#bottom is pattern drafting and decorating

[mini-golden]

So like I've had this in my drafts for months and I don't know if I've ever going to get around to finishing it so here's all I had written for a one-sided Felzu fic I was working on.

Chapter 1: Lady Luck is on the demon's side!

Heels clicked against cold stone bricks. A dark-skinned man walked with purpose around a corner, walls made out of the same stone as the floor. Ice clung to every surface yet did not seem to affect the man. He stopped in front of a door. Instead of a handle there was a small white stone tablet. Intricately carved with a front facing eagle perched atop two lions facing sideways and opposite from each other. The eagle had a face of a lion and so did the lions with eagle faces. All their eyes were closed. There was a small square nestled in the middle of the tablet.

Anzu blew icey breath into the square and straighten his pristine suit with a huff. He had a meeting with the other princes of hell that went on for longer than he anticipated. Though with Ava's embarrassing slip up and subsequent punishment Anzu found himself with some more free time on his hands.

The clicking of mechanisms could be heard coming from the door before Anzu pushed it open. The eyes of the eagle and lions now open to reveal purple gems in their place. Stepping into his office Anzu's shoes were met with a thick wool rug. Intricate patterns delicately weaved through the fabric. The demon walked further into the room and sat on a chair with a desk in front of it. The office was littered with expensive woods, gems, fabrics and pottery alongside various ice sculptures.

Anzu dug around in the draw of his desk to find the papers he needed to take care of. While reviewing conduct negotiations from lords around their surface properties the shine of the archangel soul fragment caught the demon's attention.

The demon frowned placing the rest of the papers down, careful not to place them too close to the ones he had already rejected or signed. Maybe he should move the soul fragment somewhere it wouldn't catch his eye so often. The fragment sat perched on a silk pillow inside a curved glass case. It glittered brightly in the artificial lights. An archangel's soul was truly a sight to behold.

Not just any archangel's either. The soul of the spawn of the angel judge herself, Master Hannah Angel. What was the young angel's name again? Alice, Alice Angel. Fitting name for such a girl. Ever noble in her righteous ways. Anzu smirked. What a fine opportunity the gods had just placed in his lap.

The demon glanced over to the other soul fragment perched on his desk. The casing of this fragment was more decorated then Alice's. Gold swirled from the bottom and top of the casing with a few gemstones tucked in. It didn't have that bright light that came from Alice's soul as it belonged to a non-magical creature. But that didn't make it any less than the angel's fragment. No, this belonged to a very interesting cat by the name of Felix.

Anzu licked his lips looking at it. He knew better then to devour either fragment as it was infested with that illness. Anzu hadn't been able to get the cat's soul out of his head. He had handled many souls in his life but Felix' was just breathtaking. It was beautiful. All the emotions swirled through in a gorgeous harmony. They were all so bright, it was easy to tell at a first glance that he was deeply passionate. Anzu hadn't seen such a strong and complex soul in awhile.

Meeting the cat in person Anzu could see why he was chosen as Professor Wilson Wiseton's prodigy. He had an idea of how Felix was due to the devil getting him to keep an eye on him in case Professor Wiseton had contact with him. But none of it truly prepared him to seeing Felix in action.

Quite literally, he could hold his own surprisingly well against a demon lord. An impressive feet for a simple cat toon. His fighting style was based on agility and flexibility. Drawing from your species' specialties was always a sign of a good fighter. Felix knew how to use his body in a way that told Anzu he had plenty of experience. He had shown to be skilled in multiple weapons. Switching between them with ease. That magic bag was a sight to behold as well. Anzu wondered how Felix got his hands on a pocket space bag. Yes, this cat was very interesting.

The demon prince hummed. He'd love to take the cat out for dinner. Felix had been a good conversationist last they spoke. Open and warm but it was clear his trust was not one to be tested. Anzu would have to keep that in mind. He would hate to break the trust given so easily to him by Felix. Anzu couldn't deny he was honoured by it. Maybe even a little flattered. Felix cared enough about demonkind to offer him all the information they had on ink illness. Felix fought a demon lord to adopt one of his kind. Anzu smiled at that.

He turned back to his papers and his smile grew. Lord Black Hat had made a request.

Anzu would have to see if Lady Luck was in his cards today.

________________________

Bendy tapped the table along with the tune carried by the record player in the living room. It was an upbeat jazzy tune. Bendy had a flick through of Felix' records with Boris. A lot of jazz of all kinds and some classical ones that Bendy had never heard before. Boris commented something about them sounding Felix. Everyone had a certain sound or something. Bendy didn't really get it but Boris tried to explain that you can tell a lot about someone by the type of music they like. It seemed to amuse Felix though when Boris tried to explain how it made sense he liked the type of songs he did. Bendy didn't really care about genres, if the music had a good rhythm he could dance to then that was good enough for him. Well, unless the lyrics were dumb.

His other hand was occupied by one of Hat's demon books. He had to visit Hat today and had been procrastinating on his readings. The smell of chicken, canola oil, eggs and an assortment of spices he couldn't pin point filled his nose. Smelt good though. Bendy's focus switched from his book to Boris and Dad's conversation while they made lunch. Felix' cooking was berries. No one could top Granny but Dad was an extremely close second. Growing up Bendy always thought the saying about food tasting better when it was 'made with love' was stupid. He definitely got the saying now. No matter what Granny or Dad cooked it make him feel relaxed and warm inside.

Bendy couldn't help but smile to himself. He felt loved and relaxed here. With his family. With his Dad's homemade cooking, with the help of his little brother sometimes. That was still a bit strange to say. It almost didn't feel real. Bendy cringed at that and clearly tried to shoo that line of thinking away. Letting out a shaky breath.

Bendy couldn't help but smile to himself. He felt loved and relaxed here. With his family. With his Dad's homemade cooking, with the help of his little brother sometimes. That was still a bit strange to say. It almost didn't feel real. Bendy cringed at that and clearly tried to shoo that line of thinking away. Letting out a shaky breath.

"Bendy," Dad's voice cut into his thoughts.

He snapped his head up to see a worried, searching look on Dad's face. His shoulder felt warm. Oh Dad's hand was on it. His hands were always soft and warm.

"You okay, Bendy?" Boris spoke from across the table. Wearing the same worried expression that Dad did. Even with a spoonful of food in his muzzle.

Bendy looked at his dad and back to Boris and then down at the food in front of him. He must have been zoned out.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, just.. thinking is all," Bendy gave his family a stiff smile. The look Boris gave told Bendy he didn't believe the demon.

"Are you sure? Bendy you know you can tell Boris and I anything," Dad pulled Bendy into a small side hug, rubbing his face against Bendy's.

Bendy let out a chuckle at that. It always cheered the demon up. He realised it was a cat thing after seeing Inky and Winky do it a couple times. A genuine smile crawled it's way onto Bendy's face. He was okay. He was safe here.

"Yeah I'm sure, just got in my head a bit," Bendy smiled at both of him and reached over the table to pat Boris on the head. Bendy was not going to acknowledge the fact that he couldn't reach over the table the full way so Boris had to meet him halfway.

When Bendy retracted his hand Boris thumped back in his seat, tail wagging a mile a minute. Dad smiled at both of them, ruffling Bendy's fur and giving him a small peck on the forehead. He walked over to Boris and did the same before returning to his seat at the head of the table. Bendy felt embarassment darken his cheeks. Boris' tail was wagging so fast that Bendy was worried it would fall off. Felix started giving them pecks on the forehead after Boris asked for one when he was trying to sleep. That surprised Bendy since Boris never liked kisses. Boris told him that Molly said something about a father's forehead kisses driving away nightmares. So he asked Felix and said he had a good sleep that night. Despite Bendy sometimes feeling embarrassed by them, he didn't mind them. He just felt like he was a little too old for little pecks on the forehead.

________________________

A warm spring breeze hit the small demon as he stepped out of the house. Felix in toe. He was joining him to Black Hat's Casino since Dr. Oddswell wanted Dad to bring over some research notes to Hat. Dad never seemed thrilled whenever Hat was in vicinity of him. Bendy couldn't blame him. Hat was a pain.

Bendy's mind went back to the couple weeks he and Boris have been living with Dad. Just his room alone was so big he didn't know what to fill it with. It's been great to have his own room. He liked the way Dad had things. Their home was cosy and inviting. It was fun to see the similarities of Dad's and Boris' decorating. Bendy had no idea how much of an artist his dad was. What surprised Bendy the most was how messy the cat was. The house always had clutter and a small messy pile somewhere. Dad didn't like cleaning but he did it well. He just had a tendency to procrastinate a little on it. It wasn't bad, just enough that Felix would like people to tell him when they're coming over.

"You've been zoning out a lot today, is Black Hat pushing you too hard?" Dad frowned.

"Huh? Oh! No that's not..." Bendy trialled off.

Felix gave him the same look of 'not buying it' Boris had earlier.

"Bendy, really, is something going on?" his voice gave off that soft fatherly edge that always made Bendy want to spill his heart out.

"I just..." Bendy struggled for the words. "A lot has happened lately... It's hard to, I don't know, wrap my head around?" He shrugged helplessly.

Felix hummed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really, I mean yes but just not now," Bendy grit his teeth, why wasn't any words forming.

All those long nights of spiralling thoughts just to come up with nothing.

"Okay, I won't push but when you're ready promise you'll tell me,"

"I promise... I'm sorry for worrying you,"

[timkontheunsure]

Stolas outfit sewing cosplay thought process

(I'm probably not going build this, but wanted to think out all the clothing parts because he looks great).

The jacket

Light weight navy denim jacket (or a cotton drill) cropped with a round neck...

Something like this could work without the beast pockets (or at least on the right side).

Rolling the sleeve (skip if you arms are skinny)

If you're got bigger upper arms (like me) you'd need to either not sew together at the cuffs at wrist for about 4"/10cm buy the button. Or flare the selves straight down from the shoulder (not tapering in)

Or this pattern would probably be easier as no pockets to remove. But it is more fem leaning.

Would need either a wrist slit of 4"/10cm, or sleeves flaring again to help with rolling the cuffs if normally find that tricky.

Closures look like press studs / snap fastenings done down the front, to be able to close it, and as decoration down the bottom edge. These things.

Stolas' Hat shaped design

I've probably paint this in half fabric medium and acrylic.

This is my best guess cus of really blurring pixels. (If someone has high def I'd be ready gratefully).

Used the 3 below to make that guess. As it looks like the artist was asking to make something that fits the others, but isn't an existing one.

Look like it's the hat shape from his top hat. The crown is a simplified mix of the one on his hat and wallpaper. The little diamond shaped beak is also from here.

And the scrolls and little eyebrow flicks are off his heart shaped one.

Shirt

Ok could definitely just grab a plain white collared cotton shirt here, with either sleeveless or caped sleeves at the upper arm. But where's the fun in that.

Will say that Stolas' is absolutely wearing a women's cut shirt here. So it would be easier to get it to look right by shopping in the women's section.

