#but as a set? to be bought as a cohesive outfit?

[yesstylefinds]

Lace Trim Toggle Puffer Vest / Long-Sleeve Mock Neck Plain Ruffle Trim Top / Decorative Hem / Mid Waist Dotted Wide Leg Pants

[stale-trash]

˚ʚꨄ︎ɞ˚ ᴅʀᴇꜱꜱ ᴜᴘ ˚ʚꨄ︎ɞ˚

ᴄᴡ: ʏᴀɴᴅᴇʀᴇ/ᴘᴏꜱꜱᴇꜱꜱɪᴠᴇ ʙᴇʜᴀᴠɪᴏʀ, ʟᴏᴀᴅꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴀɴɪᴘᴜʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ɪᴍᴘʟɪᴇᴅ ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ, ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴘᴇʀᴠ ʜᴏᴡ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴡᴇʟᴛ, ʜɪᴍᴇᴋᴏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴋᴀꜰᴋᴀ ɪɴꜰʟᴜᴇɴᴄᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇ? (ꜰᴇᴍ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ) ᴀ/ɴ: ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴅᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʙʀᴀɪɴ ᴄᴇʟʟ, @mini-ism

Welt Yang - teaches you!

This arrangement arose from the time you asked for fashion advice from the man. He was someone you went to regardless of topic for those easily digestible explanations, so why would this be any different? 

Welt meets your expectations and exceeds them as per usual. The outfits he creates with you best compliments your form - seamlessly incorporating your preferred style and elevating it. Slowly but surely, your wardrobe is impacted by his influence. With the clothes he bought alongside you and various accessories that he personally teaches you how to properly wear, it's hard to find an article not linked to him in some manner.

It's important for him to be subtle with his ulterior motives. Teaching you the basics of cohesive and practical dressing is important, but the opportunity to dress you up with little resistance is unbelievably tempting. For that to occur, Welt ensures to spread his influence at a snail's pace, always course-correcting based on your responses. Slow and steady does win the race for a reason.

Ambiguity is imperative to him. Maintaining the image of the resident wise mentor figure as he carefully guides you into making the first move is key to avoiding any…unnecessary actions. Observant ones would simply raise an eyebrow at it all, having no concrete proof of any questionable behavior on his part, and the more oblivious would see him as nothing more than a doting mentor. The perverted would recognize their kin, but to judge would be hypocritical. 

By the time he has you willingly modeling clothes that show more than they hide, you'd be firmly in his grasp. It'd be best for you to be ignorant of the depths of his emotions and simply accept the sanitized version. It's more romantic, you see; your long-time crush reciprocating your feelings is a more heart-warming story than one of a perverted man manipulating you. 

Ignorance is bliss, just leave the burden of knowing the unsavory truth to him.

Kafka - infects you!

The Stellaron Hunter is notoriously elusive in a variety of manners. She is as mysterious as she is dangerous, unpredictable as she is fearless, confident as she is hypnotic - to be caught in her web is inevitable.

It's hard to pin-point when exactly your unconscious conceded self-expression into her hands. Maybe it was gradual, your control over your clothes slowly crumbling as her web tightened around you. Maybe various coats encroach upon your wardrobe the longer she trespasses upon your life. Maybe you gravitate towards clothes she'd approve the more she looks over you out of fear, validation, or a sickening mix.

Or maybe, it happened overnight - either way, your wardrobe is now infested with coats. 

Some come in pairs, intended to be worn as a matching set, and others have clear owners. Some are still warm, and others emanate a soft scent. All make you sick, and none you can avoid.

To free yourself now is nothing more than a far-gone dream. Every movement entangles you further into her intoxicating embrace. 

She calls it beauty, you call it cruelty.

No matter what you did or said, nothing could possibly faze the woman. Even now, Kafka smiled softly, her plush lips glistening with the motion yet her eyes reflected that indescribable emotion. It’s too complicated and intense to simply be blank, yet too unfeeling and unnerving to be anything else. 

“Go on,” she cooed, her words wrapping around your form akin to the coat hanging off your shoulders, “give me a twirl~”

Kafka’s ‘request’ was punctuated with a little handwave, her silver rings catching the dim lights. It was clear all her focus was on you - her little model wearing nothing but a custom-tailored coat - as she sipped her wine lazily. 

So you twirled. You ignored how the cool night air caressed your clammy skin. You ignored how her scent permeated your skin and clogged your nose. You ignored how her coat brushed against your bare skin as if she was behind you, caressing your skin. You ignored the glimpses of your reflection and Kafka’s pleased expression. You ignored how she hummed in appreciation.

You ignored the burst of pride within you.

“Keep it,” she drawled as she swirled her wine like a sommelier, “you’re quite the sight.” 

You ignored the gentle waves of gratefulness that washed over your taut body. 

More coats now occupy your closet, and more emanate a familiar soft scent.

Himeko - dresses you!

Knowledgeable, confident, and elegant - these words might as well be synonyms for the navigator of the Astral Express. She inspires with her words and actions, a role-model for all.

It’s hard not to feel a bit underwhelming when you’re next to her. Like a shadow beneath the fire, it was simply nature - the laws of physics at work. Some were just meant to be more radiant than others and you’ve come to terms with it. Yet, you never considered the possibility that the light would shine above you, gently casting away your shadowy covers. 

Your closet was restructured carefully in her vision for you. It was hard to disagree with her when she was simply so radiant, washing away every one of your concerns with her warm touch. 

Whenever you got dressed for the day, you could feel her guidance surrounding you - her radiance casting away the dullness that perpetually surrounded you. Her approving smile and warm caresses only certified how right you were to trust her; she would never lead you astray.

But Himeko did. 

Her vision for you was a caged bird, a sight only she could enjoy. 

She’ll water you with compliments whenever you comply with her vision, and appreciate how you blossom under her care. She’ll prune any unwanted behavior with a little punishment, and cultivate you back onto her desired path.

Every outfit you now wear has a rose somewhere - whether it be an accessory or embedded within your clothes. The soft yet bitter aroma of coffee permeated your very being like a permanent fragrance. But for Himeko, this was far from enough.

What good was an invisible cage? A sign unreadable by most? A collar with no owner’s name?

It was cute when you didn’t understand her vision, yet imperative that others do. So she’d personally dress you in clothes that emulated the spirit of her own, occasionally giving you her own pieces to wear.

Your cute concerns would be washed away with a warm smile and an even warmer touch. Don’t you want to boost your confidence? What better way than to dress like her - to look like her?

One day, it’ll be her coat she helps you wear properly, even adjusting it throughout the day with a genial smile. Another day, it’ll be a matching golden rose choker she snaps onto your neck.

But her favorite look on you is a red toga dress with a white lining with the high slit on the right-side. Together, you’d match as perfect inverses of each other. Some days, she’d give you the accompanying black mini-skirt, gently forcing you to sit on her bed as she slipped it onto your legs. Yet, most of the time, your legs were exposed to Himeko’s delight. Her hands would rest against your thigh like another accessory, and caress your skin ever so gently until it was rubbed raw. There was no need to hide your beauty from her, she’d reason, it was just the two of you here.

Her vision was lost on you, but you were happy -  happy to finally shine as brightly as your beloved navigator. It didn’t matter - or perhaps register - that your only appreciator was Himeko.

[irellia]

Why is everyone convinced Vi will become an enforcer? I don't get it

Arcane is an origins story and in league lore Violet is known as THE piltover enforcer. Caitlyn becomes the sheriff and Vi is her trusted partner.

In this official poster, Vi's enforcer gear from the game is layered over her regular outfit from the show.

this is what the arcane Vi skin looks like in the game. Just like the poster. Looks to me like a mix of the two (arcane & league vi)

Also, riot is making the show. It's not some independent project, someone who's bought the rights to it. It's all part of the same universe. I'm not saying things could not go differently in the show but they did promote it as such and I fully trust Amanda Overton and the rest of the writing team to tell her story. So far the characters, setting, dialog, and plot all have worked together flawlessly to create season 1's cohesive narrative. I don't think that's gonna change going into season 2 and onwards.

[mysteryshoptls]

SR Lilia Vanrouge Beastly Garb Personal Story: Part 1

"I've decided on this!"

Part 1 (Part 2)

[Sunset Savanna – Market]

Lilia: I set out to the city with Kalim, thinking I'd capitalize on the time we had left before Catch the Tail, but…

Lilia: Because of that performance we threw, we amassed a large audience.

Lilia: This must all be thanks to my genius playing abilities.

Lilia: I was able to slip out, but it looks like Kalim's still stuck in the crowd. Now, what to do…

Lilia: …

Lilia: He looks like he's enjoying himself with all the townsfolk, so it doesn't look like I should drag him away.

Lilia: Okay, while I wait for Kalim, I'll look around the shops here!

Lilia: The real charm point of a bazaar is how all the different smells intermingle with each other from every direction.

Lilia: Oh? Look who's over there…

Vil: Hello, Lilia. You're here too, I see.

Lilia: Thought it was you, Vil. You're shopping, too?

Vil: Why, yes. I was completely inundated by the shopkeepers just now… I was finally able to break free of them.

Vil: Oho? The hibiscus and baobab mixed juice we drank yesterday seems to be available to take home as well.

Vil: Perhaps I shall buy some for myself. I did hear that it was good for my skin, anyway.

Lilia: Aha. So you're looking for souvenirs, hm.

Vil: Are you, as well?

Lilia: I am! You can never give enough away, don't you think?

Lilia: Oh? Oooh! This warthog figure… It's beautifully crafted.

Vil: I see it’s made to be a piggy bank. I've seen a few of them at other stores as well. Looks to be a common item in Sunset Savanna.

Lilia: Common, hm. It's not a bad choice, but I think I want to look into something more unique.

Lilia: Oh! This doll has some kind of mechanism inside it. Its movements are odd.

Vil: Its colors are quite lovely, too. I wonder what kind of paint they used for it.

Lilia: I once bought Malleus a battery-operated toy for children, which he enjoyed mightily.

Lilia: Maybe he'll take a liking to this too.

Lilia: But… The more I look at it, the more I realize just now delicate it is.

Lilia: I wonder if this doll would be capable of withstanding Malleus's overwhelming strength.

Vil: Would you really be expecting anything from a children's toy?

Lilia: Hm. Then I suppose I should rethink this.

Lilia: It's always a difficult task to find a good souvenir for Malleus, which makes it all the more fun.

Vil: I completely understand. The harder the challenge, the more it compels you to rise above it.

Lilia: But with all these choices, there's no way I'd even have any time to pick the right one.

Lilia: Especially since I need to find a gift for not only Malleus, but also Silver and Sebek.

