#armadillo shoe

[astral-ii]

i could never hate an armadillo shoe. ever

[tekatonic]

Had to put the boys together ! Good luck reading the literal instruction manual I made for Shadow's equipment, haha.

And then there's Mighty and Ray ! Pretty proud of them still. You might notice the different in amount of content... I had a lot more ideas for Mighty at the time, Ray's just a lil goober.

( animation of Mighty doing a magnetic javelin throw : here )

[pacdevil]

wanted to sketch the boysTM <2

[shojo]

Um hello????

WAS NO ONE GOING TO TELL ME

ABOUT THE STEAMPUNK VERSIONS OF FREDDY 

AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, BALLORA????????

LET’S NOT FORGET THIS LITTLE BASTARD TOO. 

[fashionistasparadise]

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A post shared by Haute Couture Fashionista (@hautecouturefashionista)

[lbeth1950]

A Hog a Day Part 5

“Hurry up and get your shoes on.  We’re going to Mr. Grady’s house.  You can play with his grandkids.”  Daddy called behind him as he headed for the truck. “I ain’t waiting for you!” I was near frantic as I tore through the house looking for the shoes I’d kicked off the last time I’d been made to wear them.  Shoes were for school and going places.  I’d never have worn them voluntarily.  “I gotta…

[kickingitwithkirk]

Paschal Moon 2.0 -1/2

Summary: Jensen finds love the second time around can be bumpier than an armadillo-laden roadway in Texas.

Pairing: Jensen Ackles x Fiancé!Reader

WC: 2120

Warnings: fair amount of drinking and flangst, relationships are hard, insecurities, cursing, sexy teasing, arguments, family issues, reader still saying shit like me IRL

*Please read Paschal Moon first. This story is a continuation of it.

A/N: It's been a minute since I've been up to writing after Covid kicked my arse, but I had this sequel idea bouncing around and splitting into two parts.

A/N II: I based readers home on this property I’d love to live on in Utley, Tx

A/N III: This is a work of fiction, and no intentional disrespect to the real-life persons contained within.

Square Filled: @jacklesversebingo -“I’ll always take care of you as long as you need me” in bold @j3bingo -Foreplay

*Moldavite

*divider by @firefly-graphics

*no Beta-all mistakes are mine

*photos found online

The screen doors creaking made Jensen look up from the sheet music he was working on and saw his fiancée couldn't help but smile. Six months ago, he was so deep in divorce drama that it was providence meeting this nerd-hot astronomy professor who lives in the boonies.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said, sitting his guitar on the couch, expecting her to reciprocate, but she just walked through the kitchen door. Okay, that’s not good, Jensen thought. Crossing the main room, he found Y/N’s messenger bag lying on the floor, her jacket carelessly tossed on top, and shoes kicked in opposite directions.

Jensen heard a cabinet door slam shut in the shoebox-sized kitchen as he gathered the items and placed them in their usual spots before entering the kitchen to find Y/N leaning against the old butcher block countertop with a finger crooked in a bottle of Fireball Whiskey's handle, chugging it like an old moonshiner made him remark, “Guess you've had a day.”

Pulling off she bitterly responds: “It’s been crapdamntastic. And how was yours, dear?” This shocks her fiancé. Y/N never called him that, once saying the endearment had a negative connotation from her childhood when she suddenly stomped off. When the hundred-year-old farmhouse’s pipes rattle, it snaps Jensen out of it, and, like the last time Y/N had guzzled that much alcohol too fast, he sees the trail of clothes left in her wake.

Now concerned, he gathered the articles and deposited them in the bath hamper. “Gonna tell me what set you off this time?”

A very unladylike snort came from behind the shower's glass door, “Check your phone.” He retrieved it from the charger in the bedroom and plopped on the large bed, thumbing through multiple missed text stops at the one from his manager marked urgent opens the included link. “Wha…Motherfucker!”

In an exclusive interview, OTH star Danneel Ackles reveals the real reason her ex-husband, Supernatural's Jensen Ackles, deserted his family.

A bath sheet-wrapped Y/N sat down cross-legged, facing Jensen as he continually tugged a hand through his long hair while reading the article full of falsehoods. Jensen suddenly dropped his phone and reached for the bottle copied her earlier chugging, “You know those paparazzi that've been harassing since Inks Lake?”

Jensen acknowledges, remembering the night a few weeks ago when Y/N’s astronomy class took a field trip, secretly arranging to take her camping instead (something he wouldn’t normally do on a dare) and proposed during the celestial event.

