m sure it will be enjoyed! If I get enough feedback and likes, I will be sure to share future goth and Ghost inspired projects and creations!

Please DO NOT REPOST anywhere, please only reblog and give credit. Thank you so much, everyone! 🦇✨

[gumbootillustrations]

dame katelyn de feu my beloved 😭😭😭

more bits under the cut!!

katelyn first shows up to phoenix drop towards the end of season one under similar circumstances to canon mcd - jeffory's about to be executed for treason, and she's desperately trying to get his name cleared before he dies. however, when it becomes clearer and clearer to her that zane's using him as a scapegoat, she decides to turn on him and side with aphmau and the phoenix alliance ahead of the battle for phoenix drop.

in ashes, ashes, jurors were originally ordained through the bestowal of relics - however, after they went missing a couple of centuries after the first war of the magi, they pretty much became just. super politically powerful guards until about twenty years before the start of ashes, ashes, when the high priest of o'khasis at the time (zane's predecessor) figured out a way to bestow the powers of the juror relics to the jurors without using the relics themselves. anyway, its blood magick and it essentially brands the jurors with a seven-pointed star on their foreheads as a mark of the ritual being completed. katelyn hates what the ritual has turned her into - even though long hair is lowkey pretty impractical in a fight, she keeps hers long so that her mark is hidden (jeffory did the same, and garroth will also grow his hair out a little to cover his mark). when she transforms, a lot of the saturation in her skin in hair is drained out due to the magick not being suuuper holy (in fact, the first casting of the ritual upset the balance of the universe so much that it woke up the primordial gods n they sicked a plague on o'khasis that garte would later blame on tu'lan biological warfare). additionally, because the magick of the ritual sort of like. blends in? with any magicks or witchcraft already present in the juror their juror form will reflect this - katelyn has fire magicks, so when she transforms, her hair turns into this sort of sickly pale blue fire. her fire is hot enough that it burns blue anyway, but yeah.

katelyn burns her juror armour the minute she can once everyone gets out of the irene dimension. for a while, she just wears whatever she can scrounge up from around phoenix drop, but when cadenza finds out about this she gives katelyn this outfit! it's definitely done out of the kindness of her heart, there definitely aren't any ulterior motives don't worry. it's a lot more of a mercenary-ish look compared to her juror armour, but katelyn likes it just fine - especially since a certain flame-haired seamstress with a winning smile made it especially for her.

a little headcanon i have about katelyn - i feel like even though she isn't great at sewing, having grown up in a minor noble house in o'khasis, i feel like she would have some skills with textiles. specifically, i feel like she'd knit and/or crochet in her down time! before everyone heads out to gal'ruk, she knits everyone some mittens/scarves/socks/etc. not sweaters, though - she's loathe to admit it, but she's a firm believer in the sweater curse. otherwise, nothing much changes except that she throws on a coat and calls it a day - i like to think that, similar to laurance, she runs a little hotter than most people due to her fire magicks sort of acting as a bit of an internal furnace, so she doesn't need to bundle up quite as much as the others.

her day-to-day outfit is pretty much her standard guard outfit without the armour. she does wear an underbust corset/belt/thing with a small pouch attached, though - its very useful for carrying around knickknacks n stuff. otherwise, there's not much else to really comment on? idk. i probably shouldve added in some scars on her arms but its 11:30 pm at the time im writing this n ive spent way too long on this dang ref sheet already so yeah.

i decided to change up her conqueror form quite a bit - the form i drew in my original lineup of the second war's divine warriors wasn't really katelyn n looking back on it i shouldve spent more time trying to get it right. anyway, katelyn's mother was from southern tu'la, and was from a merchant family with some distant blood ties to the royal family - katelyn is technically related to the king of tu'la, but the relation is so distant that she doesn't really consider him (or any of the tu'lan nobles, really) to be blood relations. it's through this lineage, though, that she's able to resonate with menphia's relic, although it definitely helps that she's the second war's incarnation of the conqueror. mostly, the design notes from her first conqueror design remain the same - all i've really done is change the colour palette.

aaaand some headshots. i haven't exactly worked out how she got her facial scars - the big one was probably gotten on her first major assignment as a juror. however, it's nasty enough that when it healed it sort of fucked up her facial muscles - the scar tissue has permanently warped the right side of her mouth into a grimace, so anytime she makes a facial expression it's pretty lopsided (it's especially noticeable when she smiles). also, i changed the titling system for the jury to be more similar to the commonwealth knighthood system? like as much as i think "lady katelyn" is sick as fuck, the fact that it's the same title used for the female spouses of lords just sorta,,, didn't sit right? i guess? so yeah. dame katelyn.

anyway, feel free to ask questions if u want! :D

[bismuthburnsblue]

sooo. im thinking a bit about what cosplay im gonna make next, and i think ive narrowed it down to a couple options, but i want you to have all the options!

other options on the list include: Sailor Neptune (school uniform) - Sailor Moon (i think ive got a group for this!), Janet - The Good Place, Loki - Avengers Academy (the one i started last year), or Female Stede - Our Flag Means Death. a lot of these projects i have some level of plan for & wanna do some day, i just have stronger opinions on Kyoko/Toph. but if any of those sound more interesting to you! i am down. i wouldnt list options i didnt want

propaganda + images below

Kyoko is a costume that i have been planning for SO long, and finally feel like my skills are somewhere where ill be able to do her justice. i have a lot of the materials for this costume, including the wig, and even have a pattern plan for the main part of the garment. HOWEVER. my main material is velvet. and none of my other materials are any nicer to work with. i want to make the boots from scratch, i want to learn new wig making techniques, i want to make the spear to its full potential. this is going to be a big, complicated, time consuming project, and ill probably put it down at least once for my own mental wellness. its a dream costume of mine and i want to do it justice. its going to be a challenge, super technical and precise, but i think itll be worth it. its also going to be less comfortable, corset & velvet are not... the best con combo (also its a shorter skirt than i usually like, so ill be emotionally uncomfortable)

(also the more i think about it the more im... eh about the colour of my main velvet so um. might end up rebuying that)

Toph on the other hand, i have none of the materials for. i do have a source idea for the cream fabrics but nothing else at all. my design plan is sorta NATLA inspired- still the animated Toph costume, just drawing on the fabric and textures the netflix show used (especially with the Kyoshi warriors), which means some Sourcing will have to be done to find fabrics with the right weight & drape for my plans. this style of looser patterning is also new to me, not to mention pants.... though i think Toph would be a good project to avenge myself there honestly.

in general, this is gonna be a much easier make, and a nice comfy costume for cons, but at the same time, its a lot of expense out the gate, fabric shopping i dont neeeeed to do, and definitely still has some areas that test my skills (wig in Particular). i havent put as much time and energy into thinking about this build, but it has been on my list for some time and i wont regret making it.

(pictures of the others i mentioned. obviously no picture for my stede design but i was thinking of drawing inspo from the historical dresses in the show- some of marys, and evelyns, and the crowd scenes- and obviously stede himself, and then also reference real history. i dont own anything suitable for this time period so the first project would be stays i suspect!)

[heysolikeummyeahyaknow]

Ok iv got too many life stories in my head. So here’s another one.

On a Friday night I went to the casino for the first time. I was going to meet my friends there at 9pm. I got there at 9:30 already stressed out of my mind because iv got work early the next morning and I’m late and I don’t know where to meet them. And to top it off I got my blood curse earlier that day

I see the Golden Arches of a McDonald’s sign and hallelujah I have not only a land mark but also an excuse to get myself a cheeky happy meal coz I’m a lil hungry.

Boy did I live to regret that.

Now I’m dressed to the nines. Nothing about my outfit is saying straight and wants to talk to you. I’ve got a burgundy velvet blazer, blue hair, dr martens, and bleeding heart dangly earrings. I’m also wearing my favourite scowl as well because I am this close to throwing hands with anyone who looks at me funny.

I go to the counter and there’s a guy there who is clearly off his face. Slurred words and can’t stand up straight. He tells the cashier that he’ll pay for whatever I want as well.

“I say no thank you iv got my own money. “

He says “nah go on I’ll pay for you order whatever you want. I just won it big I’ll pay for you.”

This goes back and forth a few times. I literally have my bank card on the eftpos machine while he’s handing the cashier fistfuls of cash at the same time. The poor cashier looks 13 and isn’t in the position to tell a drunk 40 something man no. So he buys my happy meal as well as an extra cheeseburger I didn’t ask for, because he just wants to be nice.

Alright fine he just want to be nice because he just won a bunch of money at the pokies. Whatever. Thank you have a great evening.

That’s not the end of it though. Far from it. Now he’s asking me to sit with him and what’s my name etc.

I tell him “I don’t have a name”.

You think that’s a pretty big fuck off I don’t want to talk to you right? You’d think that’s the end of the interaction right?

Unfortunately not.

I go collect my happy meal from the counter and walk to the other side of the shop.

He picks up his stuff and follows me and keeps saying sit down. Sit down with me come on I bought you a burger sit down and eat with me come on.

I ask him why? Why do you want me to sit down? why did you buy me stuff? Why are you doing this?

He says he’s just being nice. (But we know he’s not because he would be using buying me things as leverage to keep talking to me when I clearly do not want to)

He keeps not taking no for an answer. Every boundary I set with this guy (that I was like good job that was a good clear boundary) just gets bulldozed.

I sit down with him and start bawling my eyes out as I eat my little burger and chips. And I really sincerely hope I ruined his night. I hope I made him feel so guilty and shitty.

He’s like “why are you crying? Don’t say it was anything I did” (so he knows that he’s done wrong but doesn’t want to be told that)

I just say something like I’m on my period.

And then my saviour comes in. One of my friends who is wearing a cropped blazer, a ball gown, platform heels, pearls statement sword earrings and a corset. They are already a tall person and is now towering over us like is this guy bothering you sweetie. I take my leave and go sob in the womens bathroom for a good while before going and meeting the rest of my friend group. But god what a way to start a night.