Lilia: Kufufu. I do remember we had a few incidents with gifts that I've bought those two as well, though.

Lilia: For a little while, I would always go out of my way to purchase the traditional outfits of the countries that I visited for Silver, but…

Lilia: That boy would just throw on a top and bottom from two completely different regions and leave the house with no sense of cohesion at all.

Lilia: I absolutely couldn't believe my eyes.

Lilia: The two patterns would conflict with each other terribly… I remember my eyes hurting so much…

Vil: What a waste. He only needs to wear something simple, that would be enough to show off the quality of the fabrics.

Lilia: Once, when I purchased some high-end, flashy clothes for Sebek,

Lilia: He said, "I am not worthy of wearing such a thing. This is more suited for the Young Master!!"

Lilia: He wouldn't wear it at all, what a bummer.

Lilia: So then after that, I just bought them both a regular shirt with the same pattern on it, and by coincidence, the two of them ended up wearing it the next day.

Lilia: Seeing them dressed alike was outrageously hilarious. They didn't seem to like it, though.

Vil: You've got story after story, don't you. Does that mean you buy a souvenir for them every time you travel?

Lilia: Yep. I'd traveled outside of Briar Valley many a time.

Lilia: I just wanted Malleus and the others to get a feel for the cultures in other countries, even if just through these souvenirs.

Lilia: …However, just once, I caused Malleus disappointment over a souvenir.

Vil: Over a souvenir?

Part 1 (Part 2)

Requested by Anonymous.

[girlhk]

Elevate Your Style with Timeless Silver Jewelry

Silver jewelry has long been celebrated for its timeless elegance and versatility. Among its many offerings, the Sterling Silver Drop Necklace stands out as a perfect accessory for both casual and formal occasions. This piece exudes sophistication with its sleek design, effortlessly complementing any outfit. Whether you're dressing up for a dinner party or heading out for a casual outing, the sterling silver drop necklace is the epitome of understated luxury.

Why Choose Retro-Inspired Accessories?

Retro designs have made a significant comeback in recent years, bringing a touch of nostalgia and charm to modern wardrobes. If you're on the hunt for unique jewelry, consider exploring the Retro Style Simple Ring for Sale. This design effortlessly merges vintage aesthetics with contemporary craftsmanship, making it a must-have for those who love to make a statement. Wearing retro-inspired pieces not only showcases your appreciation for timeless styles but also sets you apart in a sea of ordinary designs.

Convenience of Buying Jewelry Online

The digital era has made it easier than ever to shop for exquisite accessories from the comfort of your home. For those who value convenience and variety, the option to Buy Silver Ring Online is a game-changer. Online platforms offer an extensive range of designs, sizes, and price points, ensuring you find the perfect piece to suit your style. Plus, with detailed product descriptions and high-resolution images, you can make informed decisions without stepping foot in a store.

Coordinated Sets for Effortless Elegance

Matching jewelry sets have always been a popular choice for their cohesive look. A Necklace and Earring Set Sale offers an excellent opportunity to invest in coordinated accessories without breaking the bank. Such sets are perfect for events where you want to appear polished and put-together, such as weddings, galas, or even a romantic dinner. The harmony between the necklace and earrings creates a seamless aesthetic that enhances your overall appearance.

Styling Tips for Silver Jewelry

Sterling silver jewelry is incredibly versatile and can be styled in countless ways to suit different occasions. A Sterling Silver Drop Necklace pairs beautifully with a V-neck dress or blouse, drawing attention to the neckline and adding a touch of elegance. For a more casual look, combine a Retro Style Simple Ring for Sale with a stack of minimalist bands to create an effortlessly chic vibe. When shopping to Buy Silver Ring Online, look for designs that resonate with your personal style, as these pieces will become staples in your collection.

If you’re opting for a Necklace and Earring Set Sale, consider coordinating your outfit's colors and patterns with the jewelry. Solid-colored dresses work exceptionally well with silver sets, allowing the jewelry to take center stage. Don't shy away from experimenting with layered necklaces or combining silver pieces with other metals for a contemporary twist.

Caring for Your Silver Jewelry

To ensure your silver jewelry remains radiant and tarnish-free, proper care is essential. Store your pieces in a cool, dry place, preferably in a soft pouch or a jewelry box lined with felt. When wearing your Sterling Silver Drop Necklace, avoid exposure to harsh chemicals or excessive moisture. Regular cleaning with a soft cloth can help maintain its shine, keeping it as stunning as the day you bought it.

The same care applies to a Retro Style Simple Ring for Sale, as rings are more prone to scratches and dirt buildup. By cleaning your rings regularly and removing them during activities like gardening or heavy lifting, you can preserve their beauty for years to come.

Conclusion

Silver jewelry is more than just an accessory; it’s an expression of style and individuality. Whether you're drawn to the classic elegance of a Sterling Silver Drop Necklace, the vintage charm of a Retro Style Simple Ring for Sale, or the convenience of Buy Silver Ring Online, there's something for everyone in the world of silver. Don't miss out on a Necklace and Earring Set Sale, which offers the perfect blend of beauty and value. Embrace silver jewelry to elevate your look and create lasting impressions, no matter the occasion.

[willpaul229]

Benefits of Buying Gym Equipment at Auctions

When it comes to outfitting a home gym or upgrading your fitness facility, purchasing high-quality equipment at a reasonable price can be challenging. That’s where auctions come in as a game-changer. Specifically, liquidation gym auctions provide a unique opportunity to acquire premium gym equipment at a fraction of the retail cost. Let’s explore the many benefits of buying gym equipment at auctions and why this approach is worth considering.

Cost Savings

One of the most compelling reasons to buy gym equipment at a liquidation gym auction is the significant cost savings. Fitness equipment can be expensive, with items like treadmills, ellipticals, and weight sets costing thousands of dollars when bought new. At auctions, however, you can find these items at a steep discount. Since liquidation auctions often involve the sale of surplus inventory or equipment from closed businesses, the starting prices are typically much lower than retail. This makes auctions an excellent option for those looking to build a gym on a budget.

Access to High-Quality Equipment

Liquidation gym auctions often feature commercial-grade equipment that was previously used in professional fitness centers. This means you’re not just getting affordable equipment; you’re also getting durable, high-quality items designed to withstand frequent use. Unlike cheaper, consumer-grade options, these pieces are built to last, making them a smart investment for serious fitness enthusiasts or gym owners.

Variety of Choices

Another advantage of attending a liquidation gym auction is the wide variety of equipment available. From cardio machines like treadmills and stationary bikes to strength training essentials like squat racks and dumbbells, these auctions typically offer a diverse selection. You might even find specialized equipment like rowing machines, resistance bands, or functional trainers, allowing you to outfit your gym with everything you need in one place.

Sustainable Shopping

Buying used equipment at a liquidation gym auction is also an environmentally friendly choice. By purchasing second-hand items, you’re helping to reduce waste and extend the lifecycle of these products. This approach not only benefits your wallet but also contributes to sustainability efforts, making it a win-win situation.

Opportunities for Bargaining

While auctions have set starting prices, they also allow for competitive bidding, which can work to your advantage. If you’re strategic and keep a close eye on the items you want, you may be able to snag high-value equipment at an unbeatable price. The thrill of bidding and potentially walking away with a great deal adds an exciting element to the process.

Convenient Bulk Purchases

For gym owners or fitness professionals, liquidation gym auctions offer the convenience of purchasing multiple pieces of equipment in one go. Instead of shopping around at various retailers, you can acquire everything you need in a single transaction. This not only saves time but also ensures a cohesive look and feel for your gym space.

Insider Tips for Success at Liquidation Gym Auctions

To make the most of a liquidation gym auction, preparation is key. Here are a few tips to help you succeed:

Research the Auction: Look for reputable auction houses or online platforms specializing in gym equipment. Read reviews and verify the legitimacy of the auction to ensure you’re dealing with a trustworthy source.

Inspect the Equipment: If possible, attend a preview session to inspect the items you’re interested in. Check for signs of wear and tear and test the functionality of the equipment if allowed.

Set a Budget: Determine your spending limit beforehand and stick to it. The excitement of bidding can sometimes lead to overspending, so it’s essential to remain disciplined.

Understand the Terms: Familiarize yourself with the auction’s terms and conditions, including payment methods, buyer’s premiums, and pickup or delivery options.

Be Strategic: Focus on bidding for the items you genuinely need and avoid getting caught up in bidding wars. Patience and strategy can help you secure the best deals.

Conclusion

Liquidation gym auctions are a fantastic resource for anyone looking to purchase gym equipment affordably and sustainably. They provide access to high-quality, commercial-grade items at unbeatable prices, offering variety and convenience in one place. Whether you’re setting up a personal workout space or managing a fitness business, these auctions can help you achieve your goals without breaking the bank. So, if you’re ready to score some amazing deals, start exploring liquidation gym auctions today and discover the benefits for yourself!

[semixfenz]

Customizing Fit for Each Window and Door

Acclimatizing window ornaments opens up a world of incomprehensible imaginative inevitability. Choosing bespoke shades permits you to express your inventiveness and bring your thought to life, whether it's smooth, modern boards or excessive wraps streaming to the foot. One of the pivotal focal points of customized window ornament acclimatizing is achieving an correct fit. Acclimatized window ornaments are outlined to fit your windows precisely, making a smooth, grand see. This position of delicacy makes strides the in general cohesiveness of your domestic plan strategy. Acclimatizing your window ornaments gives you get to to colorful textures and Curtain tailor near Dunstable permits you to deliver a plan that's completely your possess, choosing from rich accoutrements, curiously designs, and surfaces that circular your scenery. Curtain Fitting, contrasts, and Installation Do not stress if you bought a excellent set of shades but they do not generally fit your window! To achieve the ideal fit, consider making shade contrasts. Modifying window ornaments has various advantages. For starters, varieties grant a run of print alternatives. You may epitomize the shades with your chosen plans and prints. moreover, changing the plan of your window ornaments permits you to accommodate them to your inclinations and the seasons. Whether you need to revive your appearance for a extraordinary occasion or answer to moving décor patterns, changes grant resoluteness and diversity. ● Proficient amendment Whereas choosing the right window ornaments is basic, the importance of proficient amendment and establishment can not be overstated. Modifying and settling window ornaments requires a exhaustive approach, with taught labor constrain icing secure and correct drop, boosting both the visual request and working of your area. ● Upgrading Visual Offer Well- changed and put window ornaments improve the visual offer of any room. They hang tenderly, passing on a feeling of uproariousness and complication. Whether beautifying the windows of a ultramodern expansion or a major domestic, competent customization and establishment safeguarded that shades come a compelling central point of your insides design. ● icing Life The quality of window ornament modification and establishment has a major affect on their life. When changing and patching shades, issues comparative as texture choice, divider sort, window fashion, and shade handle are all absolutely inspected. This consideration to detail implies that your window ornaments not as it were see extraordinary but moreover final the test of time, including a dateless fineness to your room. Curtain Change Milton Keynes empowers you to acclimate the changes to your correct conditions and tastes, icing that your shades fit your windows and entryways appropriately. Whether you need a moo- taken a toll choice or tall- quality workmanship, there's a result available to coordinate your requirements. Looking for the A la mode amendment Services When considering shade changes, it's critical to select Curtain tailor & alteration Hitchin who specializes in this field. The specialists will prompt you on where contrasts are required and offer estimating gauges thus. As a result, it's basic to choose a reliable and creative knitter that can meet all of your customization needs. Do not disregard to studied audits and conditions some time recently making your decision. Looking for correct changes to your window ornaments? See no assist than A&Z Tailor and Alteration, which is known for outfitting tall- quality modification administrations. Curtain tailor & alteration near me specializes in adjustments to marriage dresses, window ornaments, and calfskin coats, advertising awesome quality at fantastically cheap costs.