Something like this would work really well.

But if you needed something more masc this could work🙂

That peplum and possibly pockets

This bit

Ok it's a little odd, because it's not attached to the jacket, even though it's the same navy.

It can't be attached to the leggings, because it would interfere with the elastic and would make them fall down.

I guess you could add it to the bottom of the shirt, but it might make it hang strange.

I'd probably make it separate to those and attach it with a belt at the top under the shirt. Or to strong ribbon tape.

Anyway here how to draft one. This is to draft one all around. It'd be easier to follow the method for a 360° one then when you have the made the paper pattern try it on and fold the cut till you get the right shape for you. You should only need a bit more than half to ⅔s of it.

If you cut it out twice and lined it in the same fabric; and leave a small gap at the top on the inside you'd have a sneaking hidden pocket for phone ect.

Looks like it's decorated with studs of stars and moons charms. (I couldn't find studs for stars but these seemed a close-ish).

Legging

Ripped black leggings, crop at the mid calf. Again definitely easier to just buy a pair and cut rips.

Something with a 95cotton to 5% elastine/Spandex mix, would be a good idea for stability (with the rips), and from breathability.

This would probably be a good pattern.

Accessories

Bangles look like brass to me

and a silver dangling Moon earring

[celestialtrolls-moved]

Aelynn is ready for the ball! The result of blood, sweat and tears (both mine and hers), and now I'm gonna go let my hand collapse and potentially fall off my body!

But that's not all, because I put my whole brain into this design, so click the read more to see ME EXPLAIN NEARLY EVERY SINGLE DESIGN DECISION I MADE AND WIPS

themes that were kept in mind

CARNEVALE CONFECTIONS: A BLOODSTAINED MASQUERADE

Sogno Dell’Arlecchino + Blood & Candy

inspiration focuses were chocolates, vampires (blood and gothic), carnevale (harlequins), decadence and detail, and Italy. just. in general.

DRAFT 1, sketch

writing, from top left to bottom right

makeup is carnevale inspired, maybe jade for vampire/rainbow drinker

ribbon-like chocolate gift decoration (in hair)

drips - blood? chocolate? (necklace)

wavy hair to invoke pouring chocolate

cream filling or icing (around the hem of bust)

rhinestones in hair and in tulle for decadence

tulle (bustle) -> make it lace, more common in carnevale costumes

caramel drizzle, small jewels as 'salt' (decorating the gloves)

corset VERY IMPORTANT for vampiresque vibe

subtle pattern (on the corset)

like little maltesers (on the bustle)

alternating black and white (skirt panels)

the dress shape itself was inspired by several looks from 'salon du chocolat' fashion shows, however this was abandoned

DRAFT 2, lines (attempt 1)

switched to a long skirt for a more classic silhouette, skirt drafts

based on various cake decoration methods, asked in servers which i should go with and then tried to merge the chocolate chips and the icing for maximum decadence, however

chocolate chips were abandoned due to looking somewhat messy

some rhinestones were placed to replace them much later

LINEWORK, attempt 2 (i redrew the entire thing with a thinner lineweight)

as well as the things written here, i switched out the hairpiece from chocolate squares to unturned fangs and roses

i also included the rest of the moodboard i was using in this image so you can see the other things i was inspired by

COLOUR DRAFTS

tried roughly placing colour in this phase, wanted to have a bright lilac main colour to balance out the dark details and hair, since carnevale costumes tend to be extremely bright and eye-catching, tried to avoid using completely desaturated colours

decided to put the gradient at the bottom of the dress because putting it at the top made it look like it wasn't one piece with the bust, wasn't really happen with the contrast between the leg ribbons and the lilac however

part way through colouring i decided i hated the lilac, tried to darken it a little, still didn't like it, turned it black

decided to hand-draw a tonne of embroidery for the corset because most carnevale dresses have heavy detail in texture and lace pattern

the front two panels are paisley/plant-inspired and then the panels on the back which is then echoed for the translucent torso piece are geometric patterns based off of commedia dell'arte costumes for the character trope 'harlequin'

the torso piece also has small unique embroidered flowers in each of the larger empty spaces because seriously these carnevale outfits go so heavy on patterns

more italian gothic architecture, this hatched pattern has a multiply layer depicting the Duomo of Siena onto the fan, which is a fascinating piece of architecture that spanned centuries to finish

[kajtekmakesthings]

After 2 months of on-and-off work, I have sewn my very first pair of pants!

They are canvas work pants -- specifically the Jutland Pants pattern from Thread Theory.

I knew I'd need to do a bunch of fitting to get the size right, and decided to make a wearable muslin out of cheap canvas. I mostly succeeded at not being a perfectionist about these, but still ended up going a little nuts with the finishing details because I can't help myself.

I printed the PDF pattern at home, taped it all together, and then transferred it to gridded freezer paper to give me a final pattern that was more durable and easier to handle.

I started with their standard size 32, and did a full seat adjustment right off the bat because I could already tell the rear crotch seam was too short for my butt. My actual measurement there was pretty much identical to the size 36 pattern, so I printed that off and used it as a rough guide for making the adjustment before I transferred everything to the freezer paper.

I was really impressed with the instructions from Thread Theory, which are easy to follow and come with an additional sew-along blog that explains everything in a slightly different way. I've never made pants before (or really a garment anywhere near this complex), and it all came together smoothly.

I had some really cute scrap quilting fabric picked out for the pocket flap details, and decided to use it as an inspiration for the decorative stitching on the back right pocket. After some noodling around with different shapes from the print, I came up with a stylized crane I really liked.

Once I'd gotten the initial shape built (everything except the cargo pockets, waistband, and bottom hem), it was time for the first fitting!

Not a bad start. The seat adjustment turned out pretty much perfectly! There just wasn't enough ease in the thighs for freedom of movement (the fabric has zero stretch, and any work pants of mine need to allow for squatting, kneeling, and climbing). Also some tension across the hips was creating a weird... crotch situation.

I spent what felt like an eternity unpicking the outside and inside seams, and then pinning and re-pinning and basting extra fabric into the gaps until I got a shape that worked.

I ended up drafting a couple of long, narrow panels to insert into the side seams. They start about an inch below the waistband and end around the knee, which means I had to get them installed and finished before adding the cargo pockets on top.

This is where I decided to do felled, bound seams. The original pattern calls for flat felled seams, which I love the look of and enjoyed learning how to make. Unfortunately, canvas is bulky and doesn't like to take a crisp fold, and also frays like crazy. It just wasn't working.

I switched to binding each seam with bias tape, and then stitching it down flat so it had the same tidy, smooth, finish as a flat felled seam. I love how this turned out and will definitely be doing it again for future projects with fabrics that tend to fray.

The blue bias tape in the photo is one I had lying around the house and decided to use up for this project. Unfortunately, the panel inserts nearly doubled the number of long seams and I didn't have enough bias tape for them. So I learned how to make my own bias tape out of the gray pocket fabric and the yellow accent fabric. It's not terrible with the help of a bias tape maker, and I love having the ability to make binding that perfectly matches my project.

To adjust the inside seams, I sewed in a long gusset that runs from knee to knee. While the side panels were a pain in the ass and I've adjusted my pattern to eliminate them from future iterations, I think I want to keep the gusset. It's doing a great job of taking strain off the crotch seams when I move, and I'm also finding two smaller, bound, seams on the inner thigh much more comfortable than a single, chunky, serged one like I usually get with jeans.

Here's where I got to with the final fit (adding the waistband, pockets, and hem also changes the silhouette a little). I'm really happy with where I ended up. The pants are fitted enough through the waist and hips that they stay up comfortably without a belt, and make my butt look great. The looser fit through the thighs gives me a full, comfortable, range of motion, and the overall look is much closer to classic men's workwear than the slightly-shrink-wrapped stretch jeans that I've grown accustomed to.

Overall, I'm really happy with this pattern. Aside from adding the gusset, there's only a few changes I'll be making to the original design. I replaced the velcro fasteners for the cargo pockets with snaps (I honestly just hate velcro on clothing). I'll also want to add interfacing to the waistband lining in the future. The soft cotton I used is really comfortable, but adding a little stiffness should make it easier to work with while sewing the wastband and give me a cleaner finished look.

I learned so much about tailoring over the course of this project, and picked up a ton of new techniques. I feel like I not only have a great pattern that I know fits me well and that I can re-use whenever I want, but I also understand a lot more about how pants come together and how to get them to fit and move the way I want. It's super exciting!

[yuriinullification]

Current draft of chapter 1. Feedback appreciated, doesn't necessarily have to be constructive (though would obviously be appreciated):

Beatrice I

In a cramped, filthy apartment, surrounded by food scraps of various types, a woman dressed in all gray and with visible bags under her eyes sat hunched over a half-broken ThinkPad. As she observed the green-tinted imageboard that was currently displayed on the screen and mulled over its contents, a cheeto-covered hand shot down onto the keyboard - its left counterpart busy shoveling more cheese puffs down the woman's throat. At the top of the website, a large banner image decorated with various pyramids and eyes read,

“/OC/ - OCCULT & ARCANE”

With a swift move of her free hand she moved the mouse cursor to a small rectangle labelled “REPLY”. She clicked on it, and a large text box appeared on the screen. Moments later, she began writing. 

"Look, personally, this is all very interesting, but I think you're putting too much emphasis on the contents of the dreams, rather than WHEN they're happening. The Age of Aquarius is coming soon, which means what you're hearing is obviously some higher form of Enochian, and at BEST it's probably demons."

Click. Post. 

Another argument saved, she thought to herself as she scrolled up to the top of the thread and started rereading what had started off the whole discussion. 

TITLE: NIGHTMARES?

DESCRIPTION:

“hello /OC/ !! ever since i was a teen ive been having weird dreams almost every night. ive never really thought about them deeply but maybe one of you /oc/cultists could help me figure out whats going on, so here goes nothing. theyre varied and have shifted over the years but theres some common elements i can guess will always come up when i fall asleep. the most notable though is the language. its not really a language, but really a feeling? but ive always thought about it as one. i see visions of random things, and i associate it with a thing, and sometimes hear a sound or feel an emotion, but its all so random i can never make sense of it.

i see a mountain and i hear what sounds like a clock ticking. then im struck with a feeling of euphoria and i see the mountain melting into a valley. i see an apple. then two, then four, then six and eight and twenty, and with each new one im struck with a feeling of absolute dread. i see the planet, and i see a very large worm crawling out of it while a pop song is playing. melancholy. i dont know what it means, but it clearly means something, and ive spent the last couple years trying it out but im not getting anywhere on my own. please help me.”

Nothing she hadn’t seen before, though the thought of there being a pattern in what at first seemed like just random noise intrigued her more than she perhaps at first would have liked to admit. Scrolling down to the bottom again, she passed by several more snippets of dreams that the author had posted in response to people asking for more details.