“Well, today, they got into the auditorium during my lecture and began shouting those derogatory accusations from that piece when several of my students took it upon themselves to intervene. Long story short, I’m on unpaid leave until the school finishes its inquiry.” His following words this is my fault made Y/N snap. “Oh, the hell you say! You’re absofuckinglutley not at fault here! Danneel acting like a snake in the grass!”

“Danneels pissed because,” but Jensen didn’t finish, instead guzzling on the last of the bottle.

“Because beg-a-bitch badly miscalculated you’d come crawling back and trying to save face! Peaches, I knew being together would have bumps, but this?” She points to his phone, “Face facts, Jensen. Your ex is a Regina George who’s gone too damn far covering her swamp ass!” Jensen sputtered on the cinnamon whiskey burning down the wrong pipe, “Swamp ass?”

“Urban Dictionary, page two, definition four.”

Jensen began to speak, but Y/N placed her fingers against his plump lips. “You’ve always been inclined to let a lotta crap slide to keep the peace because she’s the mother of your children. But Jensen, it’s time to redraw the boundaries of what is acceptable and what’s not ‘cause I don’t want your kids to grow up with resentments like I have towards mine.”

“Ohhh my god! Keep giving it to me just like this Peaches!” 

Y/N, sucking on her fingers, moaned in ecstasy, then pulled them out with an obscene pop before reaching for another slab of the ribs Jensen fixed in the outdoor smoker. “Good thing we’re not in public; otherwise, you’d get an obscenity charge.”

“It was one time, and I got off with a warning.” She cheekily remarks, “Besides, my meat man deserves props.” Jensen’s fair skin flushed; his tell when embarrassed but also when aroused makes Y/N grin and tease him by sucking the bones clean.

“Y/N, I wanted to talk about something, and don’t take this the wrong way.” Jensen takes a long swig of his beer before tackling the tricky subject. “Since we’re staying with my family for dad’s birthday, could you tone it down? Your personality can be a bit much.” Y/N got that expression, which he still wasn’t sure how to interpret.

“Calling me extra, that’s rich, considering your profession is full of fake people.” Jensen suppressed his automatic response. “Y/N, it’s just my parents; they’re very conservative.” She dropped her uneaten ribs and sat back.

“I might’ve grown up po-dunk,” her tone signals he’s close to stepping over the line. “But I know how to act around those types; otherwise, I wouldn’t have my position at UT Austin, let alone be headhunted by SpaceX for their new facility coming to Texas!” The flash of surprise crossing Jensen’s face didn’t slow Y/N down. “Would working for Elon Musk be acceptable to the high-fluttering Ackles clan? Or do they consider his personality a bit much?”

Hitting his limit, Jensen’s near-perfect features morphing into I’m done with your shit expression irked her more.

“You know what? We’re a couple of liquorlip loaded guns and better table this conversation till capable of being civil. Thank you for dinner, it was delicious.” Y/N gets up and grabs the rest of the six-pack. “I’m gonna polish these off in the guest house.”

“This is your house.”

“I know.“ Y/N says, twirling her engagement ring around her finger. “Kinda hoping sleeping alone in my bed will clarify whether you had a holy fuck, I’m over forty and single again moment and jumped the gun proposing or really ready for this life with me.” She laid the ring on the table before Jensen, and staggering slightly down the porch steps, disappeared into the moonless night.

Jensen was sitting on the kitchen banquette, watching the ancient oak leaves dance on the breeze through the window, when Y/N padded in barefoot, clad in one of his T-shirts, damp hair hanging loosely down her back, and no makeup.

God, he loved how she rocked the all-natural look, so different from Danneel, who always had to be camera-ready, watches Y/N sleepily fumble around, realizing the kettle was already heated, she added the tea diffuser, steeping it before pouring it into an oversized mug.

She shuffles and plops across from him, leaning on an elbow, waiting for Jensen to speak. “It wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction. You are the person I want to be with for the rest of my life.”

“Why?”

That one-word question hung in the air because Jensen knew what Y/N wanted.

It wasn’t the usual platitudes of I love you or can’t live without you. She wanted him to be open, raw, vulnerable, something he always had trouble with, exposing his innermost self.

“Figured after a decade in the industry, I had a grasp of how to tell fake people from real ones. I believed I knew Danneel because we’d been friends. Then she kissed me in Ten Inch Hero and we,” Y/N quirked an eyebrow as he ran a hand through his long hair, “I knew her boyfriend but did all my thinking with the wrong head. It wasn’t my finest moment.”