[tallbluelady]

I just had a revelation as to why some stuff looks like it's part of the eclectic world and why some stuff sticks out like a sore thumb: it's the belts.

(Well, accessories, but belts are the meme.)

Let's take Thancred and Urianger, for example. Basically their ShB designs boil down to White Trench Coat over Body Armor and Greek/Roman Chiton with a shitton of Jewelry. But they still seem cohesive in a "this created world was built for both of them" sort of way. It's the accessories! Anyone could get a chiton costume or body armor today, but it wouldn't have all the belts, pauldrons, kneecaps what have you.

And then you have Ryne, who by almost any means is wearing just a white dress you could get at Khol's. What elevates her outfit to the more fantastic is the cut out sleeves, lacing in the back, and her boots. Thigh high boots are decently rare to see in real life, and on top of that they have the little belts strap detail (on top of that you have the cutouts on the actual foot part of the boot, also rare!) (Also I am not saying that it would be an easy cosplay, I'm saying it's relatively simple (but still fitting in the setting) in the grand scheme of things.)

Onto store bought costumes. The ones that really stick out to me are the Street Wear sets and the Collegiate sets. They literally look like someone plucked out real life outfits and plonked them down into Eorzea, despite the logos and text. And why is that?

It's the lack of belts, chains, doohickies, what have you.

Left to right: Appointed Attire, Collegiate Slacks, Collegiate Skirt, Scion's Adventurer Attire.

It's not entirely one to one, but all the outfits contain the same basic pieces - Jacket, Cardigan/Vest, Tie, Collared Shirt, Slacks or Skirt, Socks or Tights, and Shoes.

But the two on the outside are far more ornate and fit the setting better! There's so much more detail in them that would take hours, if not days to complete in real life. So most modern wear is going to forgo those details for affordability/reproducibility.

And I think that's the crux of the matter. The game is called Final Fantasy. Outfits should be fantastical! Even if they fit the archetype of school uniform, they need to be elevated in some manner to fit the setting.

tl;dr: The belts are a very important to the aesthetic cohesion of FFXIV.

(I also did not touch on the potato sacks vs nicer stuff but I only have so much brain power. That's probably a 1.0 aesthetic choice vs current CBU III aesthetic choice they haven't really hashed out completely yet.)

As I said earlier on the Bird app:

Actually I can’t blame FF14 devs for all the “modern” glamours. We know despite the rules they do see modded screenshots and how much of those are ultra-modern streetwear, party clothes, and otherwise leaning more toward technofantasy than medieval. So they design what it seems is wanted.

And it’s not like the entire Final Fantasy series doesn’t mix SciFi and Fantasy as it is; look at the designs and outfits for iconic party members and NPCs from other games in the franchise, and there’s often a very “modern” look anyway, so why not design glams that fall into the same vein.

I’d love more traditionally fantasy fashions myself. Glamours inspired by older time periods around the world to reflect the various inspirations for the game’s regions and settings. But given the franchise history and what I see most often in modded screenshots, it’s no surprise we’re not getting that.

[lovely-necromancy]

A Cure for Insomnia Ch.3

WARNING DECEPTIONS OF A PANIC ATTACK

I understand seeing others go through this can sometimes cause panic or anxiety attacks in some and with the use of some imagery I've used I'd feel better if I gave a fair warning that there is a detailed panic attack early on.

,,,,,,,,,,

Whoever said eight hours of sleep was the right amount for humans has never met an insomniac who just spent the last six days and five nights awake. You hoped that fucker is in hell burning for his sins, he probably has more of them that you don't know of. But with bleary eyes looking at your phone you can barely make out that it's just a little past six in the morning. This is backed up by the slimmers of light shinning through the blanket you put over the window last night. Briefly the thought of keeping it up today passes through your mind as you try to curl into an even tighter blanket cocoon.

Stretching out your legs and toes you let your muscles melt into mush in the warmth and comfort of your bed. Closing your eyes and burying your head back into the pillow, you might not be able to go to sleep but resting is nice too. You're so relaxed it almost feels as if all your limbs are floating and you feel the buzz of energy come surging back through you, you hum along with it nuzzling into the pillows.

'Your car was broken into.' the thought flashes through your mind and has you jolting up right.

Chest heaving slightly as frantic eyes dance along the room that hasn't changed since the night before. The buzzing energy from just a few moments before turns into an icy feeling flowing in your veins. It chills you to your core and you've noticed the tremors in your arms causing you to tremble. There's a sick feeling that bubbles up your throat, as you feel the phantoms of tens of hands grabbing at your arms and torso. They move erratically all over and their grips are suffocating, there's a lump in your throat that you have trouble swallowing down.

Bringing a hand up to your throat you jab your thumb right above or right at where your larynx would be. The slight pain from the pressure helps ease the lump away and you're able to get out a few frantic breaths. You hardly notice the wetness on your face from the few tears slipping free from your eyes.

'Gross, gross, gross, gross.' is the only message that rings clear in your mind as you're assaulted by these phantom hands.

You're aware this is a panic attack, but it does little to calm you down. Putting more pressure on your throat and using your feet to propel you back into the mattress. Vaguely you're aware that tiring your body out should calm you or maybe it's the release of an emotional fit that calms you, you aren't sure which and you don't really care at the moment. So flailing your legs you let your feet forcefully slip off of their purchase as you push your muscles to their full extent with force. It doesn't take long before you can't feel your limbs and are gasping for breath.

The phantoms are gone, no longer touching you as they please, and while the lump still sits at the bottom of your throat making it hurt to swallow and breathe around you can begin to feel calm. Actually it's the numbness that takes over you, not a sense of calm. The sense of an empty shell broken from its exertion. One thing's for sure you can't take your car today. If you had a panic attack just by thinking of your car you don't want to risk actually getting behind the wheel.

Everything feels tense, the muscles in your legs are starting to ache and you're pretty sure you'll have a bruise at the base of your throat.  You check your phone with shaky hands to see it's now seven twelve. If you get up now and leave you think you can probably make it into town by eight forty giving you time to grab something from the Dunkin' on the corner across from the shop. Or you could call out, Nate would totally understand. But just the thought of being alone today sends a chill down your spine and the feeling of those phantom hands start creeping their way back into your personal space.

“I'm going to work!” jumping up and out of the bed, away from the grubby grabby specters.

Running around the room you throw on a pair of black shorts, unusual for you to wear at work but if you're walking you'll have to deal, sweaty jeans are uncomfortable and joggers aren't very cohesive to a work environment. Deciding on a binder made from a breathable swimsuit material for the same reason, sweaty bra is too uncomfortable and bra-less isn't really something you're comfortable with. Grabbing the first shirt you find, it's a black tee with the words “The only man for me is Mothman” printed on it surrounded by little white stars and a chibi lil mothamn.

Looking at your outfit altogether cheers you up. It's casual but cute, not to mention these shorts do a lot for your thighs and butt. But, there's no time to dwell on how handsome you are, you need to grab food and get out the door like ten minutes ago! Grabbing a mask printed with the word 'No' dead center and your headphones you leave your room. With the thought of grabbing Dunkin' before work you settle on a Pedialyte Pop to hold you over during your walk, nausea shouldn't hit you right away anyway. Checking your door was locked, thrice, you started your trek to town.

Most people would complain about having to walk or hike while wearing a mask, often times saying it was hard to breathe under the fabric. But you'd say they just didn't have the right size mask for their face shape. You'd run into a few masks that hadn't been the right shape or size throughout the years but you're thankful that your first three had been perfect. Had they been too big or small you probably wouldn't have fallen in love with wearing masks, they were so comfy and let you interact with people without your voice getting stuck in your throat.

You'd taken to wearing them after high school when you'd taken a job of watching an elderly hospice patient's corgi while her family worked on moving to Virginia and closer to her. Anytime you and little Russel went to visit her you'd had to wear a mask, so instead of wearing the disposables you'd bought a set of three reusable ones.

After noting the change in behavior she mentioned your Autism, she'd been a retired social worker and saw the signs when she met you and after spending nearly 40 hours a week together for half a year she was certain you somehow fell through the cracks. It was a shock to you when she threw out the off handed comment but after stating who your pediatrician was, she was sent into a fit of laughter.

“Anya is a dear and a great surgeon, but I think the cultural barrier has stopped her from diagnosing children for years.” she had said all the while wheezing through the oxygen mask, eyes crinkling in amusement.

She'd sat you down with a list of books to look into and written out all your symptoms, she said if you ever wanted to get tested having the list of symptoms would be more helpful than straight up asking for a diagnosis. Some doctors were too by the book back in the 40s so Autism has rarely been studied in depth. Only in the last decade or so has a movement gained momentum to spread not only a wider awareness of the disorder but also acceptance for it. But to a doctor it would seem like you were grasping for attention at least to anyone who spent less time with you than she had. But without at least six thousand dollars to spend on a piece of paper that confirms what you already know you'll just have to stick to coping by using methods you read about from forums and blogs made by people with Autism rather than their parents or someone who's “very close” to them. And like Mary Anne said before she died, “just because you don't have a diagnosis doesn't mean your symptoms aren't there.”. A statment that reassures you from time to time, when you think you must be faking it for attention. And that somehow you managed to fake tics your whole life.