[arsenicflame]

yayy catching up on my favorite blog and there's ask game! 24 25 35

oh em geeee im ur favourite blog??? ur my favourite author!!!!!! wow (sage ily)

24. Something that you’re proud of

(you)

I tend to exist my life from sewing project to sewing project, so my mind immediately gravitates to that. while there are definitely sections on anne that fall short of my expectations, in general i really am proud of how its come out! the corset, especially. ive been sewing a long time and this is really the first time i feel like ive done something im PROUD to put my name towards. i hope i can feel that way about many more things in the future.

i think id also say im proud of the snippets ive been writing recently too. i dont know if theyre interesting to anyone else (the formatting is certainly. weird. i hesitate to associate them with fics at all) but ive been letting myself just. plot the ideas as they come. even if that means scribbling them down on the first thing i can grab at work. its felt good.

25. Do you still talk to your first crush?

i dont! my first crush turned first gf was a girl i met through DeviantArt n we did not actually keep touch for long. i hope she is well tho, that relationship was important to the trajectory of my life, even if it wasnt really a proper relationship

35. Something new

ha WELL i literally already told u about my most recent purchases (the books and even the shelf) so i feel like i should pick a different answer-

(and oh look, im looping it back around to sewing. listen its that or its the fic things i havent been doing anything bestie)

so ive been trying to actively work through the fabric i have (see: dress poll!) so ive been making plans for things i own! its been a lot of fun revisiting things i bought like, 5 years ago and seeing how my tastes have changed. ive been sketching up some new plans for things, though i must admit im determined to make myself finish up some ufos and 'practical' pieces first (looking at you, waistcoats) im also excited to get to some fun things! i have literally. 20+ projects to pick from, including a dozen or so cosplay ideas! the future is infinite

Specifically, the idea ive been excited for recently came up as a side note of dress polls. i have this green cotton duvet cover i acquired for mock up fabric, but that ive earmarked for a dress instead first (i think its a king duvet so ill probably still have half left when im done ngl) i saw this gorgeous applique dress, and it sparked my imagination!! i wouldnt want to do something exactly like that i dont think, but i have a metric ton of black cord, and i was thinking about couching it (sewing over it with a zigzag, basically) down onto the dress in an ivy (?) pattern to create the effect! i might need to twist up a couple strands of cord to get a nice thickness but i think itd be really fun. i havent done couching since i was in college, but i think its the perfect technique for something organic like ivy. this is very much a future project, but its finally a solid idea for this particular fabric! something new!

51 questions

[1shirt2shirtredshirtdeadshirt]

@trillscienceofficer "I am ... not insinuating that TOS isn't sexist - it is, but I have to ask folks to consider the breadth and depth of Berman's sexism in his run and ask yourself: Was Gene Roddenberry genuinely more sexist in his storytelling and delivery than Rick Berman?"

Please don't confuse me for a Gene Roddenberry apologist. The man was an alcoholic, abusive, a sex addict, and he had unpredictable and frightening mood swings along with having some absolutely dumbfounding and contradictory views on women.

My contribution to the discussion was not to dismiss what Gene has done, it was to explore other territory of Trek history and sexism that is lesser discussed or honed in on in pop culture.

As someone who has been in the fandom for decades, I've perused books and interviews that make it well established throughout history the multifaceted ways that Gene Roddenberry could and should have done better, especially by Grace Lee Whitney.

I've watched the shows for roughly 30 years and while I have read mountains of papers on Gene and sexism, I seldom see other series besides TOS getting singled out to the same degree when TNG, DS9, VOT, and ENT all showcase equally firm examples. The era they came out in didn't even remotely answer why it was included in the newer Trek installments the way it was with TOS (the societal/cultural climate it aired) because Berman's Trek shows aired simultaneously at a time that had shows featuring stronger women portrayed in a much less misogynistic light.

My argument isn't that Gene did no wrong, it's that I'm tired of Berman apologists or those folks who are most fond of his era glossing over his Trek stint as if it was so progressive for the time and as if Gene is the only/worst offender . . . My young adult life was Berman's era and large swaths of what happened wasn't progressive for Star Trek or the era it all aired compared to other shows coming out at that time.

The point of my post was not to "gloss over" the wrongs Gene Roddenberry did, but to highlight that throughout history groups of folks have discussed Genes sexism to death while I have heard some of those same folks applaud and pat the Berman era on the back for exactly what you mentioned -- we have a female captain! But this was on the same show that forced Jeri to wear costumes so tight it cut off oxygen to her brain and made her pass out several times. Women were humiliated and degraded constantly in Berman's era both on and off set, and I am tired of folks ragging on Gene and toting Berman's era as the kinder era for women because it really wasn't.

I am not excusing Gene and his behaviour at all, I'm just tired of folks giving Berman's era a free pass.

Jeri from VOY, Jolene from ENT and Terry from DS9 had to go into Berman's office for "private fittings" that male cast members never had to go through.

Berman viciously critiqued their breasts, butt, and thinness, and he directly contributed to Marina Sirtis' struggles with eating disorders via his cruel and constant commentary on her body.

He forced practically all of his female cast to wear tight catsuits or boning corsets + breast mounds specifically designed for his shows that just about every young female cast member infamously reflected on for the discomfort, humiliating and degrading nature, and of course needless tampering with their breast size.

Berman also used to loudly compare the female casts' breasts to his secretaries. He told Terry Farrell when she tearfully tried to demand respect that if she wasn't working at Trek "she'd be working at K-Mart". Braga literally slept with his own employee and had an ongoing relationship with her on and off set that resulted in a volatile, toxic workplace for the entire VOY cast.

Some folks herald VOY because it had "the first female Captain":

It was actually Leonard Nimoy who was the first person to specifically cast a female AND an African American Captain in Star Trek IV, yet some folks constantly credit Berman's era for being "the first" to do both -- despite Nimoy having done it roughly 10 years earlier than VOY and 8 years before DS9.

Even before that, Uhura is acting Captain in The Lorelei Signal in TAS and assigns Chapel as her CMO, and together with an all female team they save the entire male cast of the Enterprise. That was 1973.

Yet folks still try to insist Berman's era was the first to do either.

Compound that with the sleazy, degrading "wardrobe checks" of Berman's era which was literally just Berman spinning around the young female cast members in his private office and ogling them like dolls while he critiqued their breasts and ass . . . plus the complete unprofessionalism happening behind the scenes on VOY with personal relationships at the workplace.

Everyone speaks of the bosses sleeping with actors/actresses that went on in Gene's era, but it was happening tenfold in the Berman era as well. The harrassment was blatant, and yet I hear crickets about it compared to TOS.

Yet everyone lauds that era automatically because "we had a female captain!" Berman used that as a cover to create one of the most toxic, humiliating and tense Star Trek set work environments in the history of the entire franchise, especially for women.

As someone who loves the show VOY, I was absolutely devastated to hear how Kate, Jeri and the rest of the crew suffered the entire time.

The fact that the work environment in VOY was so toxic, we had Braga literally sleeping with Jeri and using his position to get his partner a job while simultaneously being her boss quite openly. This led to countless instances of unfair favoritism in Berman's era (and I absolutely adore Jeri Ryan, it isn't her fault. Please don't misunderstand me here, she was in a very f*cked up power dynamic with her boss here. She just showed up to do a job -- as an employee, it was her boss' responsibility to keep the work environment professional, and Berman and Braga failed the entire VOY cast with the work environment they made them live in).

The rest of the cast expressed the insane amount of favoritism and toxicity that yielded, and Kate Mulgrew was understandably pissed.

She worked so hard to be the female captain we were all looking forward to, only for her boss to randomly bring in who he was dating and push her out of the limelight for the same old stereotypical shit we do to women in every other show: pump up her breasts, trim her waist, zoom in on her ass, pan down her body in a hungry gaze needlessly, inexplicably give the Borg high heels!

It was everything Kate wanted to avoid, everything she hated about Hollywood and the treatment of women. And Jeri became a victim of how we as women are encouraged to fight amongst ourselves when men force us into these humiliating and degrading positions, basically throwing us into impossible work situations and then turning around to point the finger at us and blame us for being "catty" when the shitty work environment they force women into blows up.

Kate Mulgrew was so infuriated and frustrated by Jeri being added in and her character's treatment that it turned extraordinarily ugly between Kate and Jeri for years. Mulgrew berated and screamed at Ryan every time she had to go to the bathroom because the ridiculous, constricting and painful catsuits Berman designed from metal with elaborate steel hooking that cut and chafed under the breasts -- it took forever to get in and out of.

Jeri used to have panic attacks on her way to the VOY set some mornings, even used to get nauseous with dread because the work environment for her was so cruel and toxic.

They used the "hey we have a female Captain" card as an excuse to do a plethora of other wrongs to the female cast, and a filming environment so toxic that when Garrett Wang talked of the vicious fights between Kate and Jeri over the Jeri favoritism on set that Garrett broke down into tears on the mic in public and could not even get it out he got so emotional. Garrett + Burton also discussed issues of racism pertaining to Berman but as that relates to a different form of bigotry he propagated I shall elaborate on that further on another post. David Gerrold also cited Berman as a quote "rampant homophobe". Anyway, those are topics for other posts, I'll try to stay on topic here.

What the VOY cast went through because of the unprofessional work climate was unreal and borderline unprecedented.

In interviews, Berman took no accountability for the toxic work environment he created despite being the boss overseeing this hellish behind the scenes train wreck.

Instead he pinned the two women against each other, having the gall to act like the favoritism for Jeri and her boss sleeping with her was nothing more than Kate exhibiting pettiness. In interviews he acted like Kate was just being dramatic and "oh you know how women are, older women can't stand to see a pretty girl winning" when Mulgrew's frustrations were absolutely valid. .

I guess in a way I just wrote an entire part two on VOY and the hell that Mulgrew and Ryan went through because of Berman and Braga choosing to have a workplace romance that alienated the rest of the cast.

It's a testimony to the incredible talent of the VOY cast that they actually managed to deliver such a beautiful show with a crew that seemed to genuinely love each other, especially the scenes with Janeway and 7 of 9.

Considering how absolutely volatile, unfair and difficult their work environment was, they managed to deliver a phenomenal show despite all of that.

That is NOT a pat on the back for Berman, that is a testimony to the character, professionalism and talent of the cast of VOY.

They thrived DESPITE Berman, not thanks to him.

That was Kate, Jeri, Garrett etc. who delivered this to us DESPITE the impossible and vile work environment that the women were forced to work in that Berman propogated on his watch.