Jensen picked up the mug he’d already drunk and refilled it. “Looking back, I realized there were signs; our normal banter changed at some point. It was stupidly easier to ignore our issues in Vancouver or at cons.” Y/N remains quiet, so Jensen wouldn’t stop opening the hurt box and acknowledging the truth.

“I let Danneel manipulate me, thinking she supported my career by encouraging me to take on more roles. After getting pregnant with JJ, said she wanted to move back to Texas to be closer to family. Then pushing for more kids, ignoring what I wanted, to secure her position. And the other duplicity’s to get financial support for whatever project interested her.”

Jensen didn’t notice Y/N sliding across the seat beside him as he buried his face in his hands, “I've been her lifelong meal ticket. How could I have been so fucking stupid?!”

“Jensen, you aren’t stupid, you were in love. And some marriages work better with a bit of separation. What’s making me hella pissed is Grade A Cunt going around acting like butter wouldn’t melt and blaming you for her cheating!”

Y/N softens her approach, “Those weeks you didn’t call, figured you lost my number cause you’re another Hollyweird dickwad who didn’t wanna get caught with Ms. one-foot outta the trailer park.” Jensen shook his head, “I wouldn’t have taken you bar hopping to the ones I frequent if being seen together was the real problem. Why didn’t I call,” he shook his head again. “I didn’t know how to respond to you crashing through my insecurities like a…”

“Two by four in a tornado?”

“Pretty accurate and disturbing description.”

“Peaches, wanna know what I see when I look at you?” Jensen turned toward her, eyes loaded with apprehension. “A guy who feels too much, so he hides behind this reserved veneer and Da Vinci perfect face, kinda like his alter ego.”

Jensen pushes the mug over and takes her hand, placing the ring back on her finger. “I don’t know how to be without you anymore, so do me a favor. Don’t take this off again, okay?”

“Okay,” she reaches up, cupping his bearded cheek, "Peaches, I’ll always take care of you as long as you need me. So, we done with this emotional colonic?” Jensen laughs and kisses her. “That’s my girl.” He then licked his lips, “How about heading back to bed? We have a few hours before picking up the kids.” Y/N got up taken both mugs to the sink.

“I guess, since my propensity to get laid is about to greatly diminish staying with your parents, the con, then you heading off to finish up The Winchesters afterwards.”

“You have the weirdest technique for enticing a guy, sweetheart.” Jensen’s T-shirt smacks him in the face, and he's about to give her what for is gobsmacked at a completely naked Y/N standing in the doorway striking a seductive pose.

“This technique work for you, Peaches?”

Jensen glances in the SUV's rearview mirror to see which of his kids are acting up. But Clif, without looking, knows what’s happening and loudly asked, “Do the adult children need a timeout?” The noise abruptly stops as Jared and Y/N point at each other and simultaneously say, “He/She started it!”

****

The trip ended up taking a lot longer due to road work slowing traffic on the way to dropping Jared and Clif off at the hotel, and Jensen was relieved to pull into his parents' driveway. Getting out, twisted his torso to loosen up tense back muscles froze when the squeals of mommy rang out, and heard Danneel say she was also staying for the weekend.

Y/N grabs Zeps's backpack before stomping to the vehicle's rear, and when Jensen rounds the SUV, he is greeted with obscenities that would make a sailor blush and luggage hitting concrete. “Sweetheart, I have no idea why Danneel is here...”

“Because I invited her,” Donna Ackles says from not three feet away, and Jensen becomes frosty.

“Mom, we discussed this. You knew I was introducing Y/N to the family this weekend.” Donna comes back with, “Just because you abandoned your marital oath doesn’t change the fact that Danneel's family. And I had assumed your friend would be staying at that hotel, too.”

“Well, you know what they say about assumptions, Mrs. Ackles.” Donna’s eyes widened at Y/N's flippant remark, “You are a very impudent!”

“No, ma’am, inviting your son's lying whore ex to stay in the same house without his knowledge, that’s impudent," Y/N retorts. “I’d bet the farm your intentions are to demonstrate to everyone how dime in a dollar store I seem next to Danneel, hoping Jensen will be embarrassed enough to send me packing. Hate to disappoint you, but I don’t intimidate easily. So,” She stepped into Donna personal space and, with hands on hips says…“Bring it on, Grandma.”

SPNTAGS:  @donnaintx  @lyarr24  @flamencodiva @lassie-bird  @nancymcl  @spnbaby-67 @leigh70 @b3autyfuld1sast3r

Sam/Jared: @idreamofplaid

Dean/Jensen: @thoughts-and-funnies  @stoneyggirl2  @beabutterfly987   @smoothdogsgirl @deans-spinster-witch

[oshawottarchive]

[Pt 1] [Pt 2] [Pt 3] [Pt 4] [Pt 5]

More incorrect quotes yippee!

