#i felt like such a pretty princess the entire day i was wearing this cosplay

[perilegs]

Ashen one, with the Lords as thy witness, bend thy knee afore the bonfire's coiled sword.

picture taken by @neuvostoliitto

[ramen-rambles]

HC: Going On A Disney Date

Pairing: Bakugou Katsuki x Reader, Kirishima Eijirou x Reader, Kaminari Denki x Reader, Todoroki Shouto x Reader, Midoriya Izuku x Reader

Warnings: None! Just fluffy goodness

Word Count: 1.9K

Summary: Just some headcanons on what spending a day at the parks would be like with your favorite boys. (btw, this is based on the Disney parks in Anaheim!)

A/N: S/O to the discord for indulging me in my Disney obsession :’D Fun fact, when I went to Disneyland for Halloween, I borrowed my friend’s Pikachu kigurumi so that I could lowkey cosplay as Denki LOL

Taglist: @jojosmilktea

♡ ⌒*ﾟ.❉・゜・。. ♡ ⌒*ﾟ.❉・゜・。. ♡ ⌒*ﾟ.❉・゜

BAKUGOU KATSUKI

You had to do so much convincing to get him to even go to one park, let alone two

Teases you and smirks saying, “Why do you want to go to some lame theme park? I’m all the fun you need, princess.” 

Bakugou ends up giving in to your begging because… how can he resist such a cute face? 

He is super whiny in the beginning, literally complaining about every little thing

“Why the fuck is all the shit here so damn expensive?”, “The lines are too fucking long!” 

Don’t even bother trying to get him to wear any kind of Mickey Ears either

He thinks it looks adorable on you though, not that he’d admit it 

However, after seeing how much fun you were having, he eases up a bit and begins to enjoy himself too

Actually, he ends up becoming more excited than you

Once you start getting tired from all the walking and constant queuing, he mocks you and says “What? You’re tired already? I could keep this up for hours!” 

His go-to pose for the ride photos is to flip off the camera

And yes, you guys end up buying a copy of all the pictures because he thinks it’s fucking hilarious

His favorite attraction to go on is Toy Story Midway Mania because he knows he’ll kick your ass and get a higher score than you; or Radiator Springs Racers, so he can win the race and kick other people’s ass 

KIRISHIMA EIJIROU

He’s such a child at heart that he was actually the one who asked you to go to Disneyland

Had already bought the tickets in advance because he already knew you’d say yes. You felt kind of bad that he had to spend all that money for both of your tickets

“E-eji, are you sure you don’t want me to pay you back? These tickets must have been so expensive!” 

“Don’t worry about it babe, I’ve been saving my allowance to buy us these tickets. I wanted to take you out on a magical date at the happiest place on earth!” 

He really was the sweetest boyfriend

On the days leading up to your date, you two start planning out matching outfits, what rides you guys for sure want to go on, and all the new foods you can’t want to try! 

The night before, the two of you have a Disney movie marathon, snuggled up on the couch eating popcorn while watching all those childhood classics! 

His favorite movie is The Little Mermaid because where else did you think he got the inspiration to dye his hair red? Princess Ariel

Day of, you guys are BEYOND excited

Kirishima wakes up extra early to start getting ready, letting you get in a few more minutes of sleep

Once you get there, the first thing you both do is take a picture in front of Main Street! He pretty much documents your entire trip on his phone, taking candid photos of you being the cutie you were

He makes it his new lockscreen wallpaper

While he was waiting in line to buy some food, you went to the shop and bought a matching pair of Mickey and Minnie ears, wanting to surprise him

Smothered you in smooches because he was so happy you guys were matching head to toe, literally 

“Thanks babe! I’m never gonna take this off!” 

And he never took his ears off. He wore it all day. How it didn’t fall of his head was a question you had no answer to

You two were the definition of cringey couple; matching outfits, constant PDA

Not that he cared what other people thought. He was happy and you were happy, that’s all that mattered to him

Go-to ride pose is leaning over next to you, grabbing your entire face, and giving you a big kiss on the cheek 

Favorite ride is Hyperspace Mountain, loves the thrill of it plus, it makes his hair look extra spikey because the wind pushes it back up 

KAMINARI DENKI

You guys are such kids, after you guys went the first time, you came back so often and ultimately decided that it would be better to buy annual passes

Your guy’s Disney trips were always very spontaneous, to say the least 

Kaminari would be like, “Hey babe, what if we go to Disneyland tomorrow?” 