(Also @trillscienceofficer I hope this doesn't yield any hard feelings, I genuinely appreciate your contribution to this post and it helped me formulate ideas for the next installment. What you have written deeply resonated with me and it really enriched this discussion and posed arguments that are very important to cover -- for that I am very grateful. :)

I just wanted to make sure you know that my not covering Gene's part of the story wasn't an apologist or "it wasn't that bad" perspective, it had more to do with the fact that Gene and TOS has been lengthily and painstakingly covered when it comes to this topic.

I wanted to weigh in on other eras of sexism in Trek that were more modern and often compared to Gene's era as being superior when it came to the treatment of women -- that's the bit I take issue with.

I'm not here to defend Gene Roddenberry, I'm here to remind folks that the Berman era is not the progressive-for-women era that folks try to fondly remember -- it was not much better, in fact I felt it had far more examples than the TOS era.

Anyway, thanks so much for reaching out and please continue to contribute and discuss, you've enlivened this discussion and added some much needed context, especially regarding Grace LW.

As a victim of SA in my youth myself, I would never want to even suggest or come off as glossing over what happened to her. She has my full respect and love.

Thanks for adding that in, as of course there are plenty new folks added to the fandom now and I should not assume everyone is already familiar with those stories, even if they have been told more often. Sincerely, thank you.)

For those of you asking me for a source on this information provided in this post:

I predominantly got the bulk of this information by watching the docuseries The Center Seat -- I advise you do the same if you'd like to learn more about these topics, the interviews in the docuseries are with cast and crew.

LLAP & IDIC🖖💚

Sexism in TOS: Worst Offender, or Progressive in Retrospect in Comparison?

I see a lot of folks claim that TOS was the most sexist of the Star Trek shows by a landslide -- and while I agree that it definitely suffered from the sexism of the times, I also have other perspectives to share to give some food for thought.

I am of course not insinuating that TOS isn't sexist -- it is, but I have to ask folks to consider the breadth and depth of Berman's sexism in his run and ask yourself: Was Gene Roddenberry genuinely more sexist in his storytelling and delivery than Rick Berman?

I'm not telling you to feel one way or the other, but all I ask is that you hear me out and consider some perspectives and make your own balanced assessments. Nobody is obligated to share my opinion, but it means a lot just to have folks hear it and see their thoughts on the subject. So here is what I was originally responding to:

Someone's response to this photo:

"Devil's advocate. This was a part of the popular form of cardio during the production time of TNG. Yes, it was heavily sexualised by men, but so is literally every other way women work out. Men have been caught taking pictures of women while trying to do dead lifts, running on tracks and working on sled machines. They post them online to share too. The fact is, there is no way a woman can be shown working out without it going there. And yeah,t hat includes the combat forms of workout they do in Star Trek. Just look at how Dax dresses when she spars with Worf. Yes, they're dating, but still, same goes when 7 does and any other female.

Aerobics routines like this were made dirty and cringy. This was what women wore then by and large. This is how the workout was done. We make it cringy."

My response to them:

"I respect your take, but I disagree on a few fronts.

The miniskirt was chosen by the TOS female cast, not the male cast, specifically requested by Grace LW and affirmed by Nichelle and Majel who would go on to vehemently defend the miniskirt over the years as comfortable and embraced by them.

Grace said it was comfortable and seen as a symbol of female sexual empowerment during the 60s and thought it would be a progressive garment (and turns out that it was, as it was later adapted and worn by male crew as a skant on TNG) -- FYI those were designed by a gay man and Gene approved them.

This was also supposed to be Spock's TMP outfit:

Literally lingerie.

We saw both Uhura (who saves Kirk in from Marlena Mirror Mirror) and Yeoman Landon (the first to initiate combat with a classic Kirk-esque kick to help the Captain being attacked in The Apple) carry out their combat training in their Starfleet uniforms without ever being made to change into any ridiculous workout gear.

In fact, I'd argue Jim Kirk was sexualized even more than the ladies of the week on the show and I saw his naked body more than anyone else's on a fairly regular basis. He wore red yoga tights while topless in Charlie X while the women wore full length gymnastic suits that covered their entire body. If anything, it went out of its way to avoid sexualizing women practicing fitness in those scenes and instead focused on Kirk.

Gene confessed that he asked to have Shatner filmed in suggestive/provocative ways to "give something to the ladies", so he -- as he said -- liked to "film him walking away" or have him conveniently busting out of his shirts in just about every episode as it were, because Shatner apparently had great assets. LOL

Gene made an effort to at least sexualize both if he was going to sexualize one, and he carried that attitude forward in wanting the m/m and f/f scenes in the background on Risa for TNG. He also insisted that the men and women wear skimpy outfits on THAT TNG planet. You know the one. LOL I mean the dudes even had on less than the women:

Gene also gave permission to K/S shippers to have their conventions back in the 70s when he was asked for permission. Gene and Nimoy felt with all the skimpy outfits they had the ladies wear, why not let the ladies and gay men have their fun, too? It's how we ended up with moments like this:

Yes, those are two people dressed up as Kirk and Spock's penises doing interpretive dance. Gene didn't give two damns. LOL

In my eyes, that was a very progressive take on Gene's part for the 60s. It was actually PARAMOUNT STUDIOS who had the big problem with K/S stories and vehemently tried to shut them down. Gene literally hired slash authors on his payroll and even had several slash stories/writers published in his official Star Trek books (The New Voyages & The New Voyages II).

I feel I saw Uhura and women in TOS engaged in more physical combat/altercations defending themselves that Troi or Bev were shown holding their own.

In fact, Kirk used to get furious when someone would "dress up" his female crew members without their consent (Trelane episode, Shore Leave episode) because like his male crew members, he wanted them to be treated professionally and to also have his male crew act professionally.

Berman brought some of his own personal biases into Star Trek that in some ways regressed it. While TOS had blatant sexism and was called on it time and again, that show was made in the 60s -- a solid 21 years before TNG. We as a modern audience understood why some of it was cringe/sexist due to the time period -- look at any other media coming out in the 60s and Star Trek was miles ahead of what other shows were doing.

Compare that to Berman who was churning sexist stuff out when women like Starbuck and Scully were simultaneously on screen on other programs airing, and we had already had Sigourney Weaver and other strong women in Holywood playing respectful roles.

In my eyes, there was no need of the sexism seen in TNG but especially VOY and ENT. There was no excuse for it when other shows were writing women far better and a number of those weren't even set in the future like Trek was, making it age even faster due to having those dated perspectives frequently highlighted.

In the Center Seat documentary as well as "The Fifty Year Mission" book you will find cast members, writers and other studio alumni who attest to this. Some discussions from "The Fifty Year Mission":

"First, Berman was supposed to have been a real sleaze ball . . . According to Terry Farrel, he would go on constantly about how her breasts weren't big enough, how she should do something about it, and how his secretary was a good example to follow as she had huge breasts. She even had to have fittings to get larger bras, and that was all done at his behest.

Later Berman and Braga developed a name for Jeri Ryan's character prior Seven of Nine. They originally called the character "perineum" which if you look it up it is the area between the anus and the scrotum. Later they floated the name "6 of 9". I mean, what does it tell you about where these two were coming from in the development of this character if they had names like that put forward in all seriousness for her?"

Gene Roddenberry also had some of his own more progressive ideas for TNG cut or watered down by Berman. Roddenberry agreed TNG should have homosexual relationships and representation at a con in the 80s and insisted on it in a meeting with his writers -- something Berman later would not honor. Gene wanted the AIDS episode, showing m/m and f/f in the Riza scenes -- these were some of Roddenberry's requests to include in TNG that Berman later stonewalled.

Berman's era was sadly dated by his own misogynist bias, IMO, to the point that it can somewhat hurt the shows he worked on through his cringe egoism and blatant disrespect toward his female cast.

There is a reason why Gene could keep female actresses working with him and Berman had a revolving door of women that he couldn't seem to keep working for him -- he was abhorrent to women, on and off set. Gene wasn't perfect at all, he had a lot of issues himself -- but Berman was a whole other level. Just look at what he did to poor Jolene Blalock, Marina Sirtis and his toxic commenting on her body weight which exacerbated her struggles with eating disorders, or how he treated and talked to Terry Farrell.

Anyway, just some food for thought. I'm not saying anyone is wrong regarding a take like that, but there are a variety of ways to look at this. Gene Roddenberry isn't a saint by any means, but it definitely bothers me how folks will tote the Berman era as if it were the lesser of two evils or the more progressive depiction of women when I felt there were far more concerning portrayals of women in his era with far less justification.

(P.S: I don't event want to go near the sheer amount of "creepy old dude/villain preys on innocent/naïve/scared young woman or little girl" stories there were in Berman's era, either. But that's a whole other can of worms I can write about in a part 2.)

[hollyhomburg]

okay first of all i’m in awe, like i feel like i’ve run out of words to gush over your writing because i’m always equally as blown away if not more. second, i LOVE longer chapters and i KNOW how stressful that must’ve been for you so i just wanted to tell you how grateful we are that you did that for us and to get plenty of rest and some nesting time or something hopefully too. also i’m quite…..stupid🤡😀 so please forgive me but was that all three parts of taes coming out or is there one more since you split the last one into two? either way thank you so much for creating something so incredibly comforting to people and i hope that it is somehow fulfilled for you too because at the end of the day it means more than you’ll ever understand🤍🫀💗

as far as my break goes it's been incredibly fruitful in a very like...mentally healthy way! i got a sowing machine last year for my brithday (and then proceeded to use it twice in the whole year simply because i didn't have like 3 hours to dedicate to it,) and i spent all yestersday (besides the 3 hours i spent running errands and getting grommets) making a mock up design for a corset!

i ended up kinda fucking it up near the end of it, but i love takeing my old clothes that i haven't worn in years and sorta fucking with them, i'm gonna try and make a version 2 at some point this week since the first draft got sorta muddy (i cut the seams before i realized i actually needed to leave one of them open for boning channels so woopsy i'm learning!) i know you didn't ask for an update on my R&R but there it is!

okay so the next chapter you guys are going to get for bily is going to be a very fluffy and more of a 'filler' episode for the series? but i feel like i really wanna show you guys tae's first day as a girl, i wanna take you guys into the salon and then back home and have the m/c and tae sorta share their feminine joy with the others. it won't be very long. i haven't started writing it yet but i predict probably 6-7k words!

sometimes i catch myself feeling insecure about my writing and what ive done with it, but then i remember that 400 people usually 'like' my stuff in the first day, and that doesn't feel like a lot or as other people might get but if i can reasonably assume that everyones smiled once while reading then i'm responsible for 400 smiles every time i update. if i saw 400 people smiling all at once- i don't think i'd assume that my efforts wheren't worth while. it helps to put the fulfillment into perspective in that sense. we might never have met, but once upon a time, i made you happy.