————

Bdubs: Could you guys at least try to see this from my perspective?

Tango: *crouches down*

Etho: *kneels down*

Skizz: *sits on the floor*

Bdubs:

Bdubs: I hate all of you

————

Skizz: What are you getting Etho for the holidays?

Bdubs: I don’t know. It’s kind of hard buying a gift for your partner when they already got everything they could’ve ever wanted when they married you. So I’m not sure yet

Tango: I’m getting Etho a divorce lawyer

————

Impulse: If I punch myself and it hurts, am I weak or strong?

Zedaph: Strong

Tango: Weak

Skizz: An idiot

————

Xisuma: Don’t break someone’s heart, they only have one

Keralis: Break one of their bones instead, they have 206 of them

————

Mumbo: Good morning

Pearl: Good morning

Bdubs: Good morning

Scar: You all sound like robots, try spicing it up a bit

Joel: MORNING MOTHERFUCKERS

————

Skizz: How did you even get in here?

Tango: BigB’s window! Or as I like to call it; “Tango’s door”!

BigB: I’m closing the window

————

Tango: Hey guys, I found a 100 dollar bill!

Tango: *looks around* . . .Should I keep it?

Skizz: Tango, just do the right thing

BigB: And put it in your bag

Skizz: NO—

————

Scar: The first time I saw you, you stole my heart

Grian: But I’m a kleptomaniac, so that doesn’t mean anything

————

Scott: Breaking news, Jimmy has disappointed us yet again

————

Ren: I’m cold

BigB: Here, take my hoodie

*meanwhile*

Pearl: I’m cold

Scott: Well damn, I can’t control the weather, now can I?

————

Martyn: Pearl just said “I have an appetite for destruction” and then reached down and untied my shoe

————

False: Hey do we have any more orange juice?

Joel: *pours the rest of the orange juice into his cup*

Joel: No

————

Joel: I’m not like other girls. I’m way, way worse

————

*at the zoo*

Scar: What are they in for?

Grian: Scar, this isn’t prison

Scar: So they can leave?

Grian: No-

Scar: *points at an armadillo* I bet that one murdered someone

————

Cleo: What the hell kind of tea is this?

Scar: I boiled gatorade

————

Scar: Okay, two person huddle

Grian: You can’t huddle with two people. This is just a hug

————

Etho: Please Xisuma, I don’t speak meme! I don’t know what a “yeet” is!

————

xB: Why do you keep a diary?

Joe: To keep secrets from my computer

————

Xisuma: I am an expert at identifying birds

Joe: Okay, what about those ones over there?

Xisuma: Yup, they’re all birds

————

[rock-and-roll-hell]

February 18, 1977

Rock And Roll Over Tour

Madison Square Garden - New York City

 "Stumbling in the darkness into a KIϟϟ concert, as this well-meaning observer did Friday at Madison Square Garden, might lead on directly to dire meditations on the decline of Western civilization. How else, after all, are we to interpret an entertainment that highlights a bass player spitting ‘blood’ atop a tower, surrounded by swirls of smoke and bathed in bilios green light, all the while dressed in a black leather and silver costume that makes him look like a diabolical armadillo? And the sight of this apparition evoking a dull, throaty roar of appreciation from the sold-out house, the cries of the multitude overlaid with the treble piping of a large pre-pubescent minority“ (New York Times, 2/20/77).

Ace was drunk at sound check, so Bobby McAdams filled in. The concert was billed as a 'Triumphant Return of the Conquering Heroes’. An after party was held at the Parc Swim & Health Club on 56th Street. The band showed up sans makeup and numerous guests were tossed into the pool, including Ace, who lost his shoes.

[charleecat-bat]

Horror/Slasher AU designs for Mighty, Matilda and Ray!

Mighty and Ray are ghosts, while Matilda is alive but is seen as a creepy and offputting girl or as a bad omen, as death seems to follow her—and that's mostly thanks to the two ghosts that are attached to her.

Some notes on the designs and then backstory below the cut:

-Mighty appears like this when 'calm' but when Angry, he appears like a large fiery almost demon like being. The gaping hole in his chest ignites into flames when he's angry, as well as his eyes and even develops horns along his shell. When he appears in a non-threatening look he takes a lot of punk rock sort of look. He doesn't know why he looks like this...