Snapping out of your memories because you could hardly tell your mask was on, and has been for the past forty minutes or so since you'd finished your pop. It wasn't too hot at the moment and like the previous day Kepler's climate has no humidity whatsoever, a huge change from the coast. Checking the time again on your phone you see the clear white numbers stating boldly that it is eight o' nine. You don't feel any closer to town but figure that's normal when all you've seen is the old over grown road. You feel you should have seen the road leading to town by now,  you hope you see it soon or else you'd really over estimated how long it would take to get to town, then you'd be hella late and sweaty. With the way you still had signal to the spotify you doubt you've even made it far enough to reach the dead zone.

Sighing you look down as you walk hoping to maybe find a rock to kick, walking's really boring when there's nothing to explore and you're on a time crunch. A loud honk takes you out of your head and you startle looking up. Doesn't take more than a second before you see a car stopped in the middle of the road in front of you. It's well taken care of for sure but not necessarily new or anything, you don't know too much about cars other than it looks like a black Camry no wait that's the Hyundai symbol. Some type of sedan then.

The back window on your side of the car rolls down and a man leans out and calls to you, you don't hear him at first. Slipping your headphones down to hang around your neck he repeats himself, “Do ya need a ride?” He has a southern accent on the thicker side, not abnormal for West Virginia but you can tell it's not the same dialect, probably from further down. The man has blonde hair styled in that fluffy swooped faux hawk that a lot of gamers had back in 2017/2018. He's got slight thin stubble along his jaw, not quiet five o'clock shadow so he probably has trouble growing facial hair. His eyes are that hazel color everyone wishes they could have, the kinda that had the orangish yellow glow about them. He looks like a fuck boy.

You're nearly ready to point at your mask in an indication of 'no I don't know you creep' when you catch sight of the driver. A boy around your age maybe who looks apathetic, that's not what catches your eye everyone looses the will to live at some point. What draws your attention is the mask he's wearing on his face. He could potentially be like you, or maybe he's just sick and being considerate, or he could have allergies. Whatever the case may be you can't honestly be considering getting into a car with two random men just because one wears a face mask. Hell for all you know they've orchestrated this situation, they could've been watching you analyzing your every move to know that breaking into your car would send you into a state of panic where you wouldn't use your car the next day or two, then you'd be out in the open to kidnap on your walk to town where you couldn't call for help due to being in the dead zone. Why else would they be this far along the old dirt road?

“Ah...miss?” the southern drawl brings you out of your inner ramblings, and the words cause you to bristle.

“I'm not a woman.” you say calmly but firmly.

“Oh, ah sorry sir.” you can't help but huff a laugh at the quick apology, your eyes catch movement through the window. Oh they have a dog with them, a rottweiler at that. Cool kidnappers with a dog, who's wearing a vest how...wait dog in vest oh he must be a service dog. Cool not kidnappers then, just strangers, nice. Seemingly trans allys, slight common ground with the driver, and a service dog it might be safe to engage...or at least humor these men.

“It's fine, I'm They/Them for the record.” You say approaching the car, you make your way to the man leaning out of the window, somehow the presence of a service dog puts you more at ease, especially when the dog only spares you a single glance before his attention's back on the driver, who's not even pretending to pay attention to the two of you. His leg is bouncing up and down, it's not rhythmic and no one's paying attention even as it shakes the car. Probably has ADHD, your dad does that all the time when he's at a stop light, it's a subconscious movement he even does it in waiting rooms or anywhere where he has to sit still really.

“Oh, well sorry 'bout that Mx.” the man in the window stresses the “Mx” but not in the typical fuck boy way, more like he was reinforcing it to himself. “We just saw you walkin' and wanted to see if ya' needed a ride anywhere.” he says.

“If you're going to town, I'd appreciate one, but I wouldn't want to be a bother.” his smile brightens at this but you notice it doesn't reach his eyes, probably just being polite.

“Sure thing, hop on in.” He moves to slide back but you've already opened the passenger door and slid into the seat. Effectively snapping the driver out of whatever haze he was in to look at you, he looks back at his friend with confusion.

“Hi” you say to the driver who gives his own wary 'hey' in response as you buckle yourself in. The driver looked even more apathetic up close, dark eye bags under his eyes that were such a deep brown you couldn't see his pupil he also had that fluffy brown e-boy hair. Not the frizzy hair marketing itself as fluffy but the type that's genuinely fluffy looking forming soft waves in his hair.

If they are kidnappers they're really bad at it, especially if all you have to do to stun them is sit up front in a seat that has the second most control in the car and can escape quicker if the need arises. However, glancing back at the dog you notice his attention's still on the driver, it would be really dumb if a kidnapper brought their service dog with them to do a kidnapping so you're reassured that it's just two southern boys driving through Kepler. And they happened to spot a “damsel” in distress, so they came to the rescue.

“Oh, don't mind Connor he won't bother you. He's here for Toby right now.” The man in the back says and you see the man beside you grip the steering wheel tighter. You nod in response and feel a tickle at the base of your skull, you'll try holding back the tic to not freak the two out.

Just as “Toby” is about to put the car in drive, a bark is heard from the back seat. A frustrated sigh leaves Toby as his hand leaves the gear shift, scowl clear even on his masked face. You guess Toby needs Connor to let him know when he's safe to drive, it's rude to ask about these things but you can't help but guess why that'd be the case.

Another bark leaves Connor right as your head snaps to the right moving back to place, then right, right, up, and right before cracking violently.

“There we go.” you verbalize.

Toby's looking at you in what you can only guess is shock, not the worst reaction you've had to your tics, meanwhile you notice Brian's looking to Connor who's looking directly at you now. Then his head whips around to Toby and he barks, like clockwork Toby's shoulders jerk forwards and his hands jolt up. Connor looks back at you and gives a bark, your head jerks three times cracking your neck two of those times. Connor's gaze is still on you and you know he'll be in an ongoing ping pong game between you and Toby if you keep triggering each other's tics the entire drive, if you'd even be able to get to that point.

“I'm fine, thank you.” you said looking at Connor while holding the sides of your head, trying to as your friend Emonie once said 'keep the bobble head away'.

Thankfully Connor must have had a training course similar to ones you've helped with because he looks away from you and focuses on Toby, who he gives several barks to. Following those barks Toby pops his knuckles and makes a 'mrrwo' sound, sort of imitating a cat, before his head jerks sharply into his knee that jerked up at the same time. You cringe at the sight knowing that must have hurt, hands still firmly pushing your head you see Connor settle down in the back, still on alert but laying down as if to say the muscle spasms have passed. You won't risk removing your hands, you still need a ride into town and this whole situation's put you behind to where you won't make it if you walk now.

“pfft...” you look back to the blonde and he looks ready to burst with laughter from what he just watched. Heat creeping up your face you turn and look away, sure the situation's funny but you don't know these two men and honestly you just feel so embarrassed right now. Especially with last night's incident at the mini mart still fresh in your memory.

“Will you fucking shut up!” Toby barks out, and the blonde tries harder to suppress his laughing fit. Toby glares at his friend before turning his attention back to the road, hand on the gear shift he waits for an alert before putting the car in drive and doing a U-turn back to town.

It's been a while since you've been a passenger in a car, you actually get to take the time to relax and enjoy the passing scenery as Toby drives. He's a surprisingly good driver, most guys his age are speed demons and always want to see how fast they can get away with driving. Toby on the other hand is abiding by the limit even on this open stretch of road with no other cars. But you guess it comes with the territory of needing a service dog to be able to drive, have to abide by the rules. The drive's quiet, you take it as a good thing that the men aren't trying to question or get to know you. If they were kidnappers or up to something nefarious surely they'd be trying to distract you right now with endless chatter to let your guard down. Especially if they'd been watching you and knew what a total chattering encyclopedia you could be when given the right topic. You're gazing out into the window seeing the sign of the town get closer finally when the thought hits you.

“So, your name's Toby, is it short for Tobias?” turning to look at the man, he spares a single side glance with his furrowed brows before responding with an uneasy 'Yea'.

“Cool, sorry if that was a weird question. Tobias is like the best name I've ever heard but I've only met three Tobiases, including you. Could I call you Tobias or do you prefer Toby?”

“I don't really care.” gotta love apathy.

“Cool, cool. Thanks for the ride Tobias!” you chirp out.

“Hey, forgetin' that I'm the one who offered the ride?” The man in the backseat speaks up.

“No, you just never gave me your name. You said Connor's” and ear twitch is all you get such a good boy, “and you said Tobias'. Never mentioned your own.”

“It's Brian, sugar.” you were correct, this man is a fuck boy.

“Yikes, that's gross.”that was a reflex and it was now Toby's turn to laugh at his friend. The man didn't even hide his snickers even had his shoulders bouncing up and down, you think you even caught a mumbled “I won't hesitate bitch”. Meanwhile Brian sat stunned, guess he was used to people finding his nicknames more endearing, meaning he probably meant nothing by it and it was probably the southern accent but it just made you think of the senior men who'd hit on you back before you moved out here.

“Yea don't call me 'sugar', anyway, I'm YN, it's nice to meet you three.”  Toby just nods as his laughter dies down a clucking sound resonates from his throat, Brian however goes right back to his friendly persona with a 'good to meet ya.' Again it's slightly off, it doesn't feel like he's trying to be polite...it feels like...you can't put your finger on it but it's familiar. Like when you fake a conversation with Nate or your mother on the days where exhaustion is nearly killing you, but Brian doesn't seem tired or sluggish.

The rest of the drive is relatively quiet as you direct Toby how to maneuver the streets and he parks in the parking lot of Dunkin'. While you were getting out you'd asked the men if you could get them anything from Dunkin' as a thank you for driving you. Brian tried to decline but Toby spoke over him with what “they” wanted.

“Ok cool, can Connor have a pup cup?” unsure if service dogs could have treats while working.

Sparing a glance to the good boy in question Toby shrugged “Yea, he's due for a break any-anyway.” he ends with popping his knuckles. You assume Connor only alerts motor tics when Toby is driving or about to start driving, since that tic didn't get clocked.

You repeat the order to the cashier once inside. You also get a frozen caramel coffee and an iced caramel coffee for you and Nate along with a box of donuts to pick from for the day. When she hands you everything you're able to balance Toby's order on top of your box and your drinks in the other hand. Walking out with the help of the next man coming in, nodding thanks as you pass him, you see Toby leaning against his car with Connor sitting next to him, no vest on.

It's terrifying how well trained Connor is, because the dog you left in the car barely paid you any mind. While this hyper pup's tail is wagging at just the sight of you, his paws lifting slightly in a tiny dance as you get closer. But he doesn't dare move from his sit, looking up at Toby for cues and looking at you who holds his treat.  Had you not worn a mask for so long you may have missed the smile Toby gave Connor as he pat the dog's head. The slight crinkles around the edges were a dead give away though. With a quick snap Connor is released from whatever command he'd been held by and runs up to you once you're five feet from them.