[vaas]

do any of you gay people pay attention to my sewing posts? cus this is one im making one. ive had a corset pattern since August (took a course to draft it. course was good) and ive made it. 3? times now? getting gradually closer to the most complex version of it as i go. the current iteration which ill hopefully have in a wearable state by the end of the week is single layer (except at the very front and very back) and will have lapped seams made in a very soft malleable coutil. after this i have 2 options. attempting roll pinning for the first time with the sandwich method or going full tilt for the weird asynchronous victorian method that the course specifically covered where its also 2 layers but the seams are both Finished and Attached at the same time by finagling both layers around. also somewhere in there i need to decide if ill be attempting cording. never done cording before. never needed to. want to for funsies.

roll pinning intimidates me! its simple in concept (making the upper layer of fabric slightly larger than the lower so it has sufficient room to curve around both the body And the extra fabric of the lower layer) but it just seems so fiddly to me? i dont drape. this is like a very corsetmaker specific kind of draping on top of the standard flat patterning. but its got a lot of basting to it and i do love basting. augh.

[sanstropfremir]

I’ve noticed that the best stages have less of a storyline and more of a setting. Like BTOB are backstage of a concert or set in some point in the past, Ateez are pirates or over throwing the gov, SF9 are in a gang but the second we start going off on “sacrificing our soul to save a child and now we’re in hell and Felix is a demon” I get lost but also the stage itself seems to get lost. Like I can’t anchor myself and the cool gimmicks they’re pulling don’t have much of impact on me so the stage doesn’t remain in my mind. Also this is probably the adhd talking but the more random shit you throw at me without any reason the less likely it sticks in my brain. I can’t tell you anything that happened in TBZ’s first stage besides I thought the dancer’s coats were cool but I am never going to forget Seonghwa in a corset marching down that line of dancers shooting down a fucking kraken. This is also why I really like Ikon stages-little to no story to wrap my pea brain around. They’re just singers, rappers, and dancers doing their thing on a fancy stage and though I adore the drama of the musical stages (when done well) I can also appreciate Ikon sticking to their guns and just giving me a good time. Like I’d rather have fun with a simple yet effective hype stage than sit through 6 minutes of 15 layers of bullshit “depth” that adds nothing to a lackluster performance. Like come on guys we’re not writing a philosophy paper, I’m just here for Bobby to shake his ass so let’s keep it moving.

i know what you mean! although obviously i love it when there’s a fun and well produced storyline, this show is not deep enough to be pulling out the big jesus guns on the second full stage, especially if the performance isnt already at top level. 

i feel like i’ve never actually like, said this in any of my reviews because i don’t even think about it anymore because its like, literally the first thing you learn in design school but youre absolutely right, its the setting that matters, not necessarily the narrative. after all, thats what the set is there for: to establish setting. in kpop they name this as ‘concept,’ which is really just a different word that ticks all the same boxes. but having clarity of setting is so important. it tells us when and where and gives us reference so we have a grounding, and then we can watch pretty boys sing and dance and do backflips or whatever. it never needs to be that deep but a good, well thought out setting does so much work subconciously and often people dont realize until something is a little off and they cant name why. the work of a designer is invisible a lot of the time, but its there in even when it doesnt seem like it. 

obviously for this show every group is going to keep ramping up the scale and i really do hope that the groups kick back more in the way that btob did, which was focus on putting on a good performance in a fun setting. ive seen a lot of people saying how the rtk stages have been more interesting and thats because for rtk the groups were doing exactly this; taking a song and dropping it into a fresh concept. oneus’ lit, pentagon’s follow, verivery’s mansae, too’s hard carry, verivery’s photo, oneus’ be mine, onf’s it’s raining all have super clear settings but not necessarily any narrative; theyre all just fun to watch! i’d love to start seeing more of that in the next stage. at least i want to see skz and tbz loosen up on whatever theyve been doing, because trying to grasp at the ultra-grand is whats consistently putting them at the bottom of the rankings. just have some fun boys!!

[princebete]

What characters have you cosplayed or plan to cosplay soon? :)

awww--Thank you for asking!  I’m gonna put this here just so I don’t take up the dash-- cuz I get reallllly excited talking about this stuff

So for this cosplay that I am actively working on. It is for an online competition of sorts.  I am working on the Anastasia ball gown from when she sings  Once Upon A December-- except it is going to be a transformation gown ( that’s if I have enough time to get it the ballgown done first, and then work on the pre-transform outfit and figure out the rigging, otherwise it’ll just be the gown). 

But, if I get it fast enough-- this is ideally what I am planning. And the way I plan it will be similar to the cinderella onstage transformation in the Cinderella R&H revival back in 2013 

I am making a few creative changes to the gown as well( nothing major,) to flatter my shape a bit more. The swatches -- hopefully that yellow isn’t too yellow. I uh just bought like 7 yds of it on Etsy. sooooooo... well I guess it could do well for a Belle gown-- but that’d be a big oopsy. Anyways, the velvet and satin dark blue are for the sash/bow. The velvet is the outside while the satin is the “ lining” but when tied in the back, I am hoping it flips around so that you see the beautiful satin. The same goes for the bow-- it’s just gonna look extra. And then for the gown itself, I went with a bridal satin... I have not gotten the organza/tulle yet that I am thinking of using as an overlay on the satin??? That’s still in the works-- but my thought was to create a sweetheart neckline bodice, and then put an overlay on top of it to give it the illusion that it has straps-- still working that out. 

Won’t know until I have all the fabric in one place-- things change as you go. But the idea is to make it similar to how I had my wedding dress bodice-- which is the lower middle there. I have some Preciosa flatback rose Chaton ab crystals on the way-- and some in yellowish gold which ill adorn the gown arbitrarily just to make it blingy and extra and because sparkle. I am at a loss whether to add any kind of trims-- as in piping/lacey bits. I really like the simplicity in this, and that it just sparkles and the textures of the velvet, satin and tulle/organza/net[whichever one works out] all come together. OH! and the sleeves are going to be like these wispy things. and that is in chiffon to compliment the other blues. I am SO scared that it’ll come out looking more purply lavender blue and not really blue. But that’s what dye is for!

I am so sorry I talked into a novel there. But yeah that is the most active thing. I have some other designs but who knows if the will make it into 2021? But here are a bunch I got on the face of my cosplay binder ( this also include Mark, my husband’s characters) 

Tinkerbell and Terence 

Zelda (ceremonial dress) & Link BOTW although I am debating Mipha over Zelda-- it’s just that this looks like an easy build.

Rydia of the Mist from the After Years & Edge  ~ FF IV the after years

Porom & Caine ~ FF IV the after years 

This Chibiusa-esque Sailor Moon Design I found by Azure & Copper ( I call her Sailor Neo Eternal Moon or something also it has WINGS like 4 of them! ) 

Anastasia ** & Dimitri

Kiki & Tombo ( I have a closet cosplay of Kiki)

Megman & Rolle(megaman would be of my own design that I combine with multiple versions. I have the idea to get my husband to program a rapsberry pi to make some moving equipment and lights etc.) 

Elsa 5th Spirit  & Jack Frost from rotg /// or Elsa with the Nokk ( i have this in like.... pieces right now... since a year ago?-- she was supposed to go to Katsu last year for my honeymoon but didn’t make it. However, it’s all there..... in pieces TT^TT) & A Jack Frost Design ( I combined his outfit with Kristoff’s? So like boots and fur lining etc.)  I’ve also considered making Mark into The Nokk-- but  that would be a crazy interpretation. Like ... think Centaur costume with a horse head or idk-- i never got into the design ideas. i would have to take a poll on cosplay amino

Nausicaaaaa & Asbel 

Haru & Baron from the Cast Returns ( in their ball attire) 

Helios & Princess Chibiusa (grown-up style-- so think like Dark Lady hair with the princess dress) 

Groose & Zelda ~ Legend of the Skyward Sword 

Thumbelina & Cornelius ( i have parts of corny somewhere and then bits of thumbelina scattered across stuff) 

Lvl 10 Jester and Caleb 

PHANTOM ACE ( he is in the manga and is a love interest that just wreckkkks & Codename Sailor V I have her on my dressform as we speak--- but ever since going to this Sailor moon cosplay help panel at Katsu, I have recognized the error in my ways, specifically towards the fabric!! So I would like to fix this--- 

I also have this design for a historically inspired version of Princess Aurora 

Sailor She-ra as well ( it’s got armour for dayyyys) 

Regency Inspired Rapunzel-- I tried this before and it failed. Also I HATED the gown. So I am doing it again! <3 And Eugene too 

I am also making stays/corsets to help with the overall silhouette shapes of some of these -- 

But yeah-- I really don’t believe I’ll get to all of this. That would be insane, however, I’d like to make a YT channel that follows the making of all of this and other stuff! But phew! Thanks for asking, that was a lovely question and I enjoyed responding to it. 

(o^^)o  o(^^o)

[theravencawsatmidnight]

Truth or Dare Saturdays with Momo & Fem reader!

Warnings. Bdsm?

Nsfw aged up.

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If you have a character(s) you would like to see for TDS , lemme know! Characters ive done 👇🏻

Tenya,Bakugo,Kirishima,Shinso,Denki, Sero,Todoroki. Dabi, Momo

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

You were sitting on the bed watching Momo pull on her leather corset and her tall black boots. Her curves captured you everytime, every wiggle, every pinch of skin slipping into that leather hugging it like a second skin, her voluptuous breasts spilling out of their clothing teasing you . Every step she took towards you they jiggled and you were sure you could cum right then and there. But she had other plans for you.