“Come again? You want to go to Disneyland tomorrow?” 

“Yeah, why not? We haven’t been in awhile” He says, nonchalantly 

Giving in to his pouting, that’s how the two of you usually end up at the parks

You go so often you basically have a routine down

You two take turns doing everything; driving, paying for parking, paying for food, etc

During the drive there, you guys are singing non-stop. For some reason, he knows almost all the lyrics to every single song, making you wonder how he can memorize all those words and somehow still have no clue how to remember a simple math formula

You guys also try to Disney Bound (basically, it’s a lowkey cosplay) most of the time, but if not, you guys will always wear matching outfits

Unlike most people, he actually really enjoys wearing the Mickey ears, he thinks he looks extra cute in them. You agree

His ride pose often changes, from ‘hitting the woah��� to literally bringing a prop on the ride, he just does whatever he thinks is funny

But you often collaborate with each other while waiting in line to decide what pose you should do together; if no ideas come up, throwing up a peace sign is the standard move

Favorite ride to go on is Splash Mountain, hands down. He always asks to sit in the front. For some reason, he loves the feeling of getting absolutely fucking drenched

As a tradition, you two always make it your last ride of the night. Since it’s colder, there’s really not much of a wait, meaning you guys have an entire log to yourselves and can pretty much go on it as many times as your hearts desire 

TODOROKI SHOUTO

You were aware that Todoroki had probably never been to Disneyland before, considering he spent most of his childhood training

So when you asked him if he’s ever actually gone to the parks, he was like, “Isn’t that the amusement park who has a rat as their mascot? His name is Mikey, right?”, “So, Elsa has an ice quirk too?” 

You swore that this boy would be the death of you

You were quick to educate him on all things Disney, telling him stories of when you were younger and how they were some of your fondest memories as a kid

Wanting your boyfriend to share the same experience as you, you eagerly suggested that the two of you must go together one day, and he seemed just as eager with his response

He said, “Okay then, let’s go this Saturday. It’s the weekend so we most likely won’t be busy anyways.”

“Uh Shouto, honey, I’d love to go but I’m pretty broke right now, tickets are expensive so it’ll probably take me a few weeks to save up for —“ you complained

He cut you off right there and says that he’ll pay for everything, whipping out Endeavor’s credit card 

Why did he have that on him??

Before you could protest and scold him for using someone else’s card, it was too late because he already bought them

Once in the parks, he seems to be quite fascinated by everything, but his focus tends to stay on you, watching how excited you get over every little thing

You guys get matching ears, but he’s not too keen on wearing them. At most, he’ll wear it for pictures, but that’s about it. But he also can’t help but admire how cute you look in them 

Buys you literally anything you want. Overpriced merchandise? Done. Overpriced food? You bet. Overpriced everything? Abso-fucking-lutely. Doesn’t care about the price, as long as you’re happy

Even if he doesn’t explicitly show it, he’s actually having a lot of fun! 

Being in such a magical place with his favorite person in the world makes him want to go back, reliving those childhood moments he didn’t really have

Inevitably, he ends up upgrading your tickets to an annual pass 

“You bought us annual passes?! Why did you do that, and when?!” 

“I did it on the app, while you were in that long line for the bathroom.” He said, feigning innocence

You two end up going at least twice a month, if not more. Pretty much going there to just hang out and walk around 

His poses for the rides aren’t really poses per se, it’s really just his poker face. Occasionally, you’ll pinch his cheeks to give a little flare to your photos 

Favorite ride is Soarin’ Around The World. He likes the visual appeal. Plus, the orange scent smells really good 

MIDORIYA IZUKU

Both of you guys were equally excited to go! 