Drooling mouth opening and closing in an odd mute bark for a dog this size. You take note of the fact that while he's jumping excitedly and pawing the air he hasn't laid a single paw on you. Whoever trained him knew what they were doing that's for sure. Looking up to Toby you hold the one hand outstretched for him to take his items, a tray with Connor's pup cup and his iced coffee, and a white baggie with three donuts, strawberry glazed, maple glazed, and an apple fritter.

Once he's taken his items you balance your drinks on top of the box. Connor's attention hasn't moved from you even through the exchange. You're a little confused by the pup's antics but he probably thinks he can get a donut off you.

“Sorry bubbie, your dad's got your treat not me.” that dopey little face tilts to the left not understanding you aren't the treat giver at this time. You laugh letting him smell the hand that had the coffee in it so maybe he'd understand you didn't have his treat. He excitedly sniffs you, and gives you a few licks before sitting back right in front of you with a blur of a tail behind him. Such a silly boy, he deserves some chin scritches.

“He's smart, told him you'd give 'im this.” Toby says holding out the pup cup to you, as you bend at an awkward angle balancing food in one hand while scratching his dog with the other.

Connor's a little disappointed when his pets stop but jumps to all fours when he sees the pup cup. His tail is wagging so fast you'd be afraid his butt will fall off, if that was a thing that could happen. You go to put the cup in front of him but Toby stops you.

“Hold on, Connor sit.” As soon as his name was called his bottom was on the ground. “You already know his release word so when you want him to take it just say the release.” He says offhandedly while placing the bag in the passengers seat and his drink in the cup holder. You can hear murmured arguing from inside the car, but choose to ignore it. These guys clearly aren't kidnappers, and if they were it's so stupid to kidnap you in broad day light after you just made a purchase and with literally a street in between you and your work, where your boss is waiting for you.

Placing the cup in front of Connor you didn't think it was possible for him to get any more excited but his tail is now undetectable by the human eye. He looks from his treat to you, back, and back to you. Toby said you already knew the release, and there's only one thing you've said to Connor throughout the trip.

“Thank you.” it's immediate, for such a well mannered service dog on and off duty this pup has no table manners. There is whip cream everywhere it's on the ground, his paws, even behind his head. How on earth did he manage that? This must be Connor's only character flaw because Toby is back with what you can only assume are all the napkins he had received in the donut bag, and service vest under his arm.

Once the pup cup was utterly decimated Connor sat happily, butt wiggling, as his dad wiped the rest of the whip cream off of him. Showing the pup the huge glob he had behind his ear only had him licking it off the napkin before licking his dad's face.

“Wrong.” Toby called, a little bummed the pup calmed down a bit but his tail was still going. Toby paused before he slipped the vest back on Connor. Head jerking back twice he looked over to you.

“You wanna say 'bye'?” you perked at the question, if you had a tail of your own it'd probably be wagging just as fast as Connor's.

Do you want to pet a dog, what kind of question was that? Of course you fucking do. Yea you might be late to work but petting a dog is always worth it. Setting your breakfast and coffee on the hood of the car you bent down with Toby to Connor's level.

If that dog could talk he'd tell everyone you gave the best ear scratches, sure you may have smooshed his wrinkly face a ton. But you were so nice and was that baby coos, ah he loves you new best friend. Connor jumped up when you started cooing and gave you a ton of kisses to the face. You couldn't stop laughing and the repetitive motion triggered a tic. Thankfully your mask was on so Toby couldn't see you tongue poke out repeatedly as you said “bleh” in between giggles.

“Wrong.” he says gently pushing the drooling pup away. Shaking the spit off his hand before scratching the pup under the chin, right where the bottom of his ear met his jaw. The pup instantly melted calming into his handlers touch. With his dog now calm he whistles and Connor is standing up straight, Toby slips the vest over his head and secures it. Connor the puppy has turned back into Connor the good boy working pup.

Grabbing your stuff from the hood of the car you turn to Toby and Connor, “Thanks again for the ride, and for letting me pet your dog.”

You're met with a simple shrug, not much phases Toby you've noticed. Aside from his tics that is.

“See ya later Tobias!” with that you're on your way to cross the street legally, and by that you totally jay walked out into traffic in front of the sheriff. You may have jay walked in front of the sheriff, but he didn't do anything so you're fine.

[katzkinder]

Just woke up from a dream where like. It was the Servamp characters doing a magical escape room, and it was DEFINITELY dangerous and potentially deadly, full horror movie set up, and one of the prerequisites for doing the room is that even before you went there, it would return your body to the physical state at which you were going through the most emotional turmoil, because somehow it Knew™ that you planned to go.

For a lot of the characters, this meant getting turned back into teenagers lmao

There was also a pair of spies who were a couple together and completely unrelated to the servamp characters, trying to do… Something. Steal the secrets of the escape room? Idk

But the setup was a boardwalk, and the first room was an area, kinda like a gothic dining room, where you would choose an object that spoke to you, that gave me the vibe of containing an important, often traumatic memory you don’t want other people to know about. I didn’t see what all the other characters took cuz the scene changed soon afterwards, but Mahiru took like. A glass half orb thing with little chibi versions of a bunch of the characters on the inside. He got teased for picking it because the person everyone at the table could see on the inside was Sakuya, and he admitted that yes, it was Sakuya’s image that caught his attention, but then he starts turning it in his hands and it contains images of all the different members of the Servamp cast, far more than it should be able to show on the sides alone, and Mahiru saying that “This… Is me.” Notably, Mahiru’s image would never turn up, no matter how much you looked

Other areas of the room included a beach with killer waves that would chase you and the Sloth pair had to avoid them, but otherwise it was a very peaceful place to have a discussion, and a circus… Tent? Thing? Populated solely by beautiful women and horses decked out in like those outfits you see horse riders at the circus wear, like the skimpy ones with the feathers and gold dangles. And inside THAT was a flea market area that contained Servamp merch LMAO. Since my dream was very adamant about following Mahiru around, I got to see him get super flustered because there was a bunch of stuff of him and Sakuya together available for purchase, like cute little keychains and such, some of the SLS, what appeared to be photo books of his own memories with the others that he actually got kind of excited about because they were all moments he hadn’t gotten a chance to take pictures of for whatever reason, and one VERY tempting thing about the exploits of a teenage Tooru. He wanted to know more about his uncle so bad y’all dksjdks Kuro had to steer him away after pointing out the really creepily intense way the show runners were watching them. “We’re not allowed to take anything with us,” he said, and gave the impression that it was like fae or land of the dead rules, where if they bought something they could never leave.

And it was as Kuro’s eyes settled on an old antique music box that I woke up!

It was a surprisingly cohesive dream with some actually REALLY COOL concepts in it, so I thought I’d share with the tag? See if it inspired anyone, or at the least made them laugh with how MUCH I have Sakumahi on the brain lately lmaooo

[soliavenne]

How do you think Gaara would celebrate his SO's (or Shinki's) birthday? I feel like he might not be able to take a day off but he would try to come home early. Maybe his SO cooks something nice or they go out with Kankuro (and Baki?) to eat barbecue (since they all like that) or something else if the birthday child has a different food in mind. Later they go home and just have a nice evening as a family: maybe they watch a movie or play games? Maybe they bought or made a (not so sweet) cake? ◇

How would Gaara celebrate his S/O's birthday?

-Genre: Fluff

-Word count:

-Format: Bulleted headcanons

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Truth be told he's not that well-versed with birthday celebrations.

The thought of it is rather passively processed in his mind as he himself didn't experience much joy out of his own special day. It's not something he looks forward for himself at first, but as time passed by and he saw how much happiness it could bring not only to the celebrant themselves but to the other people who are celebrating it with them, he did begin to genuinely appreciate it.

It wasn't long until the mini calendar in Gaara's journal had scribbles of whose birthday is when, when to buy the gift, or what type of gift he has in mind.

He's still not that motivated to pursue his own celebration on his birthday though, but there's an obvious excitement (rather mellowed down to others, but it's the very best you could get when it comes to Gaara) when it's about your birthday, or Shinki's birthday.

The moment your birthday month settles in, he's already thinking about your special day. Cut to three to two weeks before it... Gaara would already ask you the same question he usually pops as you two are cuddling on the bed at midnight.

"My love, how would you like to celebrate your upcoming birthday?"

Gaara is not much of an event planner, so coming up with a surprise itinerary is something he would hope he could do... but just couldn't. He would prefer to celebrate your special day how you want it, not how he thinks you want it.

Most of your birthday parties would involve eating out with Kankuro and Baki on their treat. A private eat-all-you-can trip to the usual barbeque house had always been your birthday gift from your brother-in-law. The endless supply of booze is on Baki on the other hand. Shinki, Yodo and Araya volunteers to do the cooking.

Gaara will be the one who picks you up from home as he leaves from work. There's probably a quick, giggly shower together for the two of you, and a chased, playful steamy makeout session prior to drying off.

He's always in awe whenever you do a little sway as you show him your chosen outfit. Doesn't matter what type of clothing you have put on, it's always the giggly smile that you do that he finds himself starstruck upon.

If there are times where the family is just in the mood for some warm, homecooked meals, Kankuro is usually the one who arrives the earliest to help you out. He'd take home some pre-marinaded meat and grill it himself. Araya, Yodo and Shinki will follow with the birthday cakes.

Shinki will be helping out his uncle and with Araya and Yodo assisting you on the other side. After the tables have been set, Gaara arrives alongside Baki, who arrives as well with the drinks, as usual.

There would be at least two birthday cakes, one being your favorite, and the other one for the father-and-son who's not that keen on confectioneries.

If Gaara's schedule is in favor of him, he would propose it himself that the two of you bake your birthday cake together. He says it's another present, but he's gotta admit that it feels like a present for himself too with how much he enjoys it. By the time Shinki arrives home and sees the two of you in the kitchen in match-colored aprons, he'd awkwardly tiptoe towards his room to give the two of you some privacy. His attempt would disintegrate once Gaara calls him and shows him that he bought an apron for him too.

In terms of gifts, he would try to observe if there's anything you have been invested in lately, whether a new hobby, a new series or book, a new favorite food, or any of the like. He might not be confident to pull out an entire birthday surprise celebration for you, but you'd know by how he chooses his gifts that he's trying his best to at least have his little shot at surprising you.

Gaara's choices in birthday gifts are always in a set. There would always be a handwritten letter, a flower, a handmade craft if the weeks had been kinder to his schedule, and the gift that he knew you would really like based on his observation. His choices in giftwrapping are always in gorgeous yet minimalistic elegant, boxes. The appeal of these gifts in terms of cheesy romantic notes are not that prevalent; no unnecessary hearts, no flashy colors. It would have more of an earthy, homey, comfortable kind of romance upon it. Neutral, textured papers with a pressed flower on top and a twine string that ties the embellisments together in a much more cohesive look.