-Matilda actually dyes/paints her shell green. Her natural colour is brown. At first she chose to dress in all dark and gloomy emo clothes and now it's just all she has since sh'es constantly on the move and only could pack a few things.

-Ray's eyes are sunken in, and his tail is similar to what roadkill would look like. His Poncho is supposed to be similar to the flying squirrel skin and also like the typical sheet ghost look. He's also missing a shoe and his ear is almost torn off his head.

The backstory is very tragic but i'll try to keep it as short as possible.

The Armadillo siblings had a rough family life. In this AU, their mother wasn't around, and they had their awful father, who was a very abusive sheriff-type figure. He only really cared about his reputation, so while he'd act 'decent' in front of others, to the kids, he was abusive. Especially to Mighty, he and Mighty would frequently get into fights.Their father was the one man that Mighty would lose his temper at.

Their closest friend was a lone neighbourhood kid, Ray, who had a rough situation himself that mostly involved him being heavily neglected so he just wound up playing and wondering around alone. He and Matilda are actually the same age as teenagers but Ray's growth was stunted due to his neglect so he just looks smaller...

At some point, Ray just... vanished. He stopped showing up to hangout with the siblings and it got to a point even his family noticed. They found his body in the forest and assumed it was some accident despite the injuries looking suspicious. The real story of Rays death was that he was walking alone in the rain and was struck by a car, being driven by Mighty and Matilda's father. While it was unclear if it was an accident or a malicious act, his selfish act of dumping ray's body in the nearby woods instead of taking him to a hospital to get help still solidified his awfulness.

During this time of grief, Matilda started to see Ray around. At first she was scared but then would start trying to talk to him, and even try to convince Mighty of what she was being told. Mighty was reluctant to believe her but soon started to when she said details that seemed too specific to be made up... as well as weird happenings starting to occur.

Soon, though, another fight broke out in the Armadillo household. Matilda cowering a distance away while Mighty fought his father. Now, due to his position, of course, the father had a gun and would threaten them with it or even shoot close to them to scare them. This had become an unfortunate norm. This time, the fight was particularly bad, and Mighty had dared to try and take the gun off of him.

Everything froze when a loud bang was heard. The gun had gone off when their father had attempted to take it off of his son and accidentally pulled the trigger.

Before he could even say a single word, Mighty had already dropped to the floor, his eyes wide and bleeding badly through a hole in his chest. It was Matilda's screaming and cries that triggered their father in action and he fled to the phone while Matilda was left trying to help her brother despite not knowing what to do... the bleeding wouldn't stop and he was barely breathing. It wouldn't take long for him to go completely still.

Her brother was gone...

What put the nail in the coffin for her, though, was what her father did as a selfish attempt to cover his own precious reputation. He said Mighty did it to himself. A suicide, right in front of them. She was threatened to keep quiet, but that didn't stop her from letting her rage simmer quietly. Her only company was Ray's spirit, who stayed alongside her... and then it eventually hit her. If Ray had died and somehow returned to her, maybe her brother could do the same. But she couldn't leave it up to chance, she wanted to make sure it happened.

So then began Matildas obsessive research into the occult, including getting her hands on an old worn book.

And despite her inexperience in performing anything like the book asked, she tried anyway. She didn't care what happened at this point, all she knew was that she despised her father with all her heart and wanted the one member off her family back in her life. miraculously, it worked... but not like she intended.

Due to her inexperience, as far as she believes, Mighty had come back, but... he wasn't quite himself. He looked, scarier? Like Ray but he didn't appear just as how he died. He covered in spikes, a dark gaping hole in his chest. Fiery coloured eyes and sharp jagged teeth. He almost looked like a demon.

Matilda was scared of her course but what she tried had technically worked, she had her brother back... but something didn't feel right. Despite all this... he didn't seem angry at her, he looked more sad, or confused. And for that moment, it felt like everything might be okay.

And then her father showed up. Hearing that distant angry yell made the spirit of her brother contort in anger and his form started to change. Almost appearing demonic, the hole in his chest igniting a flame and his eyes doing a similar act. He appeared larger and more monsterous as he quickly went to attack him.

At first Matilda had no remorse, she hated her father and her brother was getting revenge.

But the coming bloodbath was too much for even her to bare. Not even her own brother was capable of something like that... not the one she knew. He would never do something like this spirit did, not even to their own father.

It scared her.

It went quiet again shortly. The fire spirit of her brother fading into the form he had before, no longer angry.

He could tell she was scared, he didn't understand why he did what he did. But he was just trying to protect his sister.