It started off as a fun game of truth or dare , asking eachother what your kinks were, what turns each of you on. You let it slip that you were into BDSM and Momo was so excited a ball gag mask fell out of her chest. It didint take long for her to make a whip, some cuffs, and toys. She was tired after though so you held her close petting her pretty black hair till her energy returned. When it did she pulled off your clothes asking you truth or dare.

You picked truth and it got a chuckle out of her. She asked you what you would like her to wear and your face got all red . You told her and Momo rushed to the closet and came back holding up her outfit and boots looking very proud of herself.

So here you were, on your knees on the bed in just your panties with your hands behind you in pink fuzzy cuffs that matched your panties. Momo bent forward in front of you and your eyes followed her chest staring. She slipped the ball gag on you with a smile.

“Head shake three times if you wanna stop sweetie okay?” She asked running her fingers along your hair making it pretty.

You nodded at her and Momo stood up pulling a vibrator off the dresser. She started at your neck with it . It was a less intense bullet vibe , small yet effective . She slid the vibe down your neckline tracing to the otherside over to your shoulder which made you jerk a bit , it must of tickled. Momo smiled tracing it down to your chest all along your left nipple getting it nice and tender. You could hear the vibrations in your head , it made you dizzy off the lust you had for her.

When you whimpered at her she only waved her finger at you and moved the vibe to your other nipple teasing it around the areola . Your body twitched forward from the sensitivity . Momo cooed telling you how good you were doing for her . She traced the vibe down to your stomach teasing it, it tickled bad and you could not help but laugh through the ball gag. Momo laughed to and gave your cheek a kiss . When she kissed you it felt like pure bliss, her lips were so soft aginst your cheek you almost didint realize she sliped the vibe in your panties . You whimpered at her and she waved her hand around motioning you to get up for her .

You eagerly obeyed , sitting on the floor for her . Momo pet your head praising you . She also unbuttoned the bottom of her corset and sat down on the bed showing you her pretty pussy for a second. You jerked forward for it and she held her finger out connecting with your forehead stopping you. Quickly your eyes connected with hers, she waved her finger around in a circle , crossing her legs.

You turned for her leaning into the floor exposing your rear to her . Your slick now showing on your pretty panties. The whip came down on your rear and you gulped . It didint hurt, but it was still a surprise. The fabric connected just right with your pussy . It pressed the vibe against your needy clit each time . You wanted to be pleased so bad. The only pleasure you got was from the whip slapping against your rump.

“Okay my little sub, face me!” She sounded cheery as ever. It had been 15 minutes. Your rear didint hurt but it kinda stung .

When you turned fully you saw Momo with her legs open. She leaned back scooting to the edge of the bed . By now your own pussy was craving attention, if you could get the vibe to slip into you it would be a miracle .

You moved forward and Momo took the gag off you lovingly, braiding her hands through yoir hair fixing it. “All better, such a good little girl. Its my turn okay? After me we can do you” she pet more.

You leaned in licking at her soft folds , the moan she made was music to your ears, you loved her voice. It was soft and always cheery, it made you cheery too even on your worst days. Her hand found the back of your head where she held you in a firm grip against her throbbing pussy.

You licked all up her folds getting every inch of her delicious skin on your tongue . She praised to the whole time of course. She loved praising you and you loved hearing it.

Your tongue slipped between her folds causing Momo to hump at your face a few times moaning out. “Your so good for me , my sweet little girl.” She cooed at you .

Your tongue found her clit and you quickly ran your tongue up and down it sending Momo into a frenzy. She humped at your face holding your head with both hands . She whimpered at your tongue sliding all over her clit , cumming on it . You pulled back lookomg up at her , your face wet with her juices.

Momo smiled panting at you. She pat your head instructing you to get on all fours on the bed. You climbed up eagerly awating your next intruction. Instead you felt your panties slide down . The vribrator left your folds and you whimpered from it . The panties were removed and Momo traced up your legs to your thighs with her fingers .

You purred leaning into the bed enjoying her calm strokes. When her hands left you you looked back and Momo pat your rear and pulled a dildo off the dresser. She kissed it getting it nice and ready for you, gently she pushed it inside you and instantly you felt the relief you were looking for . Your eyes rolled back and Momo haplily moved the dildo in and out of you , praising you the whole time. Telling you how good you did for her , how even your first bdam session was great , how you were such a good little learner.

You came soon after , falling limp into the bed , your pussy twitching around the dildo untill it was slowly removed. Momo freed you of the cuffs and brought you to the tub where you cuddled , enjoying the hot bath water after a relaxing shower.

[humankoalaa]

BLACK LIGHTNING 3X15

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

okay...here we go.

• gravedigger ... so your telling me you murder folks and feel the right and honorable thing to do is bury them after? ... thats like giving someone a hotdog choking them with it then helping them unfuck their throat.

• everybody: “get on the ground now” ... khalil: “but how do i continue getting beat up if i get on the ground” ... everybody: “exactly.”

• please let this mean he’ll be able to control when he becomes painkiller.

• “is this supposed to be a pep talk?” 🤣🤣 same erica. same. like jeff damn near said everything but you’re gonna die.

• my mother looking at my other mother worried to bits. nissa iss gon be alright.

• JEFF.... LIGHTNING IS STRONGER THAN YOUUUUUUU she just reckless BUT SHE IS STRONGER THAN YOU. got my auntie out here with all the nobody puts baby in the corner vibes.

• brandon... im sick of you. aggravating ass. so we put our hair in a bun and all a sudden we don’t know how to act? ok mr. marshall.

• “we’re screwed” 🤣 TC i felt that in my soul.

• jenn looking at jeff like rosa parks did not sit her ass down for you to be forcing me in the back like this. 😩 look im just doing the lords work. ok?! i can’t make this shit up.

• go head gambi. my thoughts exactly.

• first of all mr. only enhancements i got is hypertension and type two diabetes.... you ain’t gon do shit.

• 🤣🤣 yaaasss my mother said yeeeee ain wants none of this schmoke 💅🏾

• lady eve.... did she set up gambi orrrrr...

• anissa just watching grace sip this tea all heart eyes 😭

• “watch the candles” 🤣🤣🤣🤣

• now that anissa said grace is evolving i can’t help but see grace as a pokémon. im upset.

• ... lynn... come on mawmaw. why you always showing up with bad news. definition of why we should just shoot the messenger. OFF with her head! im tired.

• 😭😭😭😭 my parents! we love love. ugh. this is what i call redemption. cause their first pillowtalk was a tragedy.

• thundergrace hands down the baddest CW couple. i said what i said.

•WAYMENT NO SHE DIDNT 😦🤭

• she did. SHE DID. she asked my mother to marry her right in front of my caprisun 😭😭

• TC... come on big fella 😂 a corpse has more game than you 🤦🏾‍♀️

• “now you can die happy” 🤣 erica kills me.

• “TC that girl dont want you” 🤣🤣 this has to be one of the best delivered lines from china.

• OKAAAYYY PAINKILLER WE GEETTTT it.

• “is tobias my cousin?” 🤣🤣🤣🤣

• dawww this is cute. grace finally meeting her mother in law cooking for the fam ugh this show ❤️

• i love how everyone looks around the loft the same way when they first come inside. like yes she pays for it with drug money. we don’t talk about that.

• “you mean like the last supper?” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤦🏾‍♀️

• wardrobe... why y’all got my mother in a straight jacket tho. like is that a hooded corset? like half hoodie half corset? so many questions. i have so many.

• 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 the faces after they said they’re getting married i could choke

• jenn tawm bout finally 🤣 as the captain of this ship i wouldnt expect anything less. like your fave captain could never!

• that has to be a record 🤣🤣 they got engaged 14 minutes ago. FOURTEEN. without commercials 7 minutes ok?! SEVEN. like they don’t even need a uhaul cause grace pretty much lives at anissas. i can see it now all the twitter folk “but they haven’t even been together that long” “their relationship is toxic” “but grace abused anissa” “anissa has a tracking device on grace” listen to me... SAY LESS. k? K. they been married since season 1 episode 3 btw.

• ugh this scene. i love how last episode anissa said grace is the one right. now this scene where she’s telling lynn she’s not doing it just cause Is perfect. it fits anissas character traits so much and i love that whoever wrote this episode played into just that. her recklessness with a cause essentially. so i love that she acknowledged it is sudden but regardless of the circumstances she would still marry grace.

• jenn, jeff, and grace. a trio i stan.

• WAYMENT... y’all see TC and erica 👀

• brandon... 😂😂🤦🏾‍♀️ man let that lady go.

• awh lawd gravedigger done knows allllll their powers and shit 🤦🏾‍♀️

• TC ... that’s the loudest most indiscreet shit ive ever seen 😂😂😂😂 like say it any louder and gravedigger will hear you. smh.

• ooooooo here for alllll the wedding drip. these pantsuits 🔥 also i dare them to look and be any gayer.

• awh lawd jenn 🤦🏾‍♀️ how many times are we gonna do this 😩 like come on auntie.

ooooooo next weeks bout to be lit!

[cj-lane]

Snow White (the story)

In 1994, a German historian named Eckhard Sander published Schneewittchen: Marchen oder Wahrheit? (Snow White: Is It a Fairy Tale?) , claiming he had uncovered an account that may have inspired the story that first appeared in Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

According to Sander, the character of Snow White was based on the life of Margarete von Waldeck, a German countess born to Philip IV in 1533. At the age of 16, Margarete was forced by her stepmother, Katharina of Hatzfeld to move away to Wildungen in Brussels. There, Margarete fell in love with a prince who would later become Phillip II of Spain.

Margarete’s father and stepmother disapproved of the relationship as it was ‘politically inconvenient’. Margarete mysteriously died at the age of 21, apparently having been poisoned. Historical accounts point to the King of Spain, who opposed the romance and may have dispatched Spanish agents to murder Margarete.

Margarete's father owned several copper mines that employed children as quasi-slaves. The poor conditions caused many to die at a young age, but those that survived had severely stunted growth and deformed limbs from malnutrition and the hard physical labor. As a result, they were often referred to as the ‘poor dwarfs’.

As for the poison apple, Sanders believes this stems from an historical event in German history in which an old man was arrested for giving poison apples to children who he believed were stealing his fruit.