He's not much for expensive gifts if he's the one on the receiving end of the line as he prefers to be low maintence, but when it comes to you, he always finds himself wanting to spoil you. He tries his best not to go over the top because he doesn't want to overwhelm you, so his choices of gifts are always rather practical or something you would need or enjoy... but there would be times where he might not be able to help himself. One of those rare, expensive gifts is when he gave you a limited edition jewelry set of Kirigakure's rarest of pearls that he bought during a diplomatic trip to the Land of Water.

To be honest, he was very nervous in terms of how he would give it to you. He usually gives his present during dinner, alongside the entire family in giving you their birthday presents as well. But this one gift had him tapping his thumbs against his lap as he tried to debate when was the right to give it.

"I should just give it to Y/N privately in our bedroom."

There was a lot of pauses as he tried to tell you that he didn't forget to buy you a gift, and by now you have caught up to the fact that there was something out of the usual. When he finally sits on the bed in front of you and places a velvet-wrapped box on top of the mattress, ushering it closer towards you with a tender smile on his face, you'd realize by then that this was a different kind of gift.

He'd mumble a soft apology and a nervous chuckle, but the tender grip of his hand upon yours tattletales that this was a gift he genuinely felt that you deserve, and he would not tire from telling you that again and again. The utmost, loving tenderness in his eyes as he pulls back from helping you put the jewelry on would simply just be out of this world.

"Happy birthday, my love..."

---

AAAAAA ◇ I hope you liked this!! I'm so sorry it's been so long. 🥺🥺🥺 You have mentioned before that your birthday is a few days before Gaara's, so I hope I hit the mark early than late!! Hopefully at the perfect day if I'm lucky haha. I really had fun writing this one for you, ◇! ☺☺❤ You can let me know privately when's your birthday so I could greet you properly! :) For the meantime...

Happy, happy birthday ◇!! 😄☺❤

Lots of love! Take care, always! 😊

[rwvby]

i'm genuinely curious as to why you don't like salem's original design,,, it's one of my personal favorites in the show. i'm also not really sure why you think she needs to look younger to have a narrative about eternal life, can you elaborate on that??

putting this under a cut because it once again got insanely long. i am so sorry. there is just sooo much i had to say

the thing about salem is that her design of her younger self in volume 6 SLAPS. it really gets across that sense of spoiled, naive elegance- down to the way they animated her moving, she looks like she's dressing up as a mature, experienced adult. but she isn't one! and i think you still get this same sense in some of her behavior even now that she's much older. she's not interested in teamwork despite her claiming so, she wants yesmen who will see her as all-knowing and never question her. by all means, she and ozma are now the closest thing remnant has to real, living gods, and i think while both of them have grown arrogant because of this, salem has bought into it much more, entirely unwilling to put herself on the same level as the people she associates with for even a second.

a good character design will reflect these core traits and ideals of a character, and salem's flashback design does this. her current design (both v7-present and the one before) tells me nothing about her except that She Is Evil. both of salem's more modern designs feel like a first pass at creating a better one.

first off, i do actually like the bones on her arms. i love the idea of incorporating features of the grimm into her design, but the fact that this is the ONLY place this is done makes it feel clunky, over-complicated, and unnecessary. the amount of detail on her upper half in general makes her feel top heavy and graceless, because it isn't matched in the rest of her outfit. a lot of her design points look like they're meant to flow down in an interesting, sort of liquid way, and having something as an interruption to that would be good! - but again, the bones don't do that for me. had they given her an additional mimicry of grimm-like ribs on the dress, i think it would have added some further stability and cohesion without continuing to overcomplicate her top half.

the silhouette her dress gives her is very fun to me, very elegant evil queen, but the top half is again too complicated and they must have been unconfident in that silhouette, because she is, for some reason, wearing that cape.

even from a side angle, this cape looks super weird and clashes with the long train of her dress. if this cape was also long enough to flow, it would be a lot less of a problem to me, but because it doesn't it ends up looking like a cape they added just because Evil People Love Capes! if they were worried about her ability to contrast with her surroundings, they should have invested more time into making her surroundings contrast her. i mean, oscar in this same scene is wearing red himself, but since his outfit is primarily green, he appears as the primary focus of the entire image. and he is- but so is salem, and she feels like an afterthought. your eyes are drawn to him, away from her. (also the entire set of the whale is awful, don't get me started on this damn whale LMAO)

back to her long train, though, I love it. the way it hides her legs to give her movement an unnatural glide, the way it gives her the appearance of melting into the ground- hello, WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST! it's EXCELLENT.

but it's rarely onscreen. it's once again distracted from by her cluttered top half, back to that- what the hell is with this whole thing?

the slightly open neck? it being held together by this weird ugly clasp because if every girl in this show doesn't have a boob window the whole staff will die, i guess? these random sleeve hole that exist to show off her weird spider veins? i get that it's cartoon fashion and not meant to be realistic, but it's so ugly. the boob window on her first dress actually did something for the design- it matches and lines up with the rounded diamond shape on her forehead. but this one feels both gratuitous and useless.

this is more of a problem with rwby's general design and is not in the least exclusive to salem, but i feel the need to point out that her eyes being such a dark red against black scleras makes it very difficult to read her expression if the shot isn't right in her face, her eyes aren't angled a specific way, and the lighting is bright enough that there's heavy contrast on her features.

vs

I could definitely go on forever about every tiny detail i hate about this design, but i want to end this here:

why, and how, is salem meant to look like a jellyfish?

it's pretty clear, to me, that her and the seer grimm are meant to have similar design cues- even moreso for her v7 design. the hairstyle being one large bun with the pieces that jut out and match the bones on the seer. her pieces of hair that flow downwards and the red lines on her v7 dress are clearly meant to be jellyfish tentacles, it's a cool idea- but why? why is salem represented by jellyfish? what does this tell us, in-series, about her? i don't think i can recall a single mention of jellyfish in the entire series. are we meant to go research jellyfish facts on our own and draw a conclusion for ourselves? jellyfish don't really have easily recognizable narrative meanings in media. it's not really symbolism if it doesn't exist anywhere else in the show.

salem looks more like a spider than a jellyfish. the legs, the thorax, her narrative role. she manipulates people into trusting her, and then ensnares and destroys them. it's a much stronger theme, if a little overdone.

to close i'll answer the last question you had about making her look younger because tbh i completely forgot that was part of this- salem was given eternal life at a very young age. i think because of this, it makes no sense for her design to age her, and it does rub me the wrong way a little bit that the only older women who are allowed to actually LOOK older than 20 are maria, a character who keeps me up at night because she is so useless, that old lady in the mech who hated maria whose name i literally don't know, who, again, WHY IS SHE HERE? and salem, the MAIN SERIES ANTAGONIST, granted eternal life when she still looked like this.

it plays better with her theme of being a spoiled, closed-off young girl acting like a mature woman despite not being one for her to look younger, and it's already been touched on that salem's eternal life causes her suffering and there's a possibility her real motive for getting the relics is to finally be allowed to die. having something in there about her never being allowed to age despite having been a mother, her entire family growing while she stays eternally young, beautiful, and utterly trapped, could do her character a lot of good.

[herotome]

Devlog #8

Hi-ho, Wudgey here!

I’ve been writing a lot!!! It’s a lot of conversations with Warden, which was my main motivation. I’ve drafted out a set of dialogue choices and put it up on the devlog image above.

I had to practice some traditional calligraphy for a character’s tattoo sleeves.... Not super sure where I’m going with it, but uh, I’m sure it’ll come together.

I’ve added the dress from @remnantation​‘s CG to Mia’s sprite. I like it a lot, it might very well become her default outfit.

For the past few weeks I’ve been drawing several alternate profile pictures for our MC, and I’ve tried to give them a more cohesive theme by designing them based on flowers. 

I also spent my Saturday thumbnailing outfit variations; 15 for Mia and 9 for Warden. I love browsing fashion, but after several hours it did give me a bit of a headache.

I bought a new notebook! (: My last is running out of pages.

I guess I was wired towards art this week, but next week’s priority should be: fleshing out my draft and incorporating some of the edited text into code. The latter will be my main focus this coming Wednesday. 

Personal Note:

I turned on my phone today and saw -- 

Whoa!!! What a shock for me. Thanks for the likes and follows, everyone, I’ll keep doing my best!

Special thank you to @steamberrystudio​ and @otomesweetheart​ for reblogging so many posts from here, you guys are too kind   😭

I had a bit of a depression spell so I didn’t accomplish much last Thursday; I’ve been trying to ease off obsessive social media checking and keep my mind active, so I should be able to start this next week full of energy.  ❤  

I’ve beaten Pinstripe -- I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that it was a very worthwhile experience, and not too frustrating for a platformer. It’s only about 3-4 hours long, so if you need some quick and momentary immersion, I highly recommend it!

I’ve also finally finished reading Hogfather, so I can finally start on The Handmaid’s Tale!! I’ve seen a lot of great writing advice from its author Margaret Atwood, so I’m really excited for this one.

I hope you’re all staying safe and keeping warm.

Much love,

Wudgey.

[amphtaminedreams]

The Eras of Lana Del Rey: Lookbook no.9

Hi to anyone reading,

Hope you’re okay! AND that you didn’t end up here because you searched the Lana Del Rey tag so you could see people ranting about her-you’re about to be very disappointed. Sorry. This is not about to be some Question for the Culture discourse because the world is bleak enough right now and the last thing we all need is to be reminded of that saga. 

Being a Lana Del Rey fan is easy, they said. She’s not a controversial artist, they said. And yet 2020 had to do what it does best and fuck everything up. 