You two had planned to go for some time now, saving up enough money to buy tickets and acknowledging the fact that you guys would spend a lot on food and other things 

Izuku is such a nerd that he basically makes an entire schedule of your guy’s stay, morning until night

He grabs a copy of the park map and actually brings a pen to circle which rides you guys want to go on throughout the day

He will definitely download the app in order to keep track of wait times 

Plans for which rides you guys should go on first, taking into account the the events that people would be watching instead of waiting in lines, making the most of your time

“Okay, if the wait time for Radiator Springs Racers is 90 minutes, by the time we’re done, we should make it just in time to use our fastpass for Grizzly River Run…”

It kind of amazes you how articulate he was about this whole thing

“Wow, babe. I can’t believe you planned for all of that, I thought we were just going with the flow.” You said, teasing him for being such a nerd. How cute

His hero costume basically had bunny ears on them, so he didn’t complain about wearing the Mickey ears 

You two take lots of pictures, you guys even wait in that long line to take that cliché couple photo in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle

Go-to pose varies depending on the ride, usually the camera catches him by surprise, so in almost all of the pictures, he looks like he’s about to cry 

Doesn’t really have a favorite ride but his absolute favorite thing to do is to watch the fireworks towards the end of the night

He enjoys just sitting there and holding you close in his arms while you two watch the show and sing along to the music

♡ ⌒*ﾟ.❉・゜・。. ♡ ⌒*ﾟ.❉・゜・。. ♡ ⌒*ﾟ.❉・゜

Hope you liked these! Thank you for reading~

masterlist

[my-super-musical-life]

Hi there! Here’s what quarantine has done to me...

I got bored a few days ago and got on YouTube. I watched a YouTuber mua try drag makeup for the first time. I’ve fallen in LOVE with @thinkoutsidethebex’s Once Upon A Time Collection, and the first story is only halfway finished! I decided that I would do three makeup looks/cosplays inspired by this collection. The makeup looks are all set in a form similar to drag queen makeup, excluding the blocking of my eyebrows cause I couldn’t find any stick glue. I ended up making a bunch of tiktoks in them too, go look!

I don’t really remember how I stumbled upon the Once Upon A Time Collection, but I do know that once I saw the mood board at the top of the Fathoms Below masterlist, I knew I would be hooked in wanting to read all of it. Then I found out that it wasn’t only one story. That there would be THREE PROMISING LOOKING X READERS ABOUT MY FAVORITE AVENGERS TO INSERT MYSELF INTO THEIR LIVES, AND IN A DISNEY PRINCESS AU NO LESS. It just made me so happy, and I was so inspired with these makeup looks. I worked very hard on all three, and it took me roughly an hour and a half to get through all of them each. And taking each look off got more tiresome than the day before. I really hope you all like them.

Fathoms Below

Fathoms Below is a Peter Parker x reader in the Alternate Universe where the reader is The Little Mermaid. What I love about this series so far is that the chapters or whatever you wanna call them aren’t exactly like the Disney movie.

Anyway, the first look was pretty easy, excluding the fact that I had never tried anything close to drag EVER. I only used three colors on my lids and felt bold with a classic red lip to make up for the lack of red in my hair. To complete the look, I dug around in my drawers and closet to find something similar to Ariel’s shell bra and tail(I’m feeling v e r y brave for posting these photos of my stomach out for all to see. If you don’t like it, then just ignore anything and everything you have to do with me.). Now, don’t get mad that I didn’t find clothes that were exact and to the T like Ariel’s outfit, but we are in a quarantine, and I didn’t want to go get costumes that I would only wear once. But anyway, here are the pictures inspired by Fathoms Below.

Until the Last Petal Falls

Now I know that this Bucky Barnes x reader hasn’t been released yet, but I’m SO👏EXCITED👏FOR👏ITS👏RELEASE👏 I’m not so sure about what’s going to happen in this story, but I’m ecstatic nonetheless. Reading x readers kinda helps me keep my mind off of the bad things(quarantine, Corona, not seeing my friends, not being able to have Disney+ so I can watch Hamilton and the new Percy Jackson series, etc.), but reading a really good x reader really helps me escape the world I’m living in, even if it only lasts for a few minutes.

So I incorporated Belle’s pink gown into the look because I don’t own a gold ball gown. I donned a light pink bridesmaid dress from a few years ago, and my makeup had gold, pink, and black mixed into it.

Snowfall

So this Snow White AU has the wonderful Steve Rogers as Prince Charming. Not quite sure what’s going to happen, considering that Bex isn’t sticking straight to the movie plot, which I appreciate greatly, because who would want to read exactly what they’ve watched onscreen their entire lives?

So as I’ve said before, I don’t own a yellow dress, and I don’t own a royal blue dress, I had to stick with a very casual red day dress that hugged my curves. I kept the red out of the eye shadow of my look, but added some red holographic glitter around my eyes(it was such a pain to take off) and had royal blues, yellows, and blacks show up in the shadow.