That night, she left, as shellshocked and scared as she was. She took her brothers hand and left that home.

And since then, she's been from town to town, trying to deal with these two spirits now attached to her and being her ghostly bodyguards. While she's happy she still has them... she can't help but be scared and stressed when the news gets around to towns that she seems to be an omen of death...

[mikespice97]

Lady Gaga wearing McQueen armadillo shoes, 2015 🇺🇸

[tellyourcatisaidpspsps]

Audhd Rage & Unwanted Touch: A Rant

I'm sorry, but when someone touches me, I want to shove my foot so far up their ass that the tip of my shoe grazes their brain stem and they are suddenly infused with the knowledge of how it feels.

This feeling overwhelms me. It's hard to control and I feel like I'm crazy but I just. hate. being. touched.

Like a thousand ants crawling on my skin--fire ants. I want to rip my skin off or just roll into an armadillo ball and get away from any more touching.

I hate it. It drives me batty and people don't respect my requests to not to be touched...because for some reason, in this society, 'I don't like it' isn't enough explanation.

Then, when I go into my Full Explanatory Speech Mode, they're put off and repulsed by my honesty. 🤨

You're only going to get one or the other with me. I don't understand. If 'no' isn't enough, but my tiresome explanation pisses you off, then what else should I do? Fucking tap dance?

Since this, my simple request, has somehow become all about you?

Fuck gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss. Fuck social conventions.

And most importantly, FUCK YOU, you disrespectful, neurotypical, touch-obsessed leeches!

What more do y'all neurotypicals want from us?

All I want is some damn peace.

[squirrelmop]

I started with a quick line practice with fruits (orange??) and ended with armadillos being turned into juice/wearing shoes. There is nothing deep about it (I think) I just let my mind wander.

[always-an-evergreen]

1, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 26, 27, 28, 70 and 76 for those asks 🫶🏻

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

Coffee cups!

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

goth or grung

7. earbuds or headphones?

Earbuds out n about, headphones for the inside (studying, sit down work outside, etc)

8. movies or tv shows?

hmmmm TV bc I like seeing where the quality drops off for the one thing

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

I have these mesh Vans that are getting beat to hell. They're my concert going shoes bc they're so damn comfy

18. ideal weather?

65 degree sweater, partly cloudy. I like my hoodies and big sweater

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

in 110 degree weather? s u r v i v i ng. But in normal heat, regular walks?

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

Skateboarding, less sweat = longer sesh :) tho i havent in a minute

28. five songs to describe you?

(last song but the intro lyrics are them brain rot "fleep deep shrimp are made of shrimp" post)

70. left or right handed?

righty

[sunlitsparks]

Chapter 1: A New Pair of Boots

Summary | Next

Chapter under the cut ☆

Hooray. Another day at work.

Honey twirled her pigtail around her fingers distractedly, watching the bustling outside from the view of the store’s front glass door. The store was a cozy little place, with shelves lining the sides of both walls and racks full of more clothing, spaced evenly enough apart for some walking space, plus two fitting rooms in the back of the store near the register. They sold a small variety of clothing including dresses, skirts, shirts and pants, shoes, and a counted selection of purses occasionally. It was mostly marketed towards feminine individuals. Being located at a small shopping center, the entire front of the store was glass, with no windows or doors located elsewhere, save for one more door in the back for employees to exit.

Working in a boutique had once been her dream job—she has always wanted to start selling her own line of clothes someday, so working in a clothing store would give her just the experience she needed to begin pitching her own sales and researching what styles customers enjoy! When she was approached with this job opportunity, she knew she had landed the jackpot. What could possibly go wrong??

Oh. Right. The fact that her store was always dead.

“Honey? You went quiet all of a sudden.”

The voice sounding from her phone jolted her out of her thoughts, reminding her that she wasn’t quite fully alone. “Sorry Mina,” she laughed half-heartedly. “Just… thinking how boring it is here!!”

“Hey, I’m sure someone will show up at some point,” her friend reassured, though Honey doubted her words. She appreciated the attempt at reassurance, though. “I’d show up myself to hang out if I weren’t getting ready for my gig tonight.”

“The gig that I’m not even gonna make it to because of work,” Honey grumbled, slumping down against the register desk even more than she was before. Her yellow mongoose friend was a talented singer, occasionally landing small gigs in local restaurants and such; Honey always did her best to be there for as many as possible. In fact, today’s gig would be the first one she didn’t make it to in the year since her friend started.

“Hey, don’t worry about it! I know you can’t help it,” her friend reassured. “It’s not like there’s many other employees there you could’ve swapped shifts with.”