Whether people like her or not, it’s made me so angry reading all the abuse she’s been getting about her appearance for the last couple of weeks, because I really thought that if we could agree on anything it was that attacking individuals for the way they look because you dislike something they’ve done (with the exception of shit like racist tattoos and blackfishing) is, you know, awful and judgemental as fuck? Like you do realise when you treat the word fat as a pejorative that the fat people you don’t have a problem with understood that you meant it as an insult too? I think what all those people tweeting about Lana’s weight, and that includes some of her fans, are forgetting is that she was in her early 20s when she was thrust into the limelight. As much as there’s this conspiracy that her dad bought her a career in the music industry, she’d made the decision to go it alone and had lived in a trailer park as a struggling musician for years. On top of that, we have the unreleased tracks with lyrics seemingly referencing an eating disorder in her younger years. OF COURSE her body is going to look different. Why is it that we treat weight gain as an inherently bad thing without any insight into the other factors that constitute a person’s “health”? It’s fucking insane that so many feel they have the right to comment on other’s bodies in the first place and it breaks my heart that she might be reading these comments. This wasn’t intended to necessarily be a rant about how much I love this woman but all the shit I’ve read about her on the internet these past few months have pushed me to it. You'll respect your queen of alternative music or I shall stan twice as hard on your behalf. You can thank me later when you come to your senses xoxo

I’d love to say it was intentional that I finally finished this post the week Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass was released but that would imply I have my shit way more together than I actually do. If I’m being completely honest, I’ve only heard L.A Who am I to Love You so far 1). because I want to wait for the hard copy for the rest and that doesn’t turn up til September and 2). because I do not have my shit together, lol. That being said, there is no doubt in my mind that I am going to love it-one thing I have always loved about Lana’s lyrics is how well they paint a picture and this is something that poetry only more freely allows for the exploration of. That ability to create such a strong narrative voice and atmosphere is a talent that extends to her visuals and the production of her records too, and is something I really missed when it comes to the Norman Fucking Rockwell era. I’m just going to say it: a strong aesthetic is to NFR as memorable songs are to Lust for Life. Lacking. Am I allowed to say that as a fan? The collaborations don’t do it for me, okay, and as as NFR is concerned, aside from The Greatest/Fuck It I Love You video which went down the whole neon surfer girl route, it’s hard to identify a cohesive theme. It’s understandable that at this point, she would want to just focus purely on the music, and it goes without saying that NFR will stand the test of time in that regard but I don’t think we can deny that when people think of Lana in the future, it’s not gonna be a green windbreaker that comes into their heads.

^Illustration credit to Filip Kozak (https://filipkozaksart.tumblr.com/?fbclid=IwAR3vwLX2pNxoFNhTPD1ky14LllPqlLtL1GxGlD79xuHxdtzcHLw-6aNBZWo)

And here’s where this Filip Kozak illustration comes into it; after years of it sitting in my camera roll for years, it finally has a use. There’s really nothing better to illustrate how mundane life has become this year than the disproportionate level of excitement my photo-hoarding-self experienced realising it would fit perfectly into this post and is thus eligible for deletion. Up there with being able to fit a whole box of biscuits onto the shelf at work rather than having to individually take out as many as I can and then shove them on top of the existing box of biscuits one by one. Truly riveting content on this Tumblr page. Back to the point-by using this as my stimulus for the post rather than the Lana Del Rey albums as outfits tag that went round on Twitter, I can conveniently exclude NFR as an outfit inspiration category, and that saves me from having to buy a charity shop windbreaker with its price bumped up 150% by some upper middle class Depop e-girl or boy who uses the word peng as a descriptor like it’s a nervous tic. To make up for leaving out NFR, I’ve tried to branch out a bit and do the outfits not just based on the music videos or album covers but also from street style and stage looks and photoshoots from around the same period too. It was hard not to be influenced by the general “vibe” and sound of the albums either when I was planning outfits, whether it’s the grand, orchestral instrumentals of Born to Die or the 70s psychedelic rock inspired riffs of Ultraviolence and hopefully that’ll show as well! Enjoy:D

Born to Die (Release Date: 27th January 2012)

It’s been 8 years, and when you ask most people what they think of when they hear the name Lana Del Rey, they’ll probably dismiss her as the one who sings about being sad and doing coke and sleeping with older men. That’s the Born to Die impact. Say what you want but it’s one of only a handful of albums released by a female artist to have spent more than 300 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and it really established the mythos of “Lana Del Rey” because before all this, before all the think pieces from other women claiming she’d set feminism back hundreds of years with her music, before she ousted grayscale Effy Stonem as the queen of angsty teen Tumblr (which as you can probably guess was a subsection of the internet I was very much engulfed by, lmao), she was just Lizzie Grant, a relatively normal aspiring singer songwriter in her early twenties. But as Lana Del Rey, she was someone else-some beautiful, mystical being that personified the sentiment of being born in the wrong era. Whilst every other singer’s record labels seemed to be trying desperately to thrust them into the future and keep them on top of all the musical and stylistic trends, it was refreshing to hear someone whose music and visuals captured all the most glamorous elements of the past. Part Priscilla Presley/Jackie O reincarnation (the National Anthem video really illustrated how Lana is just as much a storyteller as she is a musician), part high level mobster’s wayward wife à la Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface, she was the good girl by day and the bad girl by night, and I think that’s a duality we can all relate to or would like to think we’re interesting enough to relate to deep down.

Her style from around this period was EVERYTHING. She had those grungy Tumblr girl elements, the camo jacket and the oversized pieces and the leather jackets, but she also heavily drew on the styles and silhouettes of the 50s and 60s with the beehives and the new look Dior inspired cinched waist dresses. Even now in 2020, I think this period is what most people would think if they were asked to describe Lana’s style. I made sure I got the grungy pieces in there with the chunky boots and the vinyl and the oversized leather but the foundation of her looks back then were usually these daintier throwback pieces like the white silk dress and the corset and the mint fur trimmed coat (House of Sunny’s Penny Pistachio coat).

Favourite lyrics from the album? “Now my life is sweet like cinnamon, like a fucking dream I'm living in” from Radio. Nobody asked but I’m gonna give it to you anyway.

Born to Die: The Paradise Edition (Release Date: 9th November 2012)

Lana’s Paradise EP contains probably my absolute favourite song of her’s, Ride, and with that, the beautiful opening monologue that will stay in my mind forever. This era was of course ushered in by Tropico, the short film that included the premiere of the songs Bel Air, Body Electric and Gods and Monsters, which established the ethereal tone of this period-it’s in the name, after all. Both the album and the videos were other-worldly and leaned heavily on religious symbolism which I’m sure pissed off many a middle-aged bible basher at the time. Most prominent in her lyrics were reflections on the freedom of the open road which corresponded with visuals of biker gangs and desert dwellers and modern interpretations of the Wild West, as was an attempt to capture the nature of the so-called “American spirit” which as Lana portrayed it shared more qualities with a kind of celestial, transient being than any kind of solid concept or identity. She played an emotionally detached stripper and a haunted saloon-style-bar singer (almost looking like a runaway bride) and Eve the “first woman” all in the same album and honestly, if that’s not iconic, I don’t know what is. We saw SO many incredible red carpet looks in this period too which built upon this idea of her as the fallen angel tempted by original sin that Tropico established; I feel like this era was all about laying bare the soul of the character she played, this broken, delicate but ultimately liberated being that was so dangerous to the idea of the strong, stable modern feminist ideal. She went about it in COMPLETELY the wrong way in a post that betrayed the ignorance of the privilege she has as a white female performer, but I think this is what she was getting at in it and Ultraviolence only went on to bolster her critics.

In response to the criticism she still receives about the choice to wear a Native American war bonnet in her Ride music video, I’d like to say that it really seems like she’s learnt from that-actions speak louder than words and so though it’s not my place to say whether this makes up for that error, the work she’s done with Native American reparations-focussed foundations since and the money she’s donated to the cause says a lot about her intentions. Again, I want to stress that it’s not my place to say! But it’s a detail that is often overlooked so I thought I’d mention it here. 

“I was a singer, not a very popular one. I once had dreams of becoming a beautiful poet. But upon an unfortunate series of events saw those dreams dashed and divided like a million stars in the night sky, that I wished on over and over again, sparkling and broken. But I didn’t really mind because I knew that it takes getting everything you ever wanted and then losing it to know what true freedom is.”

Ultraviolence (Release Date: 13th June 2014)

AH, Ultraviolence. My favourite of Lana’s albums and imo, a masterpiece. ONE skip. ONE. Sorry Guns and Roses. I got stoned in my back garden and listened to this (for research purposes ofc, heh) and ended up deciding that this is what I want to listen to when I die (also whilst stoned). It sounds dramatic but listening to this album in that state of mind is such a heavenly experience that I’d be too zen to notice myself slipping away into nothingness on the basis that if I didn’t as long as I could stay in that bubble of awe, nothingness forever wouldn’t be so scary after all. I know, I know, that sentence has big Jaden Smith’s old tweets energy. But if an album is what helps me get over an existential crisis, I beg you allow me the nonsensical ramblings about how I felt like I was ascending into the stars.

Though in terms of the lyrical content the public perception is probably correct, I think the reputation Ultraviolence has as Lana’s darkest, most gothic album (which is something I’ve in incorporated into the outfits I put together) is mistaken; instrumentally and visually it drew more on 70s psychedelic rock and the bohemian counter culture of the period than anything, and her stage looks are a clear reflection of that, and also the outfits I was most excited to channel. It seems counter-intuitive to the moody atmosphere I associate the tracklist with but it’s my go-to summer album; it’s raw (probably her most stripped back work along with NFR, lots of the songs are barely edited) and it’s gloomy but let’s be real, hot as fuck-don’t bother making a sex playlist, just put Ultraviolence on shuffle, and you’re good to go. This was the album where Lana debuted some of her most criticised lyrics and where the notion that she glamourises abuse comes from, one of the points she also seemed to be getting at in the Instagram post, but imo it’s fair to say that she sang truthfully about the initial allure of a dangerous relationship and the nature of the mindset that facilitates staying with somebody poisonous where you do feel like you’re nothing without them. Turning horrific experiences into romantic tragedies is how Lana has always made her music and yeah, out of context there are some fucked up lyrics on the album, but policing how a woman expresses her trauma and complaining that she glorifies weakness because she wrote honestly about the reality of a complicated partnership is hardly any more “feminist” than the lyrics themselves. I can only guess that the reason Lana felt the need to bring up this criticism in 2020 is because these darker themes are going to be revisited in her upcoming album and that in spite of the issues with the way she expressed herself, this time critics will be more accepting of how she chooses to address these themes. 

On a lighter note “yeah my boyfriend's pretty cool, but he's not as cool as me” will always be a great line. Simple but effective. If my boyfriend ever is cooler than me it’ll be doing Lana a disservice.