I hope that this is what you thought it would turn out. I know I said “drag queen” makeup, and this is the best I’ve got for trying drag without blocking out my brows and painting over them. Hope you enjoyed!!!

[bellamygateoldblog]

​The 100 Aesthetic/Preferences Tag

Tagged by: @blodreina-noumou ty babe!!

This is a tag game about AESTHETICS, not content, plot, characterization, etc. Just keep that in mind.

Rank the seasons from favorite to least favorite:

2 > 1 > 3 > 5 > 4 (me, petty: *won’t even put 6 on the ranking*)

2 - I think 2 has Octavia’s best look, very ‘Grounder In Training’ which was really really cute lol. Then there was the beginning of Clarke’s desent into grime, from pristine princess to getting weighed down with the dirt of her own emotions and percieved obligations and I liked to see it.

1 - everyone is clean and baby-faced and it reminds me of a simpler time. Was a fan of guard!Bellamy hair gel and all, it really brought out the douche in him. This season has my favourite Raven (she GLOWS) and Clarke Sky Babe looks. Jasper’s goggles. Dropship site was iconic.

3 - I appreciated the grimy aesthetic of season three because they really committed to the Goin’ Thru It.

The drastic shift in Jasper’s look was something I really liked. His boyish features are gone and now merely a ghost of innocence remains, in it’s place we have a more mature, hardened demeanor in the form of facial hair and a lack of cute, floppy hairstyle.

5 - we got the spacekru ‘clan’ look! In previous seasons we’ve seen clans have markers indicating who they belong to, Trikru with their earthy colours and wearing leaves, Azgeda with their furs and white paints, and Floukru with their ocean imagery, and now we see the survivors of apocalypse in their bluish-grey space tones styled in a way that makes it absolutely clear they’re all apart of the same group. We see a new headscarf for Emori, still very much herself but refashioned. And no glove! She’s completely comfortable with her new family. The scarf was very unique to her character so someone tell me why after all this they completely threw it out for season 6? Oh yeah it’s because season 6 isn’t real, it didn’t happen, I do Not See It.

All the boys glo-ed up. Loved that. All the girls started wearing their hair looser, Raven has her two strands sneaking out of her signature ponytail- she still very much looks like ‘Raven’ but everyone just in general looks more relaxed, like they’ve had a breather. In terms of the world, I loved the stark differences in the three main locations, and every one of them felt haunting but in different ways. Ghost lands. The wasteland of 5 was almost reminicent of the desert back in season 2, now devistated. The bunker was suffocating and chilling. The valley felt weirdly sinister in all it’s colours.

4 - eventually everyone looked peak skaikru, no longer delinquents in their various multi-coloured bomber jackets, marking their youth, but fully-fledged members of their group. I liked the way s4 almost paralleled s1 in look, they’re all wearing the same colours, but while they are all technically clean, they still look less presentable and exhausted compared to S1. Bellamy, again, like in season 1, is in his guard uniform but it’s more an upgraded and more mature version. In a way it looked like we came full circle. And Clarke and Octavia both going back to a more skaigirl hairstyle was the cherry on top. Luna’s costumes are probably my favourites on the entire show. I have no idea how we went from costumes of such intricasy and consistency to...’what in the name of halloween store clearance sale is that?’ in season 6.

6 - sanctum’s costumes were literally so ugly i don’t even wanna talk about it please don’t make me do it...

ok i go

1) Controversial ik but Emori’s Prime dress missed the mark. I liked the addition of the cape, but, again, it was so bare otherwise. There was no embroidery, no jewels, and the accessories they did give her were clunky and looked cheap. It looked too prom night. She was supposed to be royalty. And she didn’t look like it at all.

2) Absolutely hated the fact they put a pound of makeup on each of the space sisters’ faces. And the fact they gave them all unnaturally curled hair. Meanwhile Clarke and Octavia still somewhat look natural and ordinary so...what’s going on? And why?

Rank Clarke’s hair each season from best to worst:

1 > 6 > 2 > 4 > 5 > 3

some thoughts;

Not a fan of her season 4 hair, and i can’t articulate my dislike very well but why’d her roots get so dark? She never had dark roots in season 1, this character is a natural blonde, and yet over the seasons they became progressively darker and tbh? It started to irritated me. Also I don’t think the cut framed her face quite right? SOMETHING okay? Something about it......