As for the Grimms version of the story it went like this: There once was a very beautiful and kind queen who was one day embroidering by the window on a snowy day, she pricked her finger and three drops of blood fell onto the snow and she thought to herself the red of my blood looks so beautiful against the white snow I hope one day to have a beautiful daughter with skin as pale as snow, lips as red as blood and hair as black as the ebony of this window frame.

A short while later the queen did indeed have a beautiful daughter with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood and hair as black as ebony.

In typical fairytale fashion the queen died when the girl was only young and the king quickly remarried.

The king married a very wicked and vain woman who was obsessed with her looks and owned a magical mirror that would tell her if she was the most beautiful in the land.

When Snow white grew into a young woman though the mirror gave the queen a very distressing message, that she was no longer the most beautiful woman in the land Snow white was. Infuriated by this message and seemingly driven mad by her obsessive vanity she ordered a huntsman to take Snow white out into the forest, kill her and bring back her liver and lungs so she could salt them, boil them and eat them.

The huntsman indeed took Snow white out to the woods with the intention of killing her but was so transfixed by her beauty that he couldn’t do it, he let her go thinking well the animals will soon kill her anyway, he slaughtered a boar and took its liver and lungs back to the queen who ate them believing them to be snow white.

Snow white wandered through the woods for some time when exhausted she finally stumbled across a small dwelling, let herself in and fell asleep. some time later the occupants returned these were seven dwarfs that worked in the nearby mine. Upon finding Snow white they told her to leave but she begged to stay telling them the story of her wicked Step mother that wanted her dead. The dwarfs took pity on Snow white and told her that if she kept house while they were at work she could stay which she did, They also told her that while they were at work to not open the door to anyone.

One day the queen living happily believing that she was now the most beautiful woman in the land asked her mirror who was the fairest to which it replied again that snow white was the most Beautiful in the land, she thought this impossible since snow white was dead and asked the mirror to show her Snow white to which it revealed a very much living Snow White living with the dwarfs.

The queen was furious, she disguised herself as an old peddler and went to the dwarfs house with a magic comb and convinced Snow white to open the door and take the comb, Snow white broke her promise to the dwarfs and did so and when she combed her hair with it she dropped down dead. The queen left considering her work done. The dwarfs returned that night and found snow white dead and they were very upset but one of them noticed the comb in her hair and removed it upon doing so lifting the curse and bringing her back to life. They once again told her not to open the door to anyone and she promised not to.

Some time later the queen once again found herself in front of the magic mirror and asked who was the most beautiful in the land and once again the mirror replied Snow white and showed her alive and living with the dwarfs.

The queen disguised herself again and went to the dwarfs house this time with a magic corset. Snow white took more convincing this time but eventually let the queen in and put the corset on, the corset then tightened and suffocated Snow white and she dropped down dead. The queen left and the dwarfs returned home to find Snow white dead. One of them notices the tight corset, they cut it off and snow white comes back to life.

The queen stands in front of the mirror again and asks who is the most beautiful in the land and the mirror replies Snow white. The queen is crazed by this answer and returns to Snow white this time with a poison apple and Snow white seemingly not being the sharpest again lets her in. She takes one bite of the apple and drops down dead. The queen leaves and the dwarfs return but this time they can’t rouse her and they’re extremely upset.

The dwarfs decide that Snow white is too beautiful not to be seen so they put her inside a coffin made of glass and hold a funeral ceremony.

A prince happens to be riding by at the time and sees the beautiful Snow white in her (display case) coffin and tells the dwarfs he wants to purchase her (for whatever reason you purchase a dead girl) the dwarfs refuse to sell her but the prince won’t take no for an answer and he takes her with him anyway.

Back at his castle the prince becomes so obsessed with Snow White that he has his servants follow him around whilst carrying her coffin (creepy) but the servants become tired and one trips dropping the coffin and in doing so dislodging the piece of apple in Snow Whites throat and she wakes up and of course is set to marry the prince.

One day the evil queen receives an invitation to a wedding in the next kingdom (where Snow whites father was during all of this god knows) upon attending the wedding to her horror she sees a very alive Snow white but she can’t think about it for too long because she is quickly restrained and two red hot slippers are forced onto her feet and she is made to dance in agony until she dies.

[darkwoods-darkdreams]

Imagine you’ve found work in the country (IV)

The time had finally come. You had been terrified of this moment ever since you had realized the gravity of your situation. It was the middle of dinner when you felt a dull pain in your back. You continued eating like nothing was wrong. You refused to let yourself become a spectacle. Well, any more of a spectacle than your swollen belly created.

Just as you glanced down at your stomach, a familiar hand was placed on it. The palm rubbed in large circles.

“You’re being awfully shy tonight,” The worker’s free arm wrapped around your shoulders.

You glared at him, but said nothing. You would have pushed him away, but your womb was so large that you feared the smallest shift would cause your water to break.

His hand slipped beneath your dress, stroking your thigh, “I thought you said that you were overdue. How long are you going to keep me waiting?”

“Shut up,” You hissed. You could feel your abdomen twitching, preparing for real contractions. As everyone else finished their meals and headed to their rooms, you and the worker stayed. You would have to clean up, but it seemed that he was intent on being next to you.

He sighed, letting you go and walking to the stairs, “Maybe tomorrow, then.”

You listened as the floorboards creaked above you. As soon as they stopped, you whimpered softly. You looked down to see your belly visibly shifting beneath your dress. You carefully stood. The sooner you cleaned up, the sooner you would be able to find a quiet place and give birth without anyone finding out. You could dispose of the evidence and deal with the consequences later.

The moment you stood, warm fluid spilled down your legs. You cursed under your breath, grabbing a rag from the table.

By the time you finished, you were sweating. Your vision was blurred by your tears as you slowly ascended the stairs. One hand gripped the railing while the other was clamped over your mouth. If you made a sound, the worker might come into the hallway.

You opened the door to your room. You just wanted to grab a blanket to keep your warm. Maybe another to lie down on. You doubled over in pain, groaning as quietly as you could as another contraction hit.

“I was wondering when you would come.”

You tensed. In the darkness, you hadn’t seen the worker sitting near the window. His arms were crossed, one leg over the other. You could still barely see him in the faint light of the moon and stars, “Why are you in here?”

He stood, glancing to your stomach, “You were making quite a bit of noise downstairs.”

You wilted. You had hoped that no one had heard. Then again, he was probably listening for even the slightest sound. You backed away from him, “I don’t want to do this.”

He laughed, “How cute. You still think you have a choice. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time, you know. The father deserves to watch his children be brought into the world,” He pushed you down onto your cot. The weight of your womb alone kept you pinned to the floor. You couldn’t reach his hands as he pulled up your skirt to reveal your stomach as the muscles clamped down on its contents. He spread your legs.

“Stop, please,” You begged. Your tears spilled over as he stuffed you with his cock.

“I hope it takes hours,” He smirked, “I hope that you pray to every god you know for it to end. I want you to beg me to let you give birth to our children. I can’t wait to see the look on your face when our first brat starts crying and you can’t help but look after it. Instincts are a powerful thing, after all.”

You still hadn’t told him that they weren’t human. You didn’t even know what exactly was inside of you. You tried not to think about it. But things were moving too quickly. You wouldn’t have time to explain. You weren’t sure if you could even find the words. You were afraid of what his reaction might be.

You cried out as he dragged you to release again and again. By the time you finally felt something move against your opened cervix, you were oversensitive and quivering.

He must have felt something, too, because he withdrew with a grin, “Don’t try to fight it. Your body knows what it wants.”

Your nails dug into the fabric of your cot, nearly tearing it. The pain was too much. You wanted to scream. You could feel it descending inch by inch. Even when you refused to push, your womb did half of the work on its own. But it was taking too long. You exhaled shakily. The longer you protested, the more you would suffer. You pushed.

The worker sat back down in the chair, grabbing a bottle of ale from the windowsill, “There we go. You’re a natural.”

You gasped, falling back against the bed. You were already exhausted. You didn’t know how you could keep going. It was stuck inside of you. You felt unbearably full. You couldn’t hold back anymore. You screamed, a prolonged howl of pain.

You opened your eyes when you heard the bottle shatter. The worker was sitting, his jaw hanging open and eyes wide. Your throat tightened. You had begun to crown and he had seen that you weren’t carrying anything close to human.

“What the fuck…” He stood, knocking the chair over, “What is that?! What happened? What did you do?!”

You sobbed. It wasn’t out of guilt, but out of shame. It would have been easier if you gave birth to human children. When the entire homestead found out about the monster from the sky, you would only suffer more. The owner could kick you out for carrying such abominations. Or maybe you would die from the complications.

The door opened to reveal the owner, “Would the two of you shut the fuck up?! I’m trying to sleep and all I can hear is-“

Your legs twitched as the object finally slid from your body. You whimpered as the second pressed into your birth canal. You couldn’t hide it anymore. You were doomed.

The owner knelt down beside you. You tried to crawl away from him, but he grabbed your hair, “Do you realize what you’ve just done?”

You didn’t answer, another moan escaping you.

He smirked, “You just made me one of the richest men in this region,” He smoothed your hair away from your face, “I know several collectors who would pay me a vault full of coin for just one of these eggs,” He touched your stomach, “And you’re giving me...two? Maybe three? I could buy a title with that much money.”

“Please,” You shook your head, “I don’t- I can’t-“

He grabbed your chin, “You no longer work for me as a cook. You’re going to be my broodmare.”

Within a year, your life had changed.

After he sold the three eggs to the highest bidders, he brought you to one of the largest cities in the kingdom. He bought himself a title and an expensive suit at one of the finest inns the city had to offer. He kept you in a small bedroom, a satin collar around your neck attached to a golden chain. Jenn was abandoned. You had become his entertainment. You learned quickly that saying no to him wasn’t an option. He wasn’t as strong as the field workers, but the chain gave him an advantage.

Once he found some other wealthy men and lords that shared his depravity, he invited them to his penthouse and introduced you to them. You sat on your bed, your hands trying to cover your body. You were never given clothes. They each paid handsomely for your services, laughing and drinking as they waited their turn.

Eventually, one of them hosted a private party and invited you and the owner to attend. You were given a dress. The corset was tight and you wore nothing beneath the skirt. You were paraded around by your chain like some pet. When enough coin was slipped into his pocket, the owner let random men take you by the collar and drag you to someplace quiet. Once the first payment was made, you ended up stuck on that one bench for hours as men stumbled across you and paid the ludicrous fee.