A house burning in reverse, wind chimes, deep insatiable lust. smell of blood. then the entire thing plays in reverse again.

A woman she didn't recognize that gradually morphed into a lawn chair, combined with a chemical smell.

Screaming for several straight seconds until she woke up in a cold sweat, with no other associated imagery.

Naturally, the thread was filled with hundreds of other people speculating about what it could possibly mean and arguing with each other, the cheeto-covered woman only being one of them - not even being the first to suggest that it might be the language of the angels. One particularly persistent user kept spamming links to their self-published e-book about "Dream Linguistics: The Hidden Language of the Unconscious Mind." Another claimed they'd had the exact same dreams in 1987 and that they predicted the stock market crash that year.

"Classic hypnagogic hallucinations combined with sleep paralysis. Take some magnesium and try sleeping on your right side."

"The worm is obviously Ouroboros imagery, but inverted. Have you been experimenting with any chaos magick recently? IMPORTANT."

"Sounds like standard astral projection gone wrong. I can help but you'll need to wire me 500 crowns first for the proper materials."

"Anyone who says this isn't related to the planetary alignments is a fed or a fool. Look up the Ophiuchus Protocol."

The person at the computer finished scrolling down to the bottom, and hit refresh. The page took a bit to reload, but when it finished, there was a new reply.

“hey everyone, OP here. I really appreciate all the help, and youve all been really wonderful, but im gonna stop replying now. its late, and i need to get to sleep. im still not really sure what all the dreams are but i do feel somewhat closer to an answer. good night !!”

Over so soon after I found it, the woman thought to herself. 

Disappointing.

Upon having read it over a few times, she closed her laptop with a sigh, and laid down on it with her arms folded. Without the light of the laptop screen the room was pitch black - no lights were on, nothing shining in from the open windows subtly guiding the cool night air into the 11th floor apartment. If they were on, perhaps you'd be able to see the absolute mess on the floor. The scattered clothes, the filthy, days-old dishes stacked on the floor after they stopped fitting on the desk, the even older takeout containers and miscellaneous beer bottles. The occasional discarded cigarette pack, some visibly crushed. 

Here and there, evidence of her various obsessions littered the floor - tarot cards scattered like fallen leaves, crystals gathering dust in the corners, half-burned candles dripped onto printouts of ancient symbols. A dream journal lay open on the coffee table, its pages covered in cramped handwriting that grew increasingly erratic towards the margins. Books on symbolism and mythology formed precarious towers against the walls, their spines cracked from repeated consultation.

In the entrance hallway, having been covered by the same jacket for several weeks, there laid an unopened letter.

To Bea, with love ~

Adeline and Missy

A personalized hell, of sorts. 

As if straining against the dark itself, Beatrice raised herself up slowly and stretched for a few seconds, before letting her arms fall down again. She stared dead-eyed into the wall that had previously been blocked by her laptop screen, and then got up. Carefully, as to not step on anything that'd puncture her feet or make her slip, she walked through the apartment and out the open door onto her balcony - if it could even be called that. In truth, it was far too small, and only had barely enough space for someone to stand on. Her bare feet hit the outside exposed concrete, and she rested her arms on the metal of the outcropping, taking in the city outside.

It was beautiful, and so, so very large. Saint Vincent was one of the largest cities on the Magellanic east coast, and the cultural and economic capital of the Federation of Victoria, only surpassed by true giants such as Goldbridge and Sun City. Beatrice's apartment building, situated at the top of the large hill the city was built on, had a perfect view of its enormous, sprawling mass - The May Bridge on the far side, going into Greater Toone, and before that, all the various city districts;

There was Bayside right near the bridge, with its tall, imposing financial skyscrapers and the mayoral tower somehow towering above all of them, in turn bordered by The Lows and Little Vincent - the “rich kid’s club” - districts characterized by their large hotels, casinos and multi million-crown expensive mega-mansions that faced the bay. Go back in the direction you came from and you'd eventually reach Huttons, the former cultural and artistic center of the city, but whose prices were now rising to the point that it was becoming almost impossible for any actual artists to live there, although it still had some of the best bars in the city. In recent years there'd been sporadic attempts to de-gentrify it, but naturally all of those had failed at the hands of the very wealthy investors in the district who didn't want “criminals” to move in. 

Bordering Huttons was Bayside again, Central, characterized mostly by being home to the city's train hub and university - named, predictably enough, Vincent university - and the Lower Hills, where Beatrice currently resided. Beyond even here there was the Upper Hills, Teodora and the industrial district - colloquially called the smogs - and eventually Outer Vincent with its large, sprawling suburbia.

But really, who cares about a bunch of faceless smoke stacks and single family homes, Beatrice thought to herself. 

A cigarette was lit, the flame of her cheap lighter briefly illuminating her sunken face in the darkness. For a couple minutes, she stayed like that, silent, observing. It was a beautiful star-lit night, occasionally interrupted by something new from below - a cough, a shout, a police siren. More distant bangs than was perhaps usual. The kids playing down on the street below, their giggles and laughter softly echoing up to her.

A car whizzed by, its bright lights cutting through the night like knives through butter. 

The city breathed around her, alive with all its secret rhythms and hidden patterns, indifferent to her presence on the edge of it all. 

Eventually, with a sigh, Beatrice threw the cigarette over the edge and walked back into her pitch-black apartment, the door closing behind her with a soft thud. She stood there for a long moment, the door hard against her back, when suddenly, something echoed out and disturbed the dark stillness of the apartment. A pling, just once. Then again - pling.  It took her a moment to figure out what it was, and then, it hit.

My phone? Is someone trying to contact me? Fuck off… when was the last time I heard that sound? I should set it on do not disturb when I can…

Lumbering slowly, she made her way through the apartment, into the bedroom where her phone was sitting on a bedside table. Picking it up and holding it in her hand her first thought went to spam, and a soft irritation started growing inside her - then, however, she properly read the messages, and that irritation rapidly shifted into something resembling curiosity. 

“BEATRICE SCHWARZ: YOU have been graciously selected for an invitation to a ONCE IN AN AEON OPPORTUNITY. At VICTORIA MEMORIAL PARK, on the TWENTY-SECOND of NOVEMBER in the year 235, at 23:00, the GREAT SERENISSIMA will give YOU AN EXPERIENCE YOU CAN NEVER FORGET. (entrance fee: 50 crowns.)”

What is this, a circus or something?, Beatrice thought incredulously. She looked at the time. 

22:27.

Shit. 

Panicking, she rushed out into the hallway and put on the dirty, crumpled jacket that laid near the door. Five minutes later, she was down on the street. 

✿

As she walked, the city's geography unfolded around her like a well-worn map. She passed by the 24-hour laundromat with its eternal fluorescent glow, through the small park where the local cats held their midnight conferences, across the bridge over the commuter rail tracks that carried thousands of suburban workers into Central each morning. Each landmark, though familiar to her, simultaneously felt oddly strange - like seeing old friends again, an uncomfortable kind of nostalgia. It made her yearn for the comfort of her apartment again, though curiosity overpowered her every step of the way. 

The neon sign of Lucky's Corner Store buzzed and flickered as she walked by, its proprietor visible through the grimy windows, engaged in his nightly ritual of reorganizing the same shelf of canned goods he'd been fussing with for the past decade. She'd bought her first tarot deck there, hidden behind the counter with the cigarettes and lottery tickets. Mr. Lucky – not his real name, she assumed – had given her a knowing look as he rang it up, but never commented on her increasingly esoteric purchases she'd made over the years.

Victoria Memorial Park sat at the intersection of old money and new decay, a remnant of the city's more genteel past now caught in the undertow of urban change. During the day, it maintained a careful veneer of respectability with its manicured lawns and historical plaques. But at night, the old iron gates and overgrown corners revealed its true nature – a place where the city's carefully maintained boundaries began to blur.

As she approached the park's entrance, movement caught her eye – others were converging on the park from different directions. A woman in an expensive business suit, her heels clicking purposefully on the pavement. A teenager with a backpack covered in hand-drawn symbols. An elderly man leaning on a carved wooden cane that looked more ceremonial than practical. None of them acknowledged each other, but all moved with the same deliberate purpose.

The park's central lawn opened up before her, and there, in the soft glow of the antique lampposts, she saw them. Arranged in a perfect circle were perhaps two dozen people, seated on the ground. They were as diverse a group as Saint Vincent could produce – she spotted suits that probably cost more than her monthly rent sitting next to tattered thrift store jackets, gray-haired professors next to teenagers with dyed hair and facial piercings. Some sat straight-backed and alert, while others seemed to slouch with exhaustion or disinterest. All of them, however, faced inward, their attention focused on something in the center of the circle that Bea couldn't quite make out from her current position.

The air felt different here – thicker somehow, charged with an expectation that made the hair on the back of Bea's neck stand up. This wasn't like the amateur séances and half-hearted rituals she'd participated in before. This felt real. She took a step forward, and the circle parted to make room for one more. As she moved to take her place, she caught a glimpse of what lay in the center of the circle, and immediately felt an emotion she felt like hadn’t felt in years - not since she got that letter from her uncle, all those years ago.

Confusion.

[glassaround]

Vertical slider window

A vertical slider window, also known as a single-hung or double-hung window, is a window design where one or both sashes (movable panels) slide vertically to open and close. These windows are versatile, functional, and suitable for various architectural styles.

Types of Vertical Slider Windows

Single-Hung Window:

Description: The bottom sash slides upward, while the top sash remains fixed.

Applications: Traditional homes, budget-friendly option.

Advantages: Simple mechanism, fewer moving parts.

Double-Hung Window:

Description: Both the top and bottom sashes slide independently.

Applications: Modern homes, areas requiring ventilation flexibility.

Advantages: Easier to clean (sashes tilt inward), better airflow control.

Vertical Tilt-and-Slide Window:

Description: A specialized version where the sash can tilt inward for ventilation or slide vertically.

Applications: Spaces requiring both ventilation and compact operation.

Features

Material Options:

Aluminum: Lightweight, durable, and corrosion-resistant.

Vinyl (uPVC): Energy-efficient, low-maintenance, and affordable.

Wood: Traditional look, customizable but requires more maintenance.

Fiberglass: High durability, energy efficiency, and weather resistance.

Glass Options:

Single Glazing: Basic glass, best for mild climates.

Double Glazing: Two glass panes with an insulating layer for energy efficiency.

Low-E Glass: Coated glass that reflects heat while allowing light in.

Tempered or Laminated Glass: Safety glass for added durability and security.

Frame Styles:

Frameless for a sleek, modern look.

Framed with decorative or traditional profiles.

Customization Options:

Size: Fully customizable to fit openings.

Grid Patterns: Colonial, prairie, or custom grid styles.

Colors and Finishes: Wide range of finishes to match interiors or exteriors.

Advantages

Space Efficiency: Operates within the window frame without protruding outward.

Ventilation Control: Allows precise adjustment of airflow by opening one or both sashes.