Rank Bellamy’s hair/beard each season from best to worst:

3 > 1,2,4,6 < 5

The real debate: Bellamy in the blue shirt or the tan?

They both look the same to me. lol. Blue.

Clarke’s blue dress or pink dress?

Neither. Both weren’t very good looking. If you were holding me at gun point I’d say blue, but the cut did the opposite of help. And if they were gonna have a moment where Clarke, oblivious to her own *ethereal beauty* and not like the other girls, walks down the stairs ready to throw her hair into a messy bun and get sold to One Direction, they could’ve at least put her in a more suitable dress. Something a bit more glamourous, sophisticated, something to justify the 10 people in the room staring up at her in awe. It’s such a casual, tasteless dress? And she isn’t even wearing shoes? She isn’t wearing anything shiny, she didn’t do anything to her hair. We saw what other dresses and accessories Delilah had in her closet, the yellow and pink soft-flowing, feminine classy dresses and the pretty headwear she wore in her own short time in the season. But you give Clarke, your protagonist, that unflattering one? One that she so clearly hastily threw on and headed out in? She got two outfit changes, while none of the other main girls got any at all, and they were both ugly LIKE what was even the point?

Favorite Raven season: Her season 1 baby face just cannot be beat, she looks beautiful. And I only use that word very particularly.

Raven’s ark vest or red bomber jacket?

how about that red popper shirt from season 4

Raven’s ponytail or her s6 look?

Ponytail. It’s Raven. S6 look betrayed what her character was about.

Favorite Octavia season: 2! I love the baby grounder look.

Octavia’s hair in s2 (the braids) or s4 (the ponytail)?

The braids just because they were more interesting to look at.

Blodreina or Skairipa?

Blodreina. Like I said somewhere up there ^ that whole costume was a breath of fresh air.

Favorite Murphy season: S5!

Murphy with long hair or short hair?

I appreciated the rat boy look while it lasted, but the short hair makes him look good, while his other hairstyles pretty much were just there to contribute to the climate of his character.

Favorite Monty season: 5. Bout time they made him look grown. He’s actually a pretty ruthless and passive aggressive kid, the fact he looked so sweet in previous seasons really tricked a lot of the fanbase into believing he was some tiny cinnamon roll.

Favorite overall episode: I’m awful at seperating episodes. I just can’t do it lol

Favorite scene of all time: I just don’t have the best memory for these things. I quite liked the reveal of Blodreina, the transition is takes from Cooper in the very first arena fight to current day, and it switches from blue to red, and slowly reveals Blodreina. The music change gave me chills. Everything about the scene just felt really dark and eery. I was uncomfortable. And I loved it.

Biggest wish for s7: Visually/aesthetically, decide which style you’re going for. I’ve said this before somewhere but Sanctum was a confusing mess of sci-fi, royal, prom night, and divergent amity. Pick one and get back to me.

I want a better designed world. I want all the set and costume designers to actually communicate and work together to make the world look like something professional and not a cosplay convention on a cheap set with a big paper mache castle.

Also I’d love for all the girls to not be all dolled-up. Give Raven her ponytail back, I’ll even settle for the low pony. Give Emori her headscarf back. And go get them all some face wipes. Maybe give someone other than Clarke an oppurtunity to wear something besides their murder gear. And maybe make that something actually good looking. Put some effort in. Sheesh.

I don’t follow many people and most of the ones I do are hibernating lol. I fully encourage someone to steal this. But in the meantime: @johnmurphysreddit​ @awesomenell65​

[dark-and-kawaii]

🎃🍂Shinsou x Reader🕸🍁

Happy Halloween My Spoopy Berries!!!!

Guess who decided to throw a surprise at you guys!!!! Meeeee ya boi Kiwi 👻 Enjoy 🍂

You really didn’t want to go, there wasn’t any point in going… “No! I’m not going! Sorry! Nope! Nuh uh! I don’t have anything to wear anyway!”

“Oh come on, ____! It’ll be fun and you have lots of costumes thanks to you cosplaying all the damn time. Plus you have this witch dress because back in the day you thought you were one.” Your best friend was rummaging through your closet, yanking out and throwing your costumes on your bed.