The amber-colored cat sighed, twitching her tail to and fro. “Well… I just hope it all goes well for you.”

A figure moving closer towards the door caught her attention again; at first she suspected it was a passerby, on their way to one of the local restaurants or grocery stores. They appeared to be crossing the street to their side, though the longer they walked, the more they appeared to be headed straight for this location after all.

“Oh hey, looks like I’ll have a customer after all,” Honey remarked, standing on her toes to get a closer look, trying to judge what they might be looking for before they even walked in.

The longer she stared, though, the faster her heart began to beat. They were an armadillo with a dark red shell and deep blue eyes. They appeared to be on the phone as well, smiling at some point in their conversation, making Honey audibly gasp without even realizing what she was doing.

“Honey? Did you hear me?”

The armadillo raised his gaze to the door and made eye contact with Honey, and she let out a startled squeak and ducked behind the counter out of his sight. “Oh no he’s hot!!”

“What?” Mina was now dying of laughter from the other end of the conversation, and Honey flattened her ears out of embarrassment. She knew she had no reason to be embarrassed though—this was her best friend, her partner in crime, the person she shared all of her darkest secrets with!! And yet she could feel her face flushing dark red, and her fur frizzing up. “Wait, hold up, scale from 1 to 10?”

“I don’t know I can’t look again or he’ll know I’m staring!!” Honey thought to herself, trying to conjure his image in her head once more. “Probably like an 11 or something dude, he’s hot!!”

“Ohhhh,” the mongoose’s voice giggled. “Dude, go shoot your shot! He’s coming into your store isn’t he? You gotta acknowledge him anyways! Besides, I gotta go meet someone before this gig.”

“Wait Mina don’t go—”

“You got this, girl! Love ya! Byeeeeee!”

Click. The phone call ended.

“Ughhh!!” Honey groaned, kicking her feet a little. She was tempted to curl up into a ball and tuck her head between her legs, but instead she tapped her cheeks gently with her fingertips. Snap out of it, you got this!!

She grabbed a random stack of papers from one of the shelves on her side of the counter, standing back up as the bell rang, signaling the customer walking in. “Welcome to Vivienne’s Vibrant Boutique,” she called, placing the stack of papers on top of the desk, trying to play it cool as though the reason she ducked in the first place was simply to pick it up.

He was no longer on his phone, having apparently ended the conversation before walking in; he smiled shyly and mumbled a small “H’lo”, gazing around. He had a kind of lost expression on his face, giving Honey the impression he had genuinely no idea what he was doing here.

She walked out from behind the store counter, her heels clacking with every step; the sound caused the armadillo to lift his gaze again, realizing he was being approached. “Anything I can help with, doll??” she asked, giving him a smile, though she was quite convinced it came across as a goofy grin rather than comforting and inviting.

He didn’t seem to take notice of her awkwardness, however, and his eyes brightened a little, looking somewhat relieved. “As a matter of fact, yeah,” he answered. Honey’s heart fluttered more as he spoke. His voice was somewhat smooth and bright, not extremely deep but not too high pitched either, perhaps… boyish? It was rather handsome—wait, can voices be described as handsome?? Is that how that works?? “I’m looking for a gift for my younger sister; she’s been wanting some new boots, but I can’t quite decide what she likes…”

“Well you’ve come to the right gal!!” Honey giggled, immediately wishing she could smack herself. “So what does she generally like?? What activities are they going to be used for??”

“Hmm…” The armadillo rested his hand against his chin, pondering. “She’s kind of introverted, honestly. She likes to go on hikes though. So probably just for that, and school.”

“So normal wear and tear, enough for hikes though,” Honey mused, glancing around the selection available. Her eyes landed on something simple, a smooth black, slightly higher than ankle length, with zippers along the side as well as standard shoelaces, with black soles. The material was faux leather, and it was a reasonably affordable price, in her opinion.

“These are a good option,” she suggested, pointing them out to the customer. “Faux leather but very good in quality and budget-friendly too!! I own a pair of these myself in red, and really like them!!”

He looked them over, intrigued, but not quite fully satisfied, it would seem. “They do look nice… but she likes to doodle on her shoes, and I’m not fully sure these would work for that…”

How cute!! She couldn’t help but smile at the thought and at this armadillo’s thoughtfulness.

“Then this may be closer to what you’re looking for!!” she replied, passing him a different pair towards the left. The soles were rubber as well, but the outside of the shoe was white and made of hemp, providing a smoother texture. This pair lacked the zipper, and though it had shoelaces they didn’t actually tie anything; they were made more for simply slipping on and going.