This party was no different. You tried to walk as closely to the owner as possible in order to hide the chain he held. You kept your eyes glued to the floor in front of you. Making eye contact was the easiest way for men to approach you.

“Someone special invited us,” The owner smiled, “He’s very thrilled to meet you.”

He brought you in front of a fat man in lavish clothing reclined on an expensive looking chaise. He was eating and drinking sloppily. You withheld your look of disgust. Surely you weren’t going to be forced to climb on top of him and-

“Ah, this must be your golden goose,” The man spoke between mouthfuls, “That egg you gave me is a hit at every party I’ve thrown.”

“I trust you’ve been doing well?” The owner made small talk, tugging at your chain to keep you from backing away.

A low growl made your gaze fall to the floor. In front of the chaise was the largest cat you had ever seen. A panther? A dark leopard? You couldn’t tell. It was eying you from its spot on the rug. You flinched a bit as it growled again.

“So, I’m sure that there’s a reason you invited us to this party?”

“Ah, yes,” The man sat up, “I want to propose a bit of a business deal.”

“Go on.”

“Is she pregnant?”

“No,” The owner explained, “I’ve been saving that for only those that can pay the fee. I’ve had a witch make her some potions that keep her from conceiving, but she also made me a potion that makes her pregnancy guaranteed.”

“You have a woman that has been bred by a monster. I host the most luxurious parties this kingdom has to offer. Why don’t we both make a bit of money? We could hold auctions at every birth. I know many exotic pet owners that are looking for breeding opportunities.”

The owner bowed, “What a lovely suggestion. I’m more than happy to oblige.”

“Good,” The man set down his cup, “Then let’s start with my panther. Beast.”

The animal lifted its head, growling softly.

You took a step back, only for the owner to grab your arm. He pushed you forward. You stopped just short of stepping on the creature in front of you. You froze, terrified as it hissed at you.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” The fat man shouted to the rest of the party, “Feast your eyes on the rarest of events! A beautiful lady is about to be ravaged by an animal. But that’s not all! As the moons pass, you will see her grow round with the animal’s young!

Tears filled your eyes as many partygoers began whispering to each other. Within minutes, the area was crowded. A small, corked bottle was held in front of you. The potion that would make you fertile. Before you could even reach out to throw it into the nearby fountain, your jaw was pried open and the liquid poured into your mouth. By the time you pushed him away, only a few drops spilled from your lips. The rest settled in your stomach. You felt dizzy.

“On your hand and knees,” The owner’s demand was a harsh whisper in your ear, “Now.”

You complied with a whimper, staggering a bit as you sank to the ground and got into position. The other guests laughed. You could see some of them stroking themselves through their trousers and skirts.

With a flourish, your skirt was pulled up. The panther sniffed at your legs for a moment, then mounted you, causing the crowd to cheer. You remained still as the panther growled, its cock prodding between your legs. The potion made your body feel hot, desperate to have something inside of you. You spread your legs a bit more and angled your hips. Another round of applause erupted in the crowd as its cock slipped inside of you. You gripped the stone tiles beneath you and moaned as the panther thrusted into you mercilessly. The barbs raking against your walls reminded you of the first time you had been bred.

Sure enough, a familiar heat poured into your cervix. The panther withdrew, its seed spilling down your thighs. You remained on the ground, still dizzy from your own release.

After a mere moon had passed, you were already showing.

[pinkykitten]

The time in Summervale: 2

Warning: none

Specifics: y/n=your name, oc, oc fic, comedy, fluff, angst 

People: athela (your mother), edward (your father), ruthy (maid), jakob (duke of linwyn), christopher (prince of linwyn)

Words: 3,560

Summary: In the fictional land of Summervale, 1700, you, the Duchess are made into an arranged marriage.This is the dream of your parents but certainty not the dream of a longing inventor like yourself. You are taught to be a lady but who wants to be a  primp and proper lady when you can have fun and be yourself. You need to try to convince your parents this is not what you want or is it? How will it be seeing the Prince of Linwyn? Will you finally change your mind and side with your parents?

Authors Note: sorry if i havent posted in a while or posted this in a while ive just been very busy but im glad i found the time to write this cuz this is like my bby. i worked hard on this idea and the writing. i love how this is going the pace and everything lol this reminds me of the choice game. i hope u guys like this and im sorry if this sucks as always i got my inspiration from this story “the austrian suitor” by @headoverhiddles​​

“Come again I think I misheard you.” You gulped as you wish this was a nightmare and soon you would wake up. 

“I think you heard me right. Today you are meeting your future husband. Prince Jakob, Duke of Linwyn. You met him before.”

“When? Wait that doesn’t even matter-”

“When you were about six years of age. I understand that was when you were a very young girl but you and him played for ages and you both looked so lovely together. This has been my dream ever since that day.”

“It may be your dream but not mine,” you muttered under your breath. 

“Oh well please do speak up y/n you know I hate the mumbling.”

“I don’t even remember him! You never even asked me if this is what I wanted. Never got my input on the matter.”

“That is where you are wrong. I did too ask you. A few months ago during dinner I had asked you about him and you seemed to agree to the marriage.”

“Blast my stupid mind. Why must I always day dream?” You probably were thinking about inventions at the time of this conversation and did not remember it. 

“Besides it is not your decision whether you marry or not and to whom you marry. It is your parents. That is how me and your father came together. It was an arranged marriage but as you can see me and your father are very happy and we love each other.”

“You two were the lucky ones. I know how this ends mother, and it is heart ache and despair. It is pain and sorrow. To put two people together that know nothing about each other is wrong. It will end in failure.”

“That is why your job as a woman and future wife is to make sure this marriage stays in place and lasts. You do what it takes.”

“So if this marriage fails it is my fault? And the whole world sees it that way?” You were flabbergasted to hear such horrid rules as a woman in royalty. 

“Please sit my dear.” You did as your mother said and sat back in your vanity chair. “I know you are frightened as I was too but when you meet him you are going to never be apart. He is a good man and I know he is going to love you unconditionally.”

You felt like weeping right there. You didn’t want a husband. Maybe later but not in the prime of your life. You were still deciding on what purpose do you have in this life. It was too much. Your lips quivered, “mother I don’t want to get married. I do not know this person can’t you understand my side and let me choose who I want. Can’t you wait and let it be my decision. Please.”

Athela kissed your cheek, “I’m sorry but what’s done cannot be undone. He will be here any minute so please get ready. Ruthy make sure you cover those scars on her face, they are very ugly. Y/n, why have you not been using the creams I have given you?”

A tear fell down your cheek, you felt miserable. “I am not sure mother.” Your voice came out almost like a whisper. 

“Well make sure you use it 3 times a day now that Prince Jakob is coming, we do not want him running away now.” She chuckled as she left your room. 

You were used to this treatment and feeling unloved. You kept things bottled up inside never letting it spill. Your emotions were always hidden. You built a dam for your tears. 

“My apologies your grace,” Ruthy said. 

“I tried my hardest and did not succeed. That will forever be my greatest regret.” You stared at your reflection, hating what you saw. You were starting to feel disgust when you looked at your scars and bumps that littered your face. Not only that but you were hating what you were. You were being forced into something you did not want to do. You were letting yourself be dragged into this mess and you didn’t even put up a fight. This is your life, you were going to be stuck with a stranger for the rest of your life and there was nothing you could do. You - like many other times - hated your name and the royalty and wished it would all disappear. 

“Why don’t I run you a bath? Maybe that will relax you a little,” Ruthy suggested. 

As she was finished with that you got undressed and stepped inside. Goosebumps ghosted up your thighs, your stomach, breasts and arms. Even though you did enjoy a good bath it still didn’t make things any better. You sank yourself into the water, forgetting - just for a second - about all your worries. Ruthy washed out your hair and assisted you in getting dried. Again you sat on the vanity chair and Ruthy put powder all over your face adding extra to make sure everything was covered like your mother said. Your skin looked flawless and although you wished you looked like that it was not the truth. 

“Now what to do with this hair?” Ruthy thought for a moment then snapped her fingers. “I have just the thing.” She brought back a diamond clip to scrunch up your hair. She put your hair up. Trying to cover the fact that a piece of your hair was shorter than the rest. “There we go. Good as new.”

“It looks beautiful Ruthy. Thank you.” You had wished Ruthy was doing your hair for maybe a cake ball or a convention about flowers but instead this was for meeting your future husband. 

“Now, this is the dress her royal highness wanted you to wear.” Ruthy picked up a voluptuous dress that laid on your bed. It was silky and the color of baby pink. To your mother it was angelic, to you it was ghastly. 

“Oh dear what an ugly looking dress.”

“Your Grace, maybe you should give it a try. Everything on you looks beautiful even if it is ugly.”

“Thank you Ruthy, you always know what to say about a terrible situation.” With the help of Ruthy you managed to slip the dress on. Everything was tight and in place. It looked as if you were to be married today. 

You heard trotting of a horse and carriage nearby and you looked out your window. “Here they are.” You said in a monotone voice not even a little excited about your demise. 

“Oh alright now remember your Grace to stand straight with your head held high! This is your moment to shine. You are going to remember this for the rest of your days!” Ruthy panicked but you can tell she was ecstatic for you. It seemed like this was for her rather than you. “Let us go!” 

Ruthy walked out the room in a haste while you paused to take a look at your mixer on your desk. “You could of been my ticket out...” 

“Y/n! Y/n! Where are you?” Edward, your father called out. His head looking every which way. 

“I’m here father.” You walked behind Ruthy to finally greet your parents after the morning fiasco. 

“Look at you my dear angel. How is your hair?”

“Well the mixer took one piece away but the rest is there.”

“Oh look at her Edward doesn’t she just look like a gem,” your mother gasped in awe. “I knew this dress would be perfect for this occasion.”

“I am very happy you all are having fun,” you said sarcastically.

“Aw cheer up dear,” Edward rubbed your cheek. “I hear this lad is very smart and a charmer. All the ladies fall for him.”

You rolled your eyes as the servants opened the door to your residence. It moved slowly because of its length. It was an enormous door that when closed sounded like thunder. It was a cream color with gold engraved in it. The large door opened and your parents walked with you in the middle. 