“Noooo! You can’t make me!” You stuck your tongue out at them, “Besides since when are you into Halloween parties? We always stay home, pour a few shots, strip down into our undies, and watch spooky movies while eating pizza.”

“____. This is a big one, and everyone is going to be there!” Your friend was wiggling two costumes in front of their face, attempting to get you to chose one.

“Not everyone…” You mumbled as you pressed the on button to your speaker and blasted music.

Your friend jumped on your bed, back first. “~Shiiiinsssooou is going to be thhhere~”

Turning your head towards them your brow arched, “No he’s not! He’s not into that stuff either! He’s a lone wolf… Right?”

Your friend ignored you and bobbed their head to the song playing...

Biting your thumb nail you turned back to your closest and looked… Shuffling through your cosplays you peered at a few until you pulled out your zombie bride dress… Looking it over you thought long and hard for three seconds until your threw it at your friend, “Nope! Not Going!”

As you left your bedroom your best friend picked up the dress and sat up from your bed. Holding up your zombie dress, they tapped their foot until you stormed back into the room and snatched it from them, “Gimmie that!”

“Thought so.”

“Shut up.”

Entering the party you and your friend were arm in arm as both looked in awe. Everyone from U.A. had to of been here, the place was packed and everyone looked so good in their costumes.

“Noooo way. ____! Look!”

Your best friend was pointing at Monoma who was dressed as Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon, he was holding a red rose in his mouth attempting to talk to some girl dressed as the one and only Sailor moon.

You both laughed hysterically as he was smacked on the back of his neck, until your friend saw Shinsou walk by… He was heading towards the living room where the drinks were…, “Hey, ____ i’m going to go use the restroom, could you get us some drinks?”

Shrugging you agreed to it and as they left your side you headed towards the living room…

Now what your best friend has yet to tell you is that they planned for you and Shinsou to be here… You were right, Shinsou was a lone wolf and he hated these kind of things, but your best friend saw how he looked at you in school… So with a little convincing they were able to get him to attend the party…. And your friend has also taken note to how you talk about Shinsou when he isn’t around…. It was pretty obvious that you and Shinsou both liked one another… It was just getting you two to admit it now…

As you entered the living room, Shinsou’s eyes widen… It was as if time slowed for him. As you entered the room your zombie dress bounced as you walked and your eyelashes slowly fluttered as you blinked… His heart was pounding in chest, it felt as if it was going to burst…

You froze where you were as you saw Shinsou was standing next to the drinks… ‘Crap! What do i do?!’ You looked like a deer caught in headlights… Your legs felt like jello and you could feel sweat form under your pits… This was going to be a disaster… ‘I just need to grab two drinks and get out of the room!’

You were in such a hurry to get the drinks you didn’t even noticed a giant guy dressed in a pimped out dracula costume… Running right into said male you were knocked backwards ready to land on the floor until you felt a pair of arms wrap around your waist. You felt a blush creep up your neck to your face as you become more aware of how tightly the person was holding you against his hard body… Rotating your head you saw it was Shinsou would had caught you.

"Are you ok?" he asked with concern tied in his voice...

You could only nod as Shinsou released you… You were both standing awkwardly next to one another in silence till your friend “bumped” into you, knocking you into Shinsou’s chest, “oops! Didn’t see you there, ___!” They waved as they disappeared.

Shinsou had his arms wrapped around you again as your hands laid flat on his chest, despite being embarrassed you didn’t want to leave where you were… And you could only pray Shinsou felt the same…

“S-Sorry ab-about th-that Shins-”

You were cut off by his lips melting onto yours. Shinsou kissed you deeply, longing for your soft lips and inviting mouth, losing his sense of time and space as his mouth hungrily explored yours. You relaxed in his arms and your long lashed soon found their way downwards as you shut your eyes. You felt like Mia from the movie The Princess Diaries as your leg began to “pop”, slowly it lifted off the ground until you heard your best friend shout from the distance.

“YEAHHHH!!! THAT’S MY ZOMBIE FRIEND MAKING OUT WITH THE PURPLE HAIRED CAT WOOOOO!!!!!” You could hear them cheer and clap and soon the entire room was applauding you and Shinsou, you both heard Kaminari in the background “Bouth time!”

As Shinsou pulls back, you saw the most loving smile plastered on his face, “I’m glad i came to the party tonight.”