Aesthetic Versatility: Fits into both modern and traditional architectural styles.

Ease of Cleaning: Double-hung windows with tilt-in sashes make cleaning simple.

Energy Efficiency: Can be enhanced with double or triple glazing and thermal insulation.

Applications

Residential: Bedrooms, kitchens, and living areas.

Commercial: Office buildings or retail spaces.

Industrial: Warehouses or spaces requiring controlled ventilation.

Considerations

Sealing and Weatherproofing: Ensure proper seals to prevent drafts and water intrusion.

Ease of Operation: High-quality counterbalances and tracks for smooth sliding.

Security: Include locks and laminated glass for added safety.

Local Building Codes: Confirm compliance, especially for egress windows in bedrooms.

[sunalimerchant]

Learn to Bake Bread: Essential Tips and Tricks for Beginners

Baking bread at home is a rewarding and satisfying experience that allows you to create delicious, fresh loaves tailored to your tastes. However, for beginners, the process can seem daunting. Understanding the essential tips and tricks can make your journey into bread baking much smoother and more enjoyable. This article provides you with valuable insights to help you learn to bake bread successfully.

Understanding the Basics

Before diving into the tips and tricks, it’s important to understand the basic ingredients and their roles in bread making. The four essential ingredients are flour, water, yeast, and salt. Flour provides the structure, water hydrates the flour to form gluten, yeast acts as the leavening agent, and salt enhances flavor while controlling yeast activity.

Tip 1: Choose the Right Flour

The type of flour you use significantly affects the texture and taste of your bread. For beginners, bread flour is an excellent choice due to its high protein content, which helps create a strong gluten network. All-purpose flour can also be used, but it may result in a slightly different texture.

Tip 2: Measure Ingredients Accurately

Accurate measurements are crucial in bread baking. Use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, as this ensures consistency and accuracy. Even slight variations in ingredient quantities can impact the dough’s consistency and the final loaf’s quality.

Tip 3: Understand the Importance of Hydration

Hydration, or the ratio of water to flour, plays a critical role in bread baking. Higher hydration levels produce a more open crumb structure, while lower hydration results in a denser loaf. As a beginner, start with recipes that have a hydration level of around 60-65%, which is easier to handle.

Tip 4: Knead the Dough Properly

Kneading develops the gluten network, which gives bread its structure. For beginners, hand-kneading is a great way to learn how dough should feel. A well-kneaded dough should be smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. If you’re using a stand mixer, avoid over-kneading, as it can damage the gluten structure.

Tip 5: Master the Art of Proofing

Proofing, or allowing the dough to rise, is essential for developing flavor and texture. Ensure your dough rises in a warm, draft-free environment. The dough is ready when it has doubled in size and retains an indentation when gently pressed with a finger. Patience is key – rushing the proofing process can result in dense, flavorless bread.

Tip 6: Shaping the Dough

Shaping the dough correctly helps create a uniform crumb structure and a beautiful crust. Practice simple shaping techniques like rounding and loafing. For round loaves, gently stretch the dough’s surface and tuck it underneath to form a tight, smooth ball. For loaf shapes, flatten the dough into a rectangle, then roll it up tightly.

Tip 7: Score Your Bread

Scoring, or making cuts on the surface of the dough, allows gases to escape during baking and helps control the loaf’s expansion. Use a sharp knife or a bread lame to make quick, decisive cuts. Experiment with different patterns to add a decorative touch to your loaves.

Tip 8: Use Steam for a Crispy Crust

Creating steam in the oven during the initial baking stage helps achieve a crispy crust. Place a pan of water in the bottom of the oven or mist the dough with water before baking. This prevents the crust from hardening too quickly, allowing for better oven spring and a beautiful, glossy finish.

Tip 9: Monitor Baking Time and Temperature

Baking times and temperatures can vary depending on your oven and the bread type. Preheat your oven thoroughly to ensure even baking. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the bread’s internal temperature – it should reach around 200°F (93°C) for most breads.

Tip 10: Let Your Bread Cool Properly

After baking, allow your bread to cool on a wire rack. Cutting into hot bread can result in a gummy texture. Cooling helps set the crumb structure and enhances flavor. Patience at this stage is just as important as during proofing.

Conclusion

Learning to bake bread is a journey that involves practice, patience, and a willingness to experiment. By understanding the basics and following these essential tips and tricks, you can confidently embark on your bread baking adventure. Each loaf you create will bring you one step closer to mastering the art of bread making, allowing you to enjoy the delicious rewards of your efforts. So, gather your ingredients, roll up your sleeves, and learn to bake bread that will impress your family and friends.

[onlineplantsnz1]

Unveiling the Charm of the Pink Bubbles Plant: A Delightful Addition to Your Indoor Garden

In the world of indoor gardening, there's a captivating plant that's been stealing hearts with its unique appearance and cheerful demeanor—the Pink Bubbles Plant. With its whimsical pink-hued foliage and compact, bushy growth habit, this charming plant adds a touch of magic to any living space. Join us as we embark on a journey to explore the enchanting world of the Pink Bubbles Plant, uncovering its secrets and discovering why it's becoming a favorite among plant enthusiasts.

Meet the Pink Bubbles Plant: A Delight for the Senses

The Pink Bubbles Plant, scientifically known as Peperomia argyreia, is a member of the Piperaceae family and is native to South America. What sets this plant apart are its eye-catching leaves, which feature a striking pattern of silvery stripes and a blush of pink that resembles delicate bubbles dancing across its surface. The rounded leaves, reminiscent of small watermelon slices, create a captivating visual display that's sure to spark joy in any room.

Beyond its visual appeal, the Pink Bubbles Plant also delights the senses with its low-maintenance nature and compact growth habit. This plant is perfect for both novice and experienced gardeners, as it requires minimal care and thrives in indoor environments with bright, indirect light. With its petite size and bushy growth, the Pink Bubbles Plant is ideal for adorning shelves, desks, or any cozy corner in need of a pop of color.

Caring for Your Pink Bubbles Plant: Tips for Success

While the Pink Bubbles Plant is relatively easy to care for, providing the right growing conditions will ensure its health and vitality. Here are some tips to help your Pink Bubbles Plant thrive:

Light: Place your Pink Bubbles Plant in a location with bright, indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight, as it can scorch the delicate foliage.

Watering: Allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings, then water thoroughly until the excess moisture drains from the bottom of the pot. Overwatering can lead to root rot, so it's essential to strike the right balance.

Humidity: Pink Bubbles Plants appreciate moderate to high humidity levels. You can increase humidity by placing a humidifier nearby or placing the plant on a pebble tray filled with water.

Temperature: Maintain temperatures between 65-75°F (18-24°C) for optimal growth. Avoid exposing the plant to cold drafts or sudden temperature fluctuations.

Fertilizing: Feed your Pink Bubbles Plant with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer diluted to half strength every 4-6 weeks during the growing season (spring and summer).

By following these care tips and providing a little love and attention, your Pink Bubbles Plant will reward you with its charming presence and vibrant foliage, brightening up your indoor garden and bringing joy to your home.

Conclusion: Embrace the Magic of the Pink Bubbles Plant

In conclusion, the Pink Bubbles Plant is more than just a houseplant—it's a delightful companion that brings a touch of whimsy and charm to any indoor space. With its captivating pink-hued foliage and easy-care nature, this plant is a must-have for plant enthusiasts looking to add a pop of color to their home decor.

[fashionthroughtimewithlucy]

Mixed Matched design Draft 4

For my next mix and match design, I began combining elements of two designs I wasn’t, 1. 100% pleased with and 2. wanting to elaborate further with. I wanted to create something where both features were visible and so remained with the tight figure hugging silhouette, I wanted to pair this with something that was more of a statement as I have come to the conclusion that this design is basic and restricted of it’s full potential. Therefore, from the design on the right I have incorporated the balloon like puff detail to add a variety of shapes, moreover, the zig zag patterns has made an appearance as a piece of decoration, which I envision to be gold, would add further value and class to this garment. The contrast between the shapes on the top half and bottom half works really well together to experience the best of both worlds.

[whennnow]

A Straw Regency Bonnet

July 15, 2021

[Image ID: a straw bonnet with a blue ribbon and white feather displayed in profile on a foam mannequin head.]

Back in May or so, Nehelenia Patterns had a pre-order for an 1800-1830s straw bonnet. I've been wanting a straw bonnet for my Regency wardrobe for a while so I jumped on it (and regretted it a bit when I saw the cost for international shipping, but oh well).

It arrived at the very beginning of July and I was eager to decorate it! I had already bought ribbon to use on it and used that ribbon to make ribbon bodices inspired by a fashion plate I had seen.

Before I decorated it, though, I went searching for period inspiration. I found a small sampling of bonnets that may or may not be straw from 1798-1806, which lines up nicely with my existing Regency wardrobe!

Lining

First things first, though. Hair and straw hats don't get along well, so I'm putting a lining on the inside of the crown. Historically, this problem might have been solved by wearing a cap underneath the bonnet, but a) I can't see any evidence of caps in the fashion plates I'm looking at and b) I don't have a cap.

I'm using scrap pieces of unbleached muslin for my lining, but I would have liked to use linen or a nicer white cotton. I'm also considering coming back in the future to add a ruffle of fine white cotton around the edge of the crown to give the illusion of a cap. But that's not on today's agenda.

To draft the lining, I simply cut out a circle slightly wider than the very top of the crown and a rectangle tall enough to reach from the top to the bottom of the crown and long enough to go all the way around.

First, I seamed up the short edges of the rectangle. One side of the resulting cylinder was then roughly gathered down to be seamed to the circle. (The brim edge of the crown was wider than the top edge of the crown, hence the gathering.) The raw edges of the fabric will be hidden between the lining and the straw, so I didn't worry about finishing them.

With the lining constructed, I carefully fit it into the bonnet and folded in the un-seamed edge. Then I used a curved millinery needle to carefully attach the lining to the bonnet. My goal was to slide the needle between pieces of straw (not go through to the outside of the bonnet) but found it easier in most places to stick the needle right through pieces of straw. I did break a few pieces of straw, unfortunately, but nothing catastrophic.

Decorating

Then it was on to decorating! I was originally intending to make two ribbon decorations that would be easily interchangeable, but I wasn't sure how I was going to do that. Then, as I was compiling the gallery above (Note for tumblr: I'm not putting 11 fashion plates in here, but I will link to them at the end of the post), I noticed that 8 of the 11 fashion plates showed the (presumably) straw bonnet decorated with blue ribbon! It just so happened that blue was one of the colors I had intended to use, so I decided to just do a blue decoration.

After looking at the fashion plates some more and pinning the ribbon on my bonnet to see how it looked, I opted for a simple design. One piece of ribbon forms a band around the crown of the bonnet and two pieces of ribbon descend from the ends of the brim to tie the bonnet in place. It would have been perfectly historically accurate to have them tie under the chin, but I decided to make the ribbons slightly uneven to tie at the side, closer to the bonnet. This is also historically accurate, as can be seen in some of the above fashion plates and other plates of non-straw bonnets.