Honeymoon (Release Date: 18th September 2015)

Considering that a lot of other Lana fans are of the opinion that this is her best album, I find it weird that I really don’t remember all that much about this period, other than High by the Beach being released and then hearing Salvatore and Freak for the first time. I guess because she didn’t do a Honeymoon specific tour and didn’t make that many public appearances in this period? It was definitely harder for me to find visual reference points beyond the HbtB music video and the cover art, so I mostly drew on the general vibe of the album, a cinematic accompaniment to a summer in Italy or the South of France, filled with exotic instrumentals and the sense of impending romantic doom that Lana does so well. I suppose if I associate the visuals of this era with anything it’s idyllic florals and warm tones, bygone country club pool days, a rich American’s vacation in Southern Europe, long walks on the beach (and as our Lord and Saviour Jujubee once said, big dicks and fried chicken). Apparently inspired by Lana’s relationship with Francesco Carrozini, it’s a hazy story of some ultra-feminine, submissive archetype becoming unhealthily enchanted by a mysterious “foreign man” who’s ultimately not all that good for her, which as the story goes turned out to be quite prophetic. Going against the grain, it’s my least favourite of her albums after Lust for Life, but in spite of that, I will always remember how obsessed I was with the sax riffs (I think? I don’t know my instruments all that well so forgive me, lol) on Freak and I definitely understand why it’s a firm favourite for so many.

“You could be a bad motherfucker, but that don’t make you a man.” was truly a cultural reset of a line.

-on an unrelated note, OMG, I never realised how I have my mouth open in literally every fucking photo I take, somebody tell me how to pose, please and thank you-

Lust for Life (Release Date: 21 July 2017)

Lust for Life is a controversial one. On the one hand, I appreciate that this album was the victory cry of a happier, more independent, politically-aware Lana in spite of it apparently being a far more optimistic sounding album than the one she wanted to release, but on the other there were way too many collaborations for me and this meant that the album lacked a sense of cohesion and the characteristic narrative thread that usually runs throughout her tracklist. Aside from Love, Cherry, Get Free and Tomorrow Never Came, most of the songs on the album aren’t hugely memorable and it’s a crying shame that a collaboration with STEVIE FUCKING NICKS of all people left so much to be desired. Coming from two witchy icons, I expected something absolutely magical so maybe I was setting myself up for failure, but come on. We could’ve had a real anthem there.

Aesthetically speaking however, this is one of my favourite eras for Lana, which is unsurprising when you consider the tracklist contains references to both Woodstock and Coachella. I’m not gonna lie, I think seeing Coachella fashion in my early teens was my style awakening-I remember seeing Vanessa Hudgens’ outfits and being like, wow, I want to be her (oh, what a fall from grace)-so the late 60s/early 70s flower power groupie style Lana adopted in this period really spoke to me. It was all long hair and dreamy pastels, and this era included some of the most head-to-toe coordinated looks we’ve ever seen from her. Of course I couldn’t completely abandon the grungy touches that I love, that I tend to associate with the early Lana street style days and the Paradise and Ultraviolence music videos rather than with this album, but I’m never gonna pass up an opportunity to whack out a good floral two piece and putting together Lust for Life inspired looks is the perfect excuse to do that.

So, that marks the end of this post! If you made it to the end, thank you so much for reading! I have a Yesstyle lookbook and review to edit but now that I’ve finished that, I’m trying to go down more of a style inspiration focussed  route with my lookbooks rather than just putting together outfits from clothes I’ve just bought (though I might still do one every so often to bring in a new season-let’s just ignore the fact that they’re all blending into one bc climate change for now, one catastrophe at a time please universe). I find that if you have a specific idea in mind of what you want, it’s super easy to find something similar on Depop and Ebay and that way you avoid buying new things and also take old things off a person’s hands that might otherwise end up being thrown out by a charity shop and then dumped into a landfill from there. Something I’d LOVE to do before this year is out is put together a lookbook based on the most stylish TV shows of the last decade, but that probably won’t be for a while-even so, if you have any recommendations of series to watch which could fit into this category, let me know! 

To finish, I need to go a little bit off-topic so forgive me, but I truly don’t know why this even needs to be said: WEAR A FUCKING MASK. IT IS NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE. IT IS A BASIC HYGIENIC PRACTICE THAT HELPS SPREAD THE STOP OF A HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS DISEASE! RUDIMENTAL SCIENCE! NOT A CHANCE TO PROVE HOW “EDGY” YOU ARE! SERIOUSLY, STOP MAKING A FUCKING PANDEMIC ABOUT YOURSELF! NOBODY ENJOYS WEARING THEM BUT THEY HELP PROTECT OTHERS! SO UNLESS YOU HAVE A VALID MEDICAL REASON NOT TO BE WEARING ONE, DON’T BE A SELFISH PRICK! 

Sorry to sign off on a rant-y note with something that has nothing to do with Lana, lol, but all the stupidity has been grinding me gears lately and I had to let it out on behalf of all retail workers: if we can wear a mask for 9 hours at a time, YOU can tolerate the mild discomfort of wearing one for 10 minutes. I know this doesn’t apply to the majority of people but there’s always a couple of arseholes, isn’t there!?

Stay safe,

Lauren x

[impassiveesper]

[ I haven’t talked about the Medicos Autumn Festival merch silhouettes even tho it is the spooky month and the season to do so, so while I’m here rbing trash about those Halloween outfits, please enjoy the full take. ]

Mob. My babie boy. You did it.  Puffy pants were a great choice Mobert, very cute. Great fit, cute little ruffles, I can tell you thought really hard about this. Suspenders? Great. Somebody absolutely helped him put that together. There is no way he dressed himself. It is possible Teru dressed him. 

Reigen looks no more or less about to falsify his taxes than usual. True to character even in costume. He bought the whole thing as a set. He picked it up on a whim and everybody else based their costume on his.

Proud of Serizawa for having the courage to wear a costume. He didn’t know he was going to be wearing a costume, Reigen just sort of handed it to him. He’s comfortable conforming with the group. His horns are cute, I bet he insisted upon them. Those other horns might catch on something or hurt somebody, can’t have that.

Teru isn’t aware, but this is possibly the most fashionable combination of items he has ever managed to put together. Like wow he’s color coordinated for once. Teru would not be satisfied with a premade costume, so he hunted for the perfect pieces to make up this ensemble for weeks. The only reason he isn’t an absolute fashion disaster as usual is because he had his heart set on matching with Mob so he stuck to the chosen color palette religiously. He’s going to wear those pants regularly. He did not buy a single piece that was not gay enough to worm its way into the rest of his everyday wardrobe.

Ritsu doesn’t want to be here. Ritsu deadass looks like the adults are making him go. Ritsu ‘Are You Insane Like Me, Been In Pain Like Me’ Kageyama is only going to this event because onii-san really wants him to and this boy has one (1) critical weakness.  This fit is trash. He had the shirt and jacket already in his closet. The pants and shoes are borrowed, but only because Shigeo cornered him and dejectedly asked if he really was going to wear his gym shoes instead of matching colors with him. Ritsu will under no circumstances appear to be having fun.  Not even during moments when he is having a lot of fun.  No, it does not count if he smiles politely for Shigeo, and if you see him do that no you didn’t. He will consider lethal action if you succumb to Shou’s attempts to bribe you for a photo. Every one of these measures is both a threat and a promise.

Dimple’s having a great time and I’m happy for him. 

Every one of them looks like absolute shit in some capacity or another but shockingly few of them are not cohesive considering the range of pieces involved here. Fricken bats. I love Halloween.

[petitepistol]

headcanon;

About once a season Elena will shop for clothes, buy a capsule wardrobe, and then hide the tags as she cycles through them over the period of a week or so. After these trial runs, the pieces she decides aren’t really as good as she thought they'd be when she bought them get returned. But the ones that she actually likes? Then she’ll go back to the shop and purchase in triplicate. Because in her line of work garments can get ruined at an alarming rate and she hates when something gets destroyed and she can’t find a replacement for sale again afterward.

For straightforward field work that doesn’t involve a manufactured identity she sticks to the “standard issue” suit because if it gets absolutely trashed she knows there are another thirty identical copies available in the supply closet. When it comes to office work, recruiting junkets, and public facing escort/bodyguard assignments, she favors prêt-à-porter business wear. For the former categories she's comfortable donning a skirt and pumps, so as long as it it isn’t considered a dangerous assignment. Even during low-risk tasks she usually winds up ruining pantyhose, therefor she tries to acquire that in bulk.

Speaking of shoes, when she isn’t in heels, footwear is one of the few parts of her wardrobe that isn’t off the rack. The black leather ankle boots are obviously high quality, but it isn’t any particular aesthetic design that makes them special. Rather, it’s the comfortable fit and the fact they have an interior steel toe to both protect and reinforce, that makes them special. Other than that, the toe is a rounded point and the Cuban (Costan?) heel is just an inch or so taller than normal. Gotta try and get a little extra height, and her cobbler complies.

The carry over for both work wear and off hours outfits is lingerie. All of her bras and panties are matched sets, ranging from a “pretty, but fits seamlessly under clothing” to “ornamental, verging on downright obscene.” Reno tried to give her shit about wearing t-backs once, but she just griped at him about pantylines and threatened to take off a testicle for having made an inquiry into the topic in the first place.

She’s pretty sparing on jewelry, favoring understated metallic pieces and maybe pearls here and there. Not much of a gemstone person, it’s too rich for her blood and she always worries of running the risk of looking excessively gaudy. The exception would be her Minerva Band which she is never without, but Elena doesn’t really consider that jewelry. Although her communications earpiece has an attractively modern design, it’s usually hidden by her hair. Her regular earrings are magnetic, not because she doesn’t have pierced ears but because she’d rather not have any piercings torn out in a fight.

When it comes to cosmetics Elena favors a clean, natural look. Unless she’s involved in something formal in which case she’ll break out the iridescent highlighter and accouterments. On a normal day it’s a straightforward process of concealer for the under-eyes, an SPF BB cream, powder, eyebrow gel, eyeliner, and mascara. She prefers lip stain for the lasting color and while she starts out with a gloss coat over it, she’ll just apply regular balm after that throughout the day. At the moment she uses a very normal facewash, but from time to time she thinks she might try something crazy like those seven step routines that involve Blugu blubber and stem cells (she never follows through on that though). For soaps and scents she leans towards a fresh unisex scent profile à la Chanel Cristalle and likes wintergreen toothpaste.

Her tastes in casual clothing is almost shockingly feminine. Not overly cutesy, but lots of soft colors and romantic details. It’s a fairly stark contrast to the more masculine style and angular cuts of her selections in business wear. Elena actually likes casual dresses, lovely little a-line numbers in pastel tones with lace detailing. Not the sort of thing you’d expect given her profession, but she’s got a very slim frame and it’s visually cohesive. The aesthetic fits better than it has a right to.

There have been points when the boys have been left to decide on her wardrobe for undercover work with mixed results. Rude is the best at it, Reno always puts together something flashy, Tseng never fails to add something pink into the mix, and there have even been a few times when Rufus got into the action because if she was going to be his escort he was damn sure going to micromanage her look. None of them ever remember that if she has to wear a low cut or backless gown she is going to need fashion tape, which is probably the one quirk that actually leaves her chagrined.