“Me to-”

“HAPPY HALLOWEEN BITCHES!! I better get an invite to the wedding since this was my doing!” Your best friend was still hollering as they came up and wrapped their arms around you and Shinsou.

~ Love Kiwi xoxo

[nightglider124]

RobStar Week 2018: Day 2

I actually love the character ideas for these two. Like how cute would Starfire be as this gal??? And ngl but she would be hot and pull it off so well, let’s be honest.

Anyway, hope you guys like this one. Seems like Beast Boy kinda thing; to have a cosplay birthday party. XD

Cosplay

Robin sighed as he ran his gel covered fingers through his hair, sticking his spikes up at a different angle and style than he was used to. He stared at his reflection and poked his tongue out in concentration.

He didn’t care much for costumes but if it was asked of him then he would become quite the perfectionist. It was part of who he was as a person. He was competitive by nature and even with something like this, he wanted to make the effort.

And of course, Starfire had been so excited from the word go.

He pulled a soft red tie just below his hairline and around the top half of his forehead, so much that it wouldn’t slip down during the evening. He tightly wound it at the back of his head, amongst his dark locks.

It was Beast Boy’s birthday and he’d made a very good argument of only turning 18 once so Robin had allowed them to have a party, inviting the entire Titan network and he’d made a deal with Beast Boy that he could have the party however he wanted.

And of course, being Beast Boy, the shapeshifter opted with a fancy dress party or what he was dubbing “Cosplay Extravaganza party.”

Robin still facepalmed at the sound of that in his head.

But, he had agreed that Beast Boy got to call the shots so here he was dressing up. Beast Boy had gone one step further though, stating that the cosplay outfits had to be from video games considering it was what he loved more than life itself.

Well, apart from Raven but it was pretty close.

What made it more interesting was that a lot of the Titans who were in a couple were dressing as a matching pair, or at least characters from the same game.

Robin exhaled loudly and stepped back to look himself over in the full length mirror before him. He rolled his shoulders and momentarily felt a little self conscious. It wasn’t a common thing for them to be out of uniform and so whenever he was, he always felt a sense of unease.

He eyed the white karate gi he was wearing with the torn off sleeves and he had a brief flashback to when he visited the true master for martial arts training. His arms were completely bare and he was inwardly a little smug; he knew Starfire had an odd thing for his arms. He always found her holding his upper arm or stroking his arms when they spent time together.

The gi was slightly open, offering a small peek of his chest and he cursed at how very pale he was; the colour of the karate gi wasn’t far off from it but he shrugged. He had someone who liked him for him so he supposed it didn’t matter all that much.

The black martial arts belt around his waist made him inwardly chuckle considering he really was that level. Being trained under Batman’s wing, he couldn’t really avoid being the top of the martial arts scale.

He picked up the red fingerless gloves and smirked as he put them on. Street Fighter was a game that none of the others had really thought of and yet there were so many character options with it and it was one of the few games that the costume didn’t make him feel like a complete idiot.

People like Beast Boy and Cyborg were a lot more into the whole cosplay scene. Robin on the other hand needed some convincing.

So, here he was dressing as Ryu and he had to say, he felt pretty happy with the outcome.

As he wriggled his fingers in the gloves, he looked over at the closed bathroom door.

“Star? You about ready yet? Party starts soon...” He called,

He heard a muffled ‘eep!’ before Starfire replied, “Almost! I am just fixing my hairstyle to look more like the character I am supposed to be portraying!”

Robin chuckled, “I’m sure it’ll look great, regardless...”

She clicked her tongue, loudly enough so he could hear her, “You always say that.”

“Because it’s always true.”

He smiled when he heard her giggling to herself, “Are you all ready?”

“Pretty much.” Robin responded, “D’you know what the others are going as?”

“I believe Cyborg and Bumblebee are going as... um... night elves?”

Robin nodded, “Right; from World of Warcraft.”

She snorted, “I did not know you were so familiar with games, Robin.”

He rolled his eyes behind his mask; he may have been dressing up but the mask always stayed in place, “I don’t. I just know it; it’s a fairly famous game here on Earth.”

“Mhm... I believe you. I shall remember that the next time you claim to be working on criminal reports.” Starfire cheeked,

Robin laughed and shook his head at her silliness. She was in a very happy mood tonight from the sounds of it; then again, she always was when there was a party going on. Actually, she was almost always in a good mood; regardless of the situation.