I pinned the ribbon band in place on the bonnet and chose a few select places to tack the ribbon to the bonnet, starting with the center front, and two places more to the side. I took a quick moment to attach the ribbon ties to the band when I reached that point, then tacked both sides of the ties to the bonnet. I then overlapped the ends of the ribbon band near the center back, hid the raw edges, and used my tinniest whip stitches to connect the ends.

As a finishing touch, I stuck a feather (which I'd borrowed from my other bonnet), into the ribbon near one tie and clipped the ends of the ties to have the classic 'swallow-tail' shape.

Final Thoughts

Just like that, my bonnet was done! The whole process was a morning's work - maybe three or four hours. Certainly less time than making a bonnet from scratch, and no less rewarding. I really love how it turned out! The blue ribbon compliments the yellow tones of the straw stunningly, and I think the feather really pulls the whole thing together.

Stay warm. Stay safe. Stay dry.

Bonnet illustration links, as promised: November 1804, 1799-1800, September 1800, May 1801, 1803, July 1801, July 1801, April 1804, August 1798, June 1806, July 1808.

[tipsy-scales]

I used to hate making pants but look at me now!!!

[noomnin]

THE ONE WITH THE JAR OF PICKLES

# ft. tsukishima kei x gn! reader

cw: swearing

㋡ : i saw this lil thing lying in my drafts and wondered why i never completed it :,)) i hope u enjoyed pouty angry tsukishima getting betrayed by a good old jar of pickles 🐎if u're reading this, i appreciate u ily_03242022

giving the silent treatment to someone was hard; especially if the space is small, even more if the space is shared.

you were working on a university assignment on the couch when kei walked by you on the way to the kitchen. not a greeting nor a word was exchanged. silently trying to one-up the other by pretending that neither give a shit — that both were very much fine doing their own things, and that the presence of the other is as important as the dust under the couch. kei was mumbling things as he opened cupboards in search for something. at that point, you weren't even mad anymore: you actually found this pettiness of his rather comedic. but even more so when kei accidentally dropped the jar of pickles he held in his hand.

the loud crash of broken glass echoed throughout the small unit, and you can't help but stare at him, seeing what he'll do next.

but he doesn't do anything. at least not immediately.

he just stands there (🧍‍♂️), looking down, rather forlornly, at the icky liquid and shards that now decorate the clean polished floor. it took all of you to not burst into laughter. "... i just cleaned that earlier—" you heard kei whine to himself, shaking his head as he carefully navigates his way through the shards to get the broom, dustpan, and a cloth to wipe it with.

"that's what you get, bitch," you finally cave, stifling a grin behind the mug you were sipping tea from.

"shut the fuck up," kei retorts, avoiding your gaze though he is well aware that he just quite literally put himself up for mocking. all because of some stupid fucking pickles in a stupid fucking glass jar.

"need some help over there~?" you press, making his eye twitch.

kei replies with a flat "no".

"okie!" you begin typing obnoxiously on your laptop to prove to him that you're very much working and you're far too busy right now to give a shit about him. the expletives spilling out of his mouth in murmurs don't stop, only climaxing in one big "AH FUCK" when he nearly slips on the pickle juice.

"ughhhhhhhhhhh," you made sure you groaned loud and clear enough for him to hear (not that there was much distance between the two of you anyway) before closing your laptop lid, and padding over to where he was.

kei could only stare open-mouthed as you snatched the broom set from him saying in a sing-song voice, "let me show you how it's done...watch and learn, my child!!"

"i am perfectly capab—,"he lunges after the dustpan but you swerve just in time for him to nearly slip on the pickle juice again. it was then that he realizes that he isn't going to win this one, but despite this, he refuses to back down. "fine," he spits out, walking towards the sink where a rag awaits to be rinsed and used. his slippers squelched as he walked.

"oh, kei..."

"what is it now—"

he made more of a mess, is what it is. he is a tall dumbass, is what he is. a trail of dirty and damp patterns of the bottom of his slippers leading from the spilt pickle juice to the kitchen sink where he stands dumbfounded, is what it is.

more cleaning to do, is what it is.

[ words by aero. 2022. please do not repost and plagiarize or else i'm coming for your kneecaps ]

[armthearmour]

This ornate backgammon board consists of two sides, each 56 centimeters square, made of delicately carved woods of disparate types expertly fitted together. The two sides are connected by bronze hinges. The Kunsthistorisches Museum lists the wood types used in the construction of this piece as oak, nut wood, rosewood, palisander, and mahogany.

While oak is native to Europe, and the listed nut wood may be from any number of nut bearing trees, the remaining three wood types all represent the substantial cost that went into the production of this board. Most rosewoods grow natively in India and Southeast Asia, palisander is also known as “Brazilian” or “Bolivian Rosewood” and only grows naturally in the Americas, as does mahogany. The expense involved in shipping these woods across the world in the year 1537, a date of production inscribed onto the board, would have been immense, and speaks to the tremendous wealth and power of whoever commissioned the crafting of this board.

The names of three craftsmen are associated with this piece. The design and concept were drawn up by Georg Hörmann, and a draft done by Jörg Breu, a craftsman active in Augsburg, however the final product is signed by Hans Kelz of Kaufbeuren. It is possible that Breu had intended to complete the entire work himself, however he died in 1537, the year the piece was produced, so Kelz may have been given the commission after Breu’s passing.

The decoration on the board is ornate. Each of the triangular sections on the interior is inlaid with a different colored wood carved in a floral shape. The interior borders are covered in elegant scenes depicting exotic animals of all sorts, from peacocks and partridges to lions, boars, and stags. At each corner, and at the half-way point of each side, a small circle contains a delicately carved scene from classical mythology.

The exterior is equally remarkable. On each side four cameos surround a central armored figure mounted on a horse. On one side the central mounted figure is Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, the ruling emperor when this board was created. Surrounding him are four of his predecessors, all ruling men of house Hapsburg. In the upper left is the armored figure of Albert II. In the upper right is Emperor Fredrick III, cousin/successor to Albert II and predecessor/father to Maximilian I. Frederick II was also Charles V’s great grandfather. Charles’s grandfather and predecessor, Emperor Maximilian I, occupies the bottom left, and Charles’s father King Philip I of Castile sits in the bottom right. 

Both Maximilian and Philip are depicted wearing collars of the Order of the Golden Fleece, a prestigious knightly order founded by Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy, predecessor to Charles the Bold. The same collar encircles Charles V’s cameo. Flanking Charles are the twin pillars which support the arms of Spain, beneath them the Latin motto of the Spanish crown “Plus Ultra.” The Imperial eagle bearing the arms of the Holy Roman Emperor crowns the image.

Nestled amongst the fruits and leaves of the floral pattern on the outer edge, six coats of arms decorate each edge. These arms represent the royal claims of the Habsburg line. At each corner sits another small cameo of a classical figure; in the top left, Julius Caesar; in the top right, Augustus; in the bottom left Trajan; and in the bottom right, the Emperor Constantine.

The reverse side is decorated in much the same way. The central figure is identified as Ferdinand I, Charles V’s younger brother, who was elected King of the Romans in 1531. Surrounding him (in the same order as the previous side) are King Ferdinand V of Castille and Leon, Philip’s predecessor; the famous Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy and great grandfather to both Charles V and Ferdinand I; King Vladisvlav II of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia; and finally Vladislav’s son and successor, Louis II who Ferdinand I succeeded as King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia in 1526.

Charles the Bold is also shown wearing the collar of the golden fleece, and once again the collar encircles Ferdinand I, who is crowned by the Imperial eagle. Rather than being flanked by the Spanish pillars however, Ferdinand is flanked by an FA monogram, Ferdinandus Anna, representing Ferdinand and his wife Anne. Also like the previous side, the outer border of this side is decorated with flowing floral motifs set with the arms of the Habsburg dynasty as well as four cameos of classical figures. These figures are Ninus, the mythical King of Assyria; Cyrus the Great of Persia; Alexander the Great of Macedon; and Romulus, mythical founder of Rome. Each of the surviving game pieces portrays a different scene from classical mythology.

This entire piece speaks to power, not only the presence of it, but also an almost desperate attempt to legitimize it. The message is clear; the two brothers, rulers of the Holy Roman Empire sit as the centerpieces, surrounded by famous predecessors, bearers of the titles they now hold. They are wreathed in the collar of a prestigious knightly order, one that had existed for over 100 years when this board was created. The arms of their lands surround them, and the kings and emperors of old watch over them, drawing a direct line between the Roman Empire Charles ruled and the Roman Empire Julius Caesar founded. The presence of expensive woods imported from opposite ends of the world speaks to the global nature of Habsburg power. This backgammon board serves as a reminder of the immense power held by the Habsburg monarchs, the legitimacy of that power, and of how they acquired it.

One thing that cannot be said for certain about this board is who it was made for. Though the expensive woods used in its productions speak to a great degree of wealth, and the motifs suggest some connection to the court of the Holy Roman Empire, no records have yet been uncovered which can answer this question for certain. Based on the decorations which cover the exterior of the board however, I would suggest that it was made either for Ferdinand I or the Emperor himself, Charles V.

[victoria-daydreams]

AN: Don’t know if I will continue this story, don’t know where I want to go after this chapter, but I do know I’m happy it’s out my head and my drafts.

Trigger Warnings: racial slurs, use of google translate

Isabella Davies, dressed in an elegant, navy blue and white trimmed gown, sat rigidly in a finely upholstered chair on a grand ship called the Kerberos. Daintily, she sipped hot English tea out of a china cup, her dark brown eyes lazily scanning her surroundings over the rim. The dining hall was decorated with wooden paneling on the walls and had floors made of linoleum tiles, featuring an elaborate red, brown, and triangular pattern. Hundreds of tables littered the space, filled with any range from two to five people. Low murmurs floated about in the hall along with clattering of the china, for eight, long days she would have to endure this.

“Morning tea, noon tea, evening tea.” she thought.

This voyage was not one she voluntarily wished to be on. It was not her fault high society and her did not mix for reasons out of her control. Though diamond earrings adorned her ears and a diamond pendant hung from her neck, Isabella would never be seen as one of them.

“Isabella?” Mr. Wood called, causing her to lower her cup and look at him. “Are you listening to me?” he asked, peering over his glasses.

Wilfred Wood, a plump and almost balding man sat beside her. He was her breakfast companion, more than that, he was also her legal guardian since her father passed. He was a kind man, treating her with respect and dignity despite her complexion. However, at the moment, she was in no mood to hear their itinerary; they had more than enough time to discuss it later.

She stared at him with mild interest, “Wholeheartedly,” Isabella responded, placing the porcelain cup onto its saucer.

“Good, as I was saying, once we get to America,” Mr. Wood continued, not picking up on her sarcasm.