“These are a little cheaper in price but still good quality as well!! Also comes in other colors and is much more ideal for drawing on.”

His expression brightened, and almost as soon as he looked at the shoe she was holding out to him, his gaze darted toward the other pairs, looking at the other colors presumably. He seemed to find what he was looking for, a shade of light green, and once he picked out the correct size, he pulled out the box and handed it to her with an adorable grin on his face.

“So what’s the occasion, a birthday or something??” I asked, walking over to the register with him so I could ring him up.

“Nah, just… her current shoes are falling apart at the soles, she needed something new, so I figured I’d pick some up for her since I got paid today.”

“Fair enough,” she replied, setting down the box and scanning them with the handheld scanner.

“So, it doesn’t look like it gets too busy here, huh?” he mused, looking sideways, almost as if… avoiding eye contact?

Is he trying to make conversation with me??

“Yeah, not really,” she laughed awkwardly, placing a hand behind her head and subconsciously rubbing behind her own ear. “Uh. Small businesses, ya know how it goes.”

“True,” he replied, glancing back at me and giving a small smile. “I work for a small construction company, so I don’t work a lot in between contracts, unfortunately. Have to pick up side hustles here and there, where I can.” “Wow, it must be tough.” Honey was lucky enough to live with a relative, so she didn’t have to rely on bills and such, and was mainly focusing on saving enough money to enroll in a fashion design course at the local university.

“Yeah, it has its challenges for sure, but I try my best to make it work,” he responded, pulling out his wallet to pay as I finished ringing him up. “Oh, uh, not that I’m trying to brag or anything—”

“Oh don’t worry, I get you,” Honey giggled, handing the armadillo his receipt. “Here you are! Anything else you need?”

“Um, yeah actually… I was wondering if I could get your number?”

“HUH?!?!” the cat exclaimed loudly, her fur and tail frizzing up with surprise. “Wh—huh—just like that??”

His gaze was warm and steady but he was flushing furiously. “I always figured a direct approach is the best way, right? I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“Nonono, not at all.” Honey was shaking her head frantically, though that was perhaps also because she was a bit shaky. Her heart was beating so fast and her head was spinning. “Just—no one’s ever been so direct with me before. Not that it’s a bad thing at all!! Normally it’s a lot of beating around the bush and then I have to make the move—which, I don’t have an issue with, it’s what I’m more used to. Just, this is new but not bad!! I think you’re really cool,” she confessed quickly, realizing she was rambling. “I like your aura, and you seem really sweet, and you’re handsome, and I’d love to get to know you better!!”

“Is that a yes?” he pressed cautiously, his small smile getting slowly wider.

“Yeah!!” Honey answered, pulling out her phone to enter his contact info. “Oh, wait um—this sounds so silly!! But… what’s your name??” She realized that she also hadn’t introduced herself, but he probably already knew her name from the name tag on her blouse.

“Oh, of course!” He smacked his forehead softly, shaking his head. Once he gathered himself, he met Honey’s eyes again. To Honey, it almost felt like a scene from an anime, where the main protagonist’s hero or savior introduces themself by name in a big, epic reveal.

“My name is Mighty. Mighty the Armadillo.”

Summary | Next

[tsubaki-11]

Cosplay Progress - Ortho

One of the things I’ve been looking forward to making for Ortho are his shoes, since they’re such a unique shape.

For the Fairy Gala skin specifically, I think ballet boots would be the most accurate option since Ortho’s “feet” look narrower than normal. However, in most of his other skins his feet look more like Alexander McQueen’s armadillo shoes. Since ballet boots are expensive and force the wearer to walk en pointe (which I absolutely cannot do), I went with the second option.

I started by thrifting some high heels. I covered them in plastic wrap and duct tape to protect them, then started building out the “armadillo” shape in photo 3. I watched a Youtube video for inspiration on how to DIY this, and ended up cutting strips of a sturdy paper and taping them together to get the curve. The Youtube video recommended paper mache’ing the shape to make it permanent, but I’d like to be able to remove the covering and wear these heels as they are. So in step 4 I cut the shape to make the weirdest pattern ever, and in step 5 you can see how it looks in fabric all sewn together. Finally, in photo 6 I added boning just like one would for a corset.

I didn’t photograph this but I also added some fabric to the bottom and a snap on the back so that the covering would enclose the shoe. And this is how it looks actually on the foot:

I’m very pleased with this so far. I want to clean it up a bit, but it’s already reminding me of Ortho just with the shape.