“Smile or else,” Athela gritted through her teeth. She along with your father wore big smiles. You faked yours. Seeing the norm in this facade. 

You all stood by the carriage awaiting. 

“Are they ever going to come out?” You whispered in turn getting a slap on your arm from your mother. 

The valet hopped out of the carriage and held onto the door but first he had to announce them. “Prince Jakob, Duke of Linwyn.” The valet opened the door and out came a tall, young man with brown hair. He came out of the carriage, buttoned his coat and looked up into your eyes. His eyes were light and looked so young and full of life. His lips were full as they formed into a smile. He had these boyish charms and a look of innocence yet sexuality. He was handsome! You were a bit taken back.

“See I told you he was cute,” Athela chuckled. 

“Christopher Friss, Prince of Linwyn.”

“His father? I did not know his father was coming here too.” 

“Of course. He needs to see if you are a good match for his son. Besides we have been friends with him forever.” Athela nodded her head forward. 

Out came this taller man that was thicker in size. His hand that grasped onto the size of the carriage was big and had veins that were visible from working hard. His clothing style was impeccable. His hair was a light blonde but also with a hint of salt and pepper colors, slicked back and in a pony tail. His neck was thick like bark and his face was obviously older than his son. His strong, brown eyes looked at you and you were blown away. You could barely breathe and you didn’t know if this was from your corset or how he was looking at you. Your eyes widened and your lips were parted. You were bashful at seeing how handsome this man was. In that moment you wondered what his lips would feel like since you never kissed any one before. You were so innocent compared to him. He looked like he had been through war, he’s been through life, through the challenges. His tall body loomed over his son and the rest. You pushed back your hair as it became very hot in that moment. The Prince smiled as well. It was like floating on a cloud but then reality was setting in and you hated this moment. Your smile died and became a frown. In no way did you want this!

“Welcome, welcome old friends! You remember me and my wife?” Edward pointed to his wife. Jakob and Christopher greeted Athela. “And here is my daughter, Princess y/n, Duchess of Summervale.”

You took a step forward. “Hello your Grace, your Royal Highness. Please forgive me that I do not remember a lot of you two, but I hope we can make fond memories here.”

Jakob took a bow and kissed your hand, “pleasure to meet you after so long.”

“Welcome.”

Next came Christopher, the father. He was a tower compared to you. You had to look up to meet his eyes. Christopher took a bow and kissed your hand. It sent sparks coursing through your veins. He looked like a beast amongst you. You on the other hand looked like a little, fragile bird. You curtsied. “My, you have grown y/n.”

“Hopefully better but who knows,” you giggled at your own joke knowing you were much more prettier in the youth than now. 

Christopher smiled, “you have grown into a beautiful young lady. Thank you for letting us into your home.”

You bit your lip as your eyes met the floor, too shy to greet his. He noticed this and his smile grew wider to something sincere.

“It is a great honor to have you here, Sir,” your voice sounded like a song to Christopher’s ears. A spark was sent off within him as well hearing you call him sir. It was your duty and his title but coming from you meant more to him. The time away from your mother and father was getting to become too long and the quiet seconds went away silent and very awkward. 

“Y/n?” Your mother, Athela, called. 

“Yes mother,” you twirled back to your place beside your two strict parents. 

“Sweetheart,” Athela’s eyes kept going back and forth between Christopher’s, Jakob’s, and Edward’s. “Address our guests.”

Your father, Edward, grumbled, “yes, yes, yes. Please let us have lunch in the dining room.”

“We would gladly love that,” Jakob grinned whilst looking at you. 

Athela made you stand by Jakob so you two lingered behind the group while the ‘adults’ talked. 

“My, it really is a great pleasure to meet you after all these years.”

“Please Jakob my name is not my its y/n. Do remember who you are going to have lunch with,” you joked. Sending him into a fit of laughter.

“You have not changed one bit.”

“Sh*t! Do I still look like a 5 year old?”

Jakob’s eyes widened with you cursing. It was not in a duchess nature to curse. 

“Please do not tell my mother, she would practically kill me.”

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

What you didn’t notice though was the way Christopher lit up with hearing you curse. 

“I’m glad we have many days to be together. I want to know all about you.” Jakob played nervously with his fingers. 

“I do not think so.”

“Of course I do. I want to know your hobbies. What makes you smile? What’s your favorite book? I want to know everything about you, I mean you are to be my wife. We should know our deepest, darkest secrets.”

“Oh dear you are not going to be amused with my answers. I am really normal and plain once you scrub off the whole duchess thing.” You passed the huge statue of your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather, phew. Passed the many, wide stairs that led to all the different types of rooms. Passed by the ginormous chandelier that looked like you grasped onto stars from the sky and planted them in your house. And walked onto the soft, dark red carpet leading into the dining room. 

Jakob sat beside you while Christopher sat in front of you and your mother sat beside you while your father sat beside Christopher. He gave you a half smile as you sat. You were too busy looking at his perfect, handsome complexion you knocked the cup of water that was left for you. The coldness dripped down your dress and soaked it. You tried your napkin but it was soaked as well. Athela rolled her eyes at your clumsiness. You were terribly embarrassed! 

“Here let me help you with that,” Jakob picked up your drenched napkin and started dabbing away at your dress. No one has touched you there before. Your face was becoming hot. You looked to see Christopher walking to the situation, angrily snatching the wet napkin from his son and giving you his dry, napkin. 

“What was that about? I was only trying to help.” 

Christopher glared at his son and with a low voice said, “you don’t ever touch her like that without her permission. She is a lady, you show her respect.”

You kept quiet and pretended you didn’t hear a thing. “Thank you,” you whispered to both men. Christopher handed you sweetly his cup of water. 

“I am very sorry, your Royal Highness.” Edward said. “My daughter is very clumsy. Why this morning she was trying to-”

“Bread!” You yelled. 

Everyone looked at you oddly but you were trying to dodge the morning fiasco. 

People were eating, talking, getting down to business but all you wanted to do was think of a new invention. There has to be something out there that you could invent that could change someone’s life. 

“Sweetheart, sweetheart,” Athela snapped her fingers to disrupt your day dreaming. “Tell them that one time you matched your best friend and that handsome very tall prince together. You were a match maker.”

“That was only one time mother. They were all over each other even before I suggested the thought of them being together.”

“But you still purposed it. Our daughter loves that stuff. Loves love and romance and marriage.”

You felt like shouting and disagreeing with your mother but what was done was done. You didn’t understand love since you didn’t truly feel it and you for one did not want to get married. 

“Don’t you dear?”

You nodded as you played with your food. 

“Tell them what you like, my love,” Athela tapped your shoulder. 

With excitement running through your veins you almost squealed at that question, “oh where do I start! I love inven-”

Athela stomped on your toes and frowned at you. She hated when you talked about your love for inventing. She thought it was a waste of time and very unattractive. 

Christopher looked worried as he knitted his brows. 

“I love...makeup and beauty. My hobbies are shopping and buying,” you said with a drag. 

“Oh my dear y/n you are just a doll,” Athela tapped your chin to sit up straight so as not to have a double chin. 

“Jakob why don’t you tell duchess y/n about your love for traveling?” Christopher said while dabbing his mouth. 

Jakob sipped his tea, “yes, indeed. My hobbies are traveling. I love going to different places, its like going to new worlds. Its so unique and inspiring others cultures.”

Your eyes lit up hearing his adventurous life style, wishing it was you. “Really? I never knew this. Where have you been?”

“I’ve been to Africa, China and many more. Every place I’ve been to has been so beautiful.”

“Wow.” You leaned your head against your palm. “What a life. I wish I could go.”

“Oh don’t be silly dear those places are so far away from here why would you want to leave?” Your mother wiped her mouth like a lady. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll take you one day,” Jakob whispered as he winked. 

“And what about you, Sir. What do you like to do?” You raised your brow, asking Christopher.  

“Me? I did not know you would be interested to know about an old man like me.”

“I want to know the most about both of you. You are our guest.” 

“Well I enjoy books. I have a whole collection of books in my library.”

“Wait? You have a library? How big?” You were like a child in a candy shop. 

“Bigger than a ship,” Christopher motioned closer to you. 

“Oh my. Who is your favorite author?”

“Terry P. Whilliams, he wrote-”

“The Way of the World. I enjoyed the book so much and he is one of my favorite authors. He is just so-”

“Real.”

“And very truthful.” You clutched your dress. 

“He wrote that passage that said how the sun and moon cannot live without each other. Without the sun there is no light, no morning. Without the moon there is no darkness, no night. He compared humans to that. Humans cannot live without each other. Humans love.”

You held your breath. Yes you read the passage but hearing it come out of his mouth made it so much more dramatic and moving. “Yes, I do remember that.”

Jakob scoffed, “boring! Sorry my father is such a bore.”

“Oh no he is very not that. I am a reader as well. I love reading about everything.”

“Remember what I told you,” Athela gritted through her teeth. 

Christopher saw that and saw how sad your whole demeanor became. Your smile faded as well as your enthusiasm and you pardoned yourself quietly.

“I am excited for today’s masquerade ball. I haven’t been to one in a while and I feel as if I do need to let off some steam and enjoy the ambiance of,” Jakob inhaled, “my people.”

He was a party animal. Liked the setting, drinking, the ladies why of course, that was every young, single, mans dream and happy place. To you though it made you less attracted to him. You were an outsider, anti-social. Somebody who chose the comforts of her sad, pampered room rather than dance the night away with people who didn’t care about her. 

“I’m glad, my dear.” Athela ate a piece of her salad. “You deserve it. Besides it is for you and y/n.”

“May I ask who will be attending?”

“A couple of y/n’s friends. Jamila-”

“Jamila will be going?” You asked.

Your mother nodded. 

You wanted to shoot up from your seat. Jamila Hassan, Princess of Saad. She was your best friend. She was the only person you felt that understood you. She was like a sister to you. 

 “And also Lilo, Meera-”

You groaned hearing Meera. She was royal, snotty and spoiled. She loathed your guts. She was a hypocrite, and a liar. She was a terrible person. “Why mother-” You said no more when your mother glared at you again for what felt like the 50th time that evening. This ball was going to be way harder than you ever imagined. 

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