Isabella tuned him out once more, shifting her blank gaze to two tables from them. There sat a young couple who looked to be about her age. Although, Isabella felt the term was being used too loosely by her. If she opened a dictionary and searched for the word unhappiness, the two of their faces would be plastered next to the definition. Isabella couldn’t help but carefully watch their interaction with each other. The pretty, brunette attempting to engage in conversation with her handsome husband who’s attention lied elsewhere; she quickly followed his stare to discover he was looking at the geisha across the room.

She could see the distance between the man and woman, it was plainly obvious if you knew what to look for. Isabella, for reasons unknown to her, was immediately captivated by this man. Curly brown hair, light blue eyes, a well groomed mustache above plump lips, even the determined line of his jaw. Isabella wanted to get to know him better, but in a way, she felt she almost knew him already. Wrapping her fingers around the handle of the teacup again, she went to raise it to her lips when her eyes noticed faint movement at the bottom of the couple’s table.

Isabella’s eyes drifted down to the source and was shocked to find it came from the handsome man himself. Just out of sight of everyone, his left hand began to tremble uncontrollably. Furrowing her brows, Isabella shifted her eyes up to find the man staring back at her. Startled, she quickly turned her head and looked straight ahead, sipping at her cooling tea.

“Isabella!” Mr. Wood called again, his voice low.

“Yes, Mr. Wood,” she replied, glancing at him.

“You have not listened to a single word I’ve said have you?” he questioned.

“I have,” Isabella said, quietly putting the cup down. “With the utmost interest,” she added, an easy smile on her lips.

He looked at her for a moment, “Repeat to me what I just said,” Mr. Wood challenged simply.

Isabella’s savior to answering the demand, came in the form of a scarred, lanky man from third class suddenly bursting into the dining hall, shouting in a foreign language. She welcomed it, because she didn’t have the faintest idea of what Mr. Wood had been droning on about. Still yelling, the man’s shouts echoed in the hall while passengers nervously looked around at each other. Isabella concentrated on the man’s words, trying to put her lessons to use to decipher what he was saying. The language he was speaking vaguely sounded like German, but she knew it couldn’t be as she would’ve understood him perfectly.

“I think he’s trying to ask for something,” Isabella whispered, looking at Mr. Wood, his thick brows raised.

“Doctor!” the man exclaimed, desperately looking around the room.

Just as he managed to say the one word in English, three crew members came from behind him and roughly dragged him out the room. A second had barely passed when a redheaded woman jumped from her seat to find the man who was dragged away. Slowly, hushed conversations resumed in the hall.

“Well,” Mr. Wood began, dabbing the corners of his mouth with a cream colored napkin. “That was enough excitement for the morning,” he remarked, putting the cloth onto the table and standing up. “Let us go, where you’ll be less distracted as we discuss what is to come, hmm,” he said, outstretching his hand for her to follow him.

She exhaled, “I do not have much of a choice, do I?” Isabella retorted, rising to her feet.

Side by side, they walked to the double doors and Isabella briefly glanced off to her left. Like magnets, dark brown eyes locked with a familiar pair of blue ones and at that moment, it was as if time slowed. Gliding past him, their eyes never left each other’s. Isabella was mesmerized. She began to wonder how many other women had gazed into them, held fixed by the wordless spell? With a soft creak, the trance Isabella was in shattered, forcing her to look ahead and follow Mr. Wood out the doors.

~~~x~~~

Isabella’s fingers mindlessly tapped against the railing, imagining them as piano keys as she looked out into the bleak, gray sky.

“This was your plan all along, to cozy up to him! You have robbed the both of us from our father’s inheritance, his blood! You two-faced, negress whore!”

Echoes of the upsetting memory floated through her mind, unsettling her and causing her palms to tremble. Tilting her head, Isabella closed her eyes as a gentle sea breeze blew, sending the loose strands of her dark hair across her face. The sound of waves lapping against the ship soothed her as the steel behemoth cut its way through the ocean bound for America.

“Est-ce que quelqu'un vous l'a dit, regarder est impoli?” a deep, male voice stated, standing beside her. (Has anyone told you, staring is rude?)

Isabella’s eyes opened, her head whipping to the side and she was pleasantly surprised to see the slim frame of the handsome man from earlier. She relished the temporary distraction from her sullen memories.

“A Frenchman,” she thought.

“Pour être juste, je crois que tu regardais aussi,” (To be fair, I believe you were also staring.) Isabella responded smoothly, a small grin tugging at her lips. “On peut difficilement appeler ça du regard, si ce n'était qu'un simple coup d'œil,”  (One can hardly call it staring, if it was but a simple glance.)

His eyes widened slightly, surprised Isabella responded in his tongue.

“Tu parles français?” (You speak French?)

“Oui,” she nodded. “Je m'appelle Isabelle, Isabelle Davies,” she said, flashing him a friendly smile.

He merely stared at her, “Isabelle, un si beau nom,” the Frenchman commented. (Isabella, such a beautiful name.)

Blood rushed to her cheeks, “Merci,” Isabella said, bowing her head shyly. “Et tu?” she asked, gesturing to him.

“Lucien,”

“Au plaisir de vous rencontrer Lucien,” (A pleasure to meet you, Lucien.)

His eyes trailed over her face as if he was trying to commit it to his memory. Shifting his weight to one leg to another, he moved closer to her.

“S'est-on déjà rencontrés? Il y a quelque chose en toi qui m'est familier,” Lucien commented.  (Have we met before? There is something about you that's familiar to me.)

“Non,” Isabella shook her head. “Sauf si vous avez visité Londres récemment,” she added, with a hint of playfulness. (Unless you have visited London recently.)

Lucien’s lips quirked up a little, “Non, je n'ai pas encore eu le plaisir,” he said, chuckling half heartedly. (No, I have not had the pleasure yet.)

Isabella mirrored his expression before a silence fell between them, she lowered her gaze taking to studying the deck at her feet. Glancing upwards, she quietly observed Lucien. Both of his hands were tightly clutched around the railing, to the point his knuckles had turned white. There was a tightness in his jaw ceasing as he gazed at the white foam the ship left it in its wake.

"Your secret is safe with me," Isabella said suddenly. The words came tumbling out before she could stop herself.

Lucien’s head jerked in her direction. His expression expectant as his eyes met hers. He wanted her to say it. Isabella chose her next words carefully.

"À propos de votre état," she finished, in French. (About your condition.)

He searched her face intensely, looking for deceit and Isabella held his stare. Only the waves continuing to lap against the ship bore witness to their interaction. Without taking his eyes of off her, he stepped closer to Isabella, just enough for their proximity to be still considered socially proper.

“Merci,”

“De rien,”

Isabella went to speak, but just beyond Lucien’s shoulder she spotted the prying eyes of Virginia Wilson, who appeared to be taking great interest in their conversation.

“I should go,” she said hurriedly, focusing back on him.

“Non,” he protested softly, reaching out to her.

“Mr. Wood is no doubt searching for me,” Isabella guessed, stepping away from him. “C'était un plaisir de vous rencontrer, Lucien,” she added, smiling sweetly at him. (It was nice meeting you, Lucien.)

Isabella didn’t give him a chance to respond, immediately turning around and walking along the side of the rail. The heels of her boots loudly clacking against the wooden deck, the noise reverberating in the still air.

24 year-old Isabella sat silently at one of the small tables in her late father’s study. Murmured conversations between her brothers and other guest happened all around her, but she didn’t dare speak. The death of her father had all but numbed her to human emotion. The executor cleared his throat, silencing the room.

"As you know, you have all been summoned to hear the last will and testament of William Davies,” he began, taking a seat behind the desk.

He took a single sheet of paper out of his leather briefcase. Isabella had no expectations for herself inheriting much if anything. She was his adopted child, not blood. She glanced beside her where Henry, her brother was, a smug expression painted on his face.

“I, William John Davies, being of sound mind, do hereby after mature deliberation, declare the following to be my last Will and Testament with respect to such property as may be left by me at the time of my death.

“To my daughter, Isabella Lucy Davies I leave the remainder of the Davies fortune and the whole of the estate Davies Estate, Kenbrick Manor including everything residing inside it,”

Isabella nearly fell out of her chair.

“This money is to be left in under the control of Wilfred Wood, until such time as Isabella reaches the age of 25 and contents of the inheritance are turned over to her control. This Will and Testament is the only one valid, and revokes all my previous testamentary dispositions, should any such exist after my death,” he finished.

The executor placed the paper back into his briefcase and folded his hands to look over the room.

"This is outrageous!” Henry shouted, seething in anger.

Isabella shifted in her seat uncomfortably, knowing it wasn’t the chair bringing her discomfort, far from it. Rather, it was feeling the brunt of everyone’s stares and what they meant. She was now the heiress to an enormous fortune, every pence her father owned and the family manor.

“Father cut us out the will and is giving everything to her!” Matthew exclaimed in disbelief. “A colored urchin he plucked from the streets,” he sneered.

“How much is the remainder of Father’s fortune?” Henry demanded.

"The remainder is about £300,00,” the executor replied matter of factly.

"Three hundred pounds," Isabella repeated breathlessly, speaking for the first time.

I am feeling rather ill. I think the sea air is getting to me. Please excuse me to my cabin." Ruth looked up from her conversation and nodded.

"Of course, dear. Go."

In a dreamlike trance,

The sight and smell of those about her all merged into one along with the the smell of the fresh paints and the feel of plush new carpets beneath her feet. It was all so beautiful. So brand new.

Rose's body woke her up sharply at five in the morning. Slowly, she propped herself up on her elbow and scanned the room. The first hints of the day were beginning to shed through the curtains.

Olivia woke the next morning to her bedroom curtains being thrown open and bright sunlight pouring into the room.

[ratsoh-writes]

What do their bedrooms/living areas look like? I'm going to use all 3 of my asks to request this for all of the boys if that's ok! ❤

Man, I’ve had this one in my secret notes for a good while now!

Undertale:

Both the tale brothers live in a nice little gated community. Their house is one of the smaller ones and has the same layout as the one in Snowdin. The house is pretty basic with some cozy throws and wall tapestries to spruce it up

Sans: his room actually has a proper bed and frame this time. The sheets and blankets are still bundled up in a pile on the floor though. Sans also has his homemade trashnado in the corner. There’s a desk on the wall adjacent to the door which has his laptop. And several folders stacked next to it. Other than a dresser, there’s literally nothing else in there. Sans doesn’t care much about stuff

Papyrus: his room has bright orange walls. He left the race car bed behind underground but has a race car blanket to make up for it. His walls are covered in superhero and comic posters. He also has a display case for some old figurines and his comic collection. Papyrus’ desk is one of those nice fancy drafting ones where he can adjust it to tilt upwards. He has a ship wheel attached to his door for some reason.

Underswap

The swap bros home is only a few blocks from the classic brothers neighborhood. The only thing basic about it is the cream walls. All the furniture and decorations are bright colors. The kitchen especially is real nice. The oven and stove are top notch, and the counters are filled with mason jars full of goodies.

Star: his room can blind a lesser man when you walk in. The walls are bright yellow, the bed (which is a bunk bed by the way) is neon orange. Galaxy posters decorate the wall. Besides the clashing colors, the furniture is pretty basic. Only the top bunk actually has a mattress. The bottom bunk is used as a storage shelf. He also has a shoe rack by his door

Honey: you can practically feel the nerdy aura as you enter his room. The first thing you see is a display case housing some neat figurines of characters from his favorite shows. He’s also got a pretty nice bookshelf on the opposite wall that’s nearly full. Honeys bed has a curtain around it for extra privacy with a nice little wall lamp above the pillows

Underfell

They have a home a little closer to the city center but still far enough to be considered suburbs. It’s a very sleek and modern house with white walls, tile floors and sleek black and metal furniture. The only thing that doesn’t fit the rest of the theme is this nasty old patched up sofa in the living room. The thing is absolutely hideous but is sooo comfy.

Red: his room has soft grey walls and smells like miter oil. Makes sense since one wall is just a long basic table covered in machine parts that red tinkers with in his down time. He actually doesn’t have a bed. Instead he sleeps on this giant leather bean bag. He likes it that way. There’s a few car posters decorating the walls

Edge: he obviously put a lot of thought into his rooms decorations. Everything is pretty black marble or a sleek white wood. His bed covers are blood red with a nice geometric designs on top in silver. He has a beautiful black desk with some pretty jars filled to the brim with nothing but novelty pens. If you looked in his desk drawers you would find notebooks and even more pens

Swapfell

They don’t own a house and instead live in a two bedroom one bath apartment on the third floor of one of lords complexes. The furniture is pretty minimalistic but very nice quality. Most decorations are metal

Mal: the first thing you’ll see in his room is a large wooden drawing desk where pencils and watercolors are neatly arranged on the side. There’s also a vanity with a light up mirror and a nice collection of makeup. Also a huge slanted hunters knife. He uses it to make sure his eyeliner is extra sharp.

Cash: his bedroom is the perfect definition of organized chaos. It looks messy but for cash, he knows exactly where every thing is. There’s a small tv in there with some old game consoles hooked up to it. The bed is never made.

Horrortale

Their home rests in a neighborhood bordering the forest of ebott. The houses there all have a lot more yard space than most houses in the city. The horrortale home is super cozy with lots of knit throws and pillows scattered around. The back patio has a little dog door and there’s a 50% chance of seeing a chicken walk through lol

Oak: his room is also pretty basic. The bed however has so many blankets. Like way more than any person should need. Oak is a blanket hoarder. There’s a lot of notebooks stacked on his wooden desk along with a file of patterned paper for scrapbooking.

Willow: his room has a raised bed with a cute little ladder on the side so that his dog can jump up. You can tell a lot of the furniture has been homemade or refurbished. The room is larger and in the middle is a circular stone table that’s stained with paint. It’s usually housing his latest craft

Underlust

They used to live in the same neighborhood as the classic brothers but have recently moved closer to the inner city because of work. Their home is still in the process of being unpacked mostly, but their rooms are done! The house is actually pretty conservative looking with grey walls, white wooden furniture and soft pastel decor. They do have a stripper pole in the living room though lol

Charm: his room looks exactly how you expect from him. Dark walls with lots of bright rave type decorations. On his dresser is a large pretty cake display that stands out from the rest of the rooms theme lol. His room is always on a state of organized chaos with his desk and bed covered in nick knacks but the floors staying oddly clean

Sugar: his room has light lavender walls and black furniture. It’s a big difference from the soft feminine style people expect from him. Instead sugar has a more sleek modern style to his room. He also has a standard mannequin in the middle that always has a new dresses pinned to it.

Fellswap (red)

They own a pretty two story house only a block away from the two apartment complexes that lord owns. The front lawn/garden is in top shape with lots of those metal flower decorations stuck in the ground along the dirt outline. Inside the house is most worn but comfy looking furniture. Nothing special

Lord: his room is pretty basic with mostly brown and grey accents. He does have a large mostly filled bookcase. There’s also two white bean bags and a deep red rug that covers nearly the whole floor of the room.

Mutt: he actually has two rooms. The first is pretty simple with just his bed, a writing desk and a rack for some shoes. Also his bird cage for KFC (pet pigeon). The second room has a sink, and several cages and boxes for the injured animals that he rehabilitates. The second room is slightly larger than his actual room.

Fellswap gold

They actually live in a studio apartment above wines antique shop. The apartment used to be an unused storage static until wine bought the building and repurposed it. The living space itself is a little small, but they also have access to the roof which the gold bros use as a potted garden and dining area.

Wine: his room is very classy with silk curtains on the window and a silky cream canopy above his head. All the furniture is a dark grey wood with pretty carvings and designs. The walls are decorated with beautiful floral paintings from his brother. It’s a pretty well planned out room. Very cosy and luxurious

Coffee: he has two rooms as well. The smaller of the two is just his bed, dresser, closet and a tv with some consoles hooked up to it. The second room has shelves lining nearly every wall except for one which is just a big collab mural. On the shelves is various art supplies and projects. There’s one large sketch desk on one wall. And finally in the middle of the room is a tarp attached to the floor housing whatever piece of furniture coffee is restoring at the moment .

Dancetale

They also own an apartment, one of the flats in lords buildings on the ground floor. It’s the other building from the swapfell brothers. The walls are painted a cheery yellow and the house is mostly decorated with spring colors. There’s always a huge bowl of fresh fruit in the kitchen.

Pop: his room is mix and match of completely different furniture and gadgets. Pop isn’t someone who cares about themes so he will keep whatever catches his fancy. Instead of a bed, he has a hammock attacked to the ceiling with a pillow and some throw blankets casually tossed on top lol.

Rhythm: his room is pretty sparse with just his bed, a shoe rack, and a dresser. On the dresser are pictures of each of his face classes right before they graduate. Rhythm doesn’t really care all that much about decor so the walls are pretty bare too

Outertale

They live in the same gated community as the classic brothers! The outertale home has high ceilings and lots of windows. The living room is the real centerpiece of the home. It has several large antique bookcases and display cases. Inside the displays are various rocks and crystals and the occasional fossil. It’s really neat.

Pluto: his room is comprised of mostly blues grays and greens. He has a small bookcase on the side of his bed where he keeps the things he’s currently reading. There’s also a large fish-tank with an assortment of saltwater fish inside. Pluto’s room also has a large circular fluffy rug in the middle of the floor. The floor itself is hardwood

Jupiter: his room has a similar color scheme except instead of greens, Jupiter has gold instead. He has some exercise equipment stacked nicely on the side of his bed including weights. There’s a wall tapestry with a printed picture of the asteroid belt the outertale monsters used to live in.

Gastertale

The gaster brothers also live in the same neighborhood as the classic and outertale bros. They’re at the very end in the little cul-de-sac. The interior of the house is almost all white with cream carpet, metro grey walls, and white furniture. A few of the small decorations add a bit of color. There’s a lot of potted succulents.

G: his room is probably the only dark room of the house. His walls are a charcoal grey and the furniture is mostly jet black with a few mustard colored decorations. There’s a metal wire bookcase hanging on the wall. G also has a plastic anatomy dummy that he dresses up in his motorcycle gear when he’s not using it. G thinks he’s funny

Green: like the rest of the home, his room is also mostly white. He has a pretty pale green rack for all of his glasses on his dresser. Green also has his several degrees framed in silver on the walls. his room is always spotless

Farmtale:

The farm bros have an old Victorian home that they fixed up themselves. They’re home borders the acres of farmland they own and is about a 45 minute drive from ebott city. The inside is decorated with mostly wooden furniture. There’s like four rocking chairs on the porch lol

Peaches: his room fits the theme of the house with mostly wooden furniture and a lot of quilts and rugs to add color and soften it up. Peaches always has a vase of fresh wildflowers on his dresser. The walls have photographs of plants and animals taped to them that peaches took himself.

Rancher: this mad lad has a large moose skull hanging above his four poster log cabin bed. He also hangs his favorite hunting rifles just below the moose lol. His bedroom is mostly wooden of course but is also decorated with lots of red and orange plaids.

Horrorfell

They live in the same neighborhood as the horrortale and horrorswap brothers. Their home is literally right in between the two. Inside it’s decorated in a mix between sleek modern metals and frumpy cozy style. Somehow the horrorfell bros still have their original sofa from the underground. There’s a lot of little homemade staircases for their cat doomfanger who’s too old to claim on top of things herself now

Rust: his walls are painted a soft heather grey and have some basic wooden decorations that noir painted for fun. The furniture is pretty normal with the exception of a large treasure style chest next to his bed. Open it up and you’ll find a collection of drawings and gifts from the kids he’s watched over the years. Rust didn’t have the heart to throw them away.

Noir: unsurprisingly, his room is littered in canvases and paintings on the walls. It’s divided into two sides: the messy paint side and his nice neat living side. He even has a line of tape going down the middle to complete the divide. On his living side is his bed, closet, and a low bookcase that he uses as a second dresser. The actual bookcase is in the living room

Horrorswap

As y’all all know, their house is right next to the horrorfells and one house away from the horrortales. They like bright colors and have a sort of summery themed house. The best part is the back garden which is filled with garden boxes of veggies, fruit bushes, and fruit trees.

Lilac: his rooms main color is a pretty powder blue along with canary yellow and some bright green. He has a yoga mat on the floor in place of a rug. The walls have some neat sunrise posters

Basil: his room is pretty cosy with lots of knit blankets and fluffy pillows. He has a massive poster of Pixar’s ratatouille that rust got him as a joke. Basil has like five coconut planters, each housing a different herb plant making his room smell like an Italian restaurant

The Mafias (tale, fell, swap)

The mafia brothers live in an apartment complex masquerading as a warehouse. The ground and top two floors are working area while there were three secret basement levels. The mafia bros home consists of the whole bottom level with all their rooms connected to a hallway. At the end of the hallway is a living space and the kitchen.

Snipe: his room is the one closest to the living area. Inside is sage walls with a few house plants that can survive in low light. His bed is almost never made lol. If one was to tear the room apart, they would find at least six different guns stashed in hidden compartments

Bruiser: his room is the closest to the staircase. Inside the room somehow looks super messy but is actually spotless. Bruiser decorates the walls with all kinds of gifts people randomly give him during his vigilante escapes. Stuff from pocket mirrors, to foreign currency to even a small collection of sea shells. He drilled holes into them and hung them up on strings. Other than his walls, the furniture is pretty plain

Butch: his room is a mix of greys, blacks an silvers with the basics of furniture and a small black leather sofa. On the walls are some pretty hand melded metal decorations that butch made himself. He smokes in his room so it reeks of cigars

Boss: his room fits him perfectly with clean white plaster walls, sleek metal furniture and black and gold marble decor. Everything in that room has a specific place. If anyone moved his stuff, he’d know. It’s the only mafia bro room that doesn’t caught smell like smoke somehow. There’s a male model mannequin that he uses to practice designing clothes on

Ace: the most eye catching part of his room is a large vanity with several lamps attached and a very extensive makeup kit. I’m talking professional grade. Ace isn’t the spy for nothing. He also has an open closet so all his clothing is out on display. The main color of his room is mauve funny enough

Slim: his room is a drab grey and has a large desk taking up a whole wall. It’s filled with screens and monitors. He also has a few tv screens hooked up to the wall. It almost looks like a security room. On the other side is his bed with a canopy curtain for privacy. There’s a few anime posters on the wall as well

[supersizemeplz]

Spend the Night

Erik Stevens x Black PlusSized Reader

Another #supersizedfic short. Ok, so right off the back I wanna say that towards the end it gets explicit. Since I started writing a lot of fluff, I feel so vulgar when I actually write something steamy. I was contemplating on whether or not to post it here but I thought why not. When I say this has been sitting in my drafts forever, I am not exaggerating. I didn’t know exactly what to do with it so I’m just putting it out to be seen. So I hope you enjoy!

The chattering of characters played on the television screen, once amusing to the couple that rested on the earth toned sofa but now was nothing more than background noise as they conversed. It's sound was low in an attempt to not overwhelm them both, becoming aided with the captions on the screen if they happened to want to know what was going on in the movie. Its light spread out to at least a few feet behind the couch where the light over the recently cleaned kitchen island picked up its slack.

This wasn't your first time over his place but you never paid attention to the details. The house was honestly one of the best decorated homes you'd seen other than those from HGTV. You made sure not add those exact words to the compliment to hide your small addiction to the channel. Especially when you could name the patterns of the tile and back splash of his kitchen, then he'd definitely know that you were a homebody. After a half an hour phone call with Erik hours before on your lunch break, he'd persuaded you to spend the night at his place. Easily done since you were already planning to stop by after a few quick errands. He'd promised you to a homemade dinner, Netflix movies, your favorite wine, and a foot rub.

"Shutupp. I do not.." You chuckled at the joke Erik made, reaching forward to smack his arm as best as you could. Being sure not to waste any of the wine that you still had left in your glass. He smirked as he focused back on massaging your left foot, making sure to massage deep to relieve the tension. You relaxed back against the sofa after taking a sip of your wine with a happy sigh. "You cook like a master chef and have the hands of a God. I might have to keep you around Stevens."

He laughed at that, stopping his foot massage for a moment to cover his mouth as to soften his boom of laughter.  You stifled a chuckle as he pretended to look hurt. "You might? I see how you really feel." Taking your foot gently, he moved it off of him to the floor. You sat your glass on the table beside you and leaned forward to catch his face, laughing as you seen him trying to stay serious.

"Awww, you know I'm just playing." You cooed as you pressed kisses to his cheek. "..my sensitive baby." He allowed the kisses, giving away his small smile from his dimples deepening. Turning his head to catch your lips in a few kisses, he ended the string of kisses with a deeper one. You hummed in the kiss as he placed a hand on your backside. Gripping the soft cushion just enough to get you stimulated before it was over. You sat there for a moment before opening your eyes and watching him get up from the couch.

"You done with this glass, babe?" He asked, grabbing his own glass before looking to you. You nodded, mumbling a soft 'yeah, I am'. He took the glasses and half empty bottle to the kitchen as he continued his conversation with you. You looked to him, admiring the way his shirt allowed you the sight of his back with small movements and the peek of skin once he reached up to place the glasses in the cabinet.

Standing from the softness of the couch, you adjusted your shirt and followed his faintly scented trail into the kitchen. He always smelled amazing. You hummed your acknowledgement as he spoke on some random topic, still in a bit of a daze from the kiss moments ago. Your arms slid around his body as he chuckled. "And you say I be all up under you." You grinned at his response, shrugging.

"And? You know you love me hugging on you, Stevens. Don't think those dimples of yours don't give away your little smiles." Releasing your grip, you headed off to the bedroom. Sending him a teasing look over your shoulder before you disappeared into the hallway. "Don't keep me waiting.."

Once you made it into the bedroom, you made your way to the bathroom to freshen up. Moments passed before Erik was doing the same, meeting you at the double sink to brush his teeth as well. Now shirtless with his sweats hanging just enough to catch the waistband of his briefs. His chuckling caught your attention and broke your admiration of him in the reflection of the mirror. Finishing up with brushing your teeth and washing your hands, you playfully rolled your eyes and left him to finish his nightly routine.

It felt like he was taking forever to come to bed. Doing that lengthy ass routine he'd done numerous times over the many times you both would facetime as you got ready for bed. You had slipped from the shirt and short set that had only been worn for a few hours, still catching the scent of perfume you dashed on to work like a pheromone. The soft fabrics hit the floor and you adjusted the lace, skin toned underwear that was left. Smoothing your hair down, you looked to the bathroom door as he switched off the light.

Silence. It filled the bedroom and swarmed around the both of you as you stood in front of the bed. The lamp that sat in the corner of the room illuminated your silhouette just enough for him to see the look you gave him. He grinned at your surprise, catching the slight nervousness in your body as he stepped closer. A hum of appreciation left him as he took his time to make it to you. Why in the hell did this man have you feeling like this was your first time? Maybe because it was with him.

Weeks of being wined and dined, fun little outings, nights on the phone, and building sexual tension came to this moment. He'd been a gentleman the whole time. Never pushing the matter on you and waiting for you to tell him what you wanted. And oh how you've wanted him. The thoughts had crossed your mind as well as a few wet dreams that you wouldn't dare let him find out about. Tonight, you decided you were tired of waiting and enduring the sweet torture of his charisma.

He sent a chill over you as he spoke suddenly. "You don't understand what you do to me, do you?" His fingers held your chin, thumb gently massaging the soft skin. "So pretty and delicate.." The darkness of lust clouded his eyes as he gave a slow once over of you. Your eyes admired the soft curve of his full lips instead. He smiled at the fact, chuckling when he seen you take a deep breath.

"Hey.." He caught your attention, speaking softly. "Eyes up here." You finally caught his gaze and he hummed when you did so. Taking a small step closer, he smiled as he leaned to your lips. "I need those eyes to stay on me. You got me?" His lips ghosted yours and you relaxed under his touch.

You gave a small nod as you looked up to meet his eyes. The touch of his fingertips felt like small sparks as they moved across your skin. Hooking beneath your bra strap and easing the band down your shoulder. "I want to hear that sweet voice of yours, baby.." You felt as he trailed them around you to unclasp the hooks at the back with ease. The fabric fell to the floor without a sound and he gave another satisfied hum. "Are you gonna be a good girl and keep those eyes on me?"

"Yes, baby.." You replied, allowing him to admire your lips this time. He gave a small smirk as he mumbled 'That's more like it, baby'. Your nipples were erect from both sexual and actual atmosphere. His thumb brushed over the sensitive bud and you bit your lip to suppress a moan, opting for a slow exhale. He looked to you and you seen a dimple to let you know he was toying with you. Seeing how long you could last with his slow burn.

You caught his lips suddenly, surprising him for only a second. He flowed with your slow kisses, smiling at the hunger in them. A moan slipped past your lips against his this time, fingers dancing at the waistband of his sweats. He chuckles at your lengthy nails attempting to work with the fabric. Taking over when you couldn't focus enough to get it.

"So eager.. Take it slow and tell me what you want me to do." He began to lower the sweats with ease before he slipped the soft cotton fabric from his legs. ".. that sexy ass voice you got and you really think you're not going to use it." A playful scoff followed the sentence before he licked his lips.

You looked to the bulge of his briefs before meeting his eyes again. "I want a taste.." The confession kind of surprised him though his face hadn't shown it. He watched you as you caught his gaze again, groaning when you gently palmed him. "May I?" You teased, using the moment to toy with him in return.

He didn't lose eye contact as you lowered before him. "I'm all yours.." The consent left his lips immediately. You hummed, pressing your lips against the fabric before massaging it. He exhaled as you did so. Your fingers finally caught at the waistband of his boxers to ease them down, and his length eagerly greeted you. That pulled a soft laugh from you.

"It's so pretty.." You mumbled the compliment, not focused on if he'd heard it or not. He groaned as you took your first taste of him. The warmth of your mouth made him pull his bottom lip between his teeth. His eyes focused on your slow moments with fascination.

You closed your eyes, taking your time to work him up. He filled your mouth as much as he could before you eased him from your lips, hugging his tip. "Unh uh. What I say?" His hips pushed into your lips gently, enjoying the softness they provided. Opening your eyes, you look up to him as he wanted. He groaned softly as a smirk caught the corner of his lips. "There you go. Keep those eyes on me."

Your right hand left his thigh, lifting up to stroke him. "I'm sorry, baby. Forgive me?" You taunted, freeing your mouth for the moment. His lips parted once your tongue circled his fattened head, going back to work while slurping loudly for his enjoyment. The mumbles he spoke were barely audible over your pleasuring, but you made out some of the words and moan in agreement.

Releasing your lips from him with a pop, you look to his glistening dick. He hums as you stroke him again, trying his hardest not to move his hips in rhythm with you. "You're so fucking pretty.." The repeated confession gains your eye contact with him once again. And he reacts with another mumble of praise. He curses as you stare up at him with a smile. Your full lips all shiny and wet from saliva, matching the coat that covered him.

"Tell me again.." You tease with a sultry voice, seeing him chuckle at your cockiness. He tucks his bottom lip between teeth as amusement taints his features. And he repeats it a little louder. "Good boy." Rubbing him against your lips, you laugh as he weakens and leans forward slightly. The small words of praise caught him off guard, but he couldn't help his body reacting. He was losing dominance and didn't mind it.

"C'mere.." He stops you from your fun, gently standing you up. You squeal as he picks you up with ease. Resting you right above his hardened excitement. He grins as you hold onto his arms for support. "I want my pleasure to come from pleasing you.." Your body falls to the bed with a soft bounce. He rids himself of his underwear fully before he puts his attention on yours.

The light of the dim lamp catches his chain, glinting against his chest and bringing attention to his body. Reaching a hand out towards him, you ran your fingertips along his smooth, yet textured skin. Taking in the scars that he'd told you were a reminder of how far he'd came from unlearning his old ways. You moan as he bends down to press kisses to your tummy, showing it the love it deserved. The kisses becoming sloppier as they continued their way lower.

He hummed as he lifted your thighs, opening them enough to kiss their inner parts. His soft lips left tingles that felt they were going straight to your love button. "She's ready for me, huh?" The light stroke of his finger made you shift your hips closer, resulting in his chuckle. Both of your thighs were placed onto his shoulders and he began his delicate foreplay. Pulling a moan from before your hands found his dreads.

He licked his lips as he admired your body. "Let's see if I can get you to spend the night more often."

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Taglist

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