“What about Beast Boy? The man of the hour hasn’t exactly been shouting what he’s planning on dressing as.” Robin pointed out,

He heard some shuffling from inside the bathroom before her muffled voice sounded once more, “He has remained quite the hush hush but he told me he wished to get Raven dressed as the Princess Peach from the Mario Bros games.”

Robin suddenly burst out laughing, “I would pay a lot of money to see Raven dressed as Princess Peach.”

Starfire giggled, “I believe she would look lovely in a big pink dress.”

Robin grinned, “She’d kill him if he even tried, I’m sure.”

“Most likely.”

“So what are they really going as?”

“I believe Beast Boy mentioned something along the lines of a... Link and Zelda?”

Robin tilted his head, “Sounds like a good one for Beast Boy. He loves that game. But, he’s still expecting Raven to dress as an elf Princess?”

“Who knows; perhaps she will for him.”

“I guess we’ll see soon, hm?”

Starfire turned the knob of the bathroom door and opened it, “I believe I am ready.”

Robin looked at himself in the mirror one last time before he swung around to look at his girlfriend. As soon as his eyes alighted on her, his jaw dropped and the back of his neck swiftly warmed up.

Starfire smirked at the expression on his face. She put a hand on her hip and posed a little, trying to entice him a bit more.

His eyes trailed over her form and he fought to keep his brain from imploding.

Her long, red hair was styled up into two buns whilst her bangs and two strands on either side of her face were left down to frame it. Her buns were wrapped in white silk ribbons with the excess pieces of ribbon hanging down her back.

She wore a deep blue qipao with small yellow details. It had splits down the sides, revealing her long shapely legs that were covered with sheer brown pantyhose. A white sash was pulled around her waist, showing off her gorgeous form whilst knee high lace up white boots adorned her feet. On her wrists, she wore the iconic spiked bracelets.

He was drooling; he was sure of it.

Starfire made one good Chun-Li.

She wore a small amount of makeup; nothing too dramatic not that she needed any really. At least, Robin didn’t think she needed any.

“Oh... wow...” Robin mumbled, his eyes still glued to her body.

Starfire smiled and slowly turned in a circle, her eyes on him, “You approve, yes?”

Matching her playful smirk, Robin wandered over to her, still admiring her costume. One of his hands found her waist whilst the other landed on her outer thigh and he pulled her closer to him,

“Very much.” He whispered, his voice husky,

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her eyes twinkling at his own attire.

“Mm... I approve of the bare arms, my love.”

Robin chuckled, “I thought you would.” He paused and smiled, “God, you look amazing.”

Starfire beamed at him, “Please, I make a suitable Chan-Li?”

He narrowed his eyes at her, “It’s Chun-Li.”

She cringed, “Oh! Yes, Chun-Li. That is the name of my character.”

“Don’t let Beast Boy hear you say the wrong name. He’ll be onto you and test your video game knowledge.”

Giggling, Starfire shook her head and rested her forehead against his, “I would surely fail such a test.”

“Then just remember your character name.” He quipped,

Starfire gently played with the hair at the back of his neck and quietly crooned before she leaned in and pressed her lips to his, immediately swiping her tongue against his bottom lip. Robin was surprised that she was feeling so frisky when they had a party to be had but he wouldn’t deny her anything. He indulged their make out session and gripped her waist even tighter, his hand falling to her ass and giving her a gentle squeeze.

Moaning against his mouth, Starfire lifted a leg which he grabbed and brought against his hip. She could feel herself getting lightheaded and muzzy as she cupped his neck whilst he other hand snaked down the front of his gi, her fingertips brushing against the hard muscles in his chest and abdomen.

She suddenly pulled away, panting and her eyes sparked with mischief.

“We cannot... become carried away... we must attend Beast Boy’s party.”

Robin sighed, “How am I supposed to do that when you look like this?”

Starfire pulled back and lowered her leg, removing her hand from the confines of his white gi. She sauntered over to the full length mirror and readjusted her clothes so she looked refined once more.

“You will manage.” Starfire murmured, smiling over her shoulder at him.

“Hmph. I guess.” Robin muttered, sorting his own outfit.

She fixed her hair one last time and turned to face him, her hands clasped together,

“We are ready?”

“Mhm... you know... you really do look beautiful, Star.”

Starfire blushed and she smiled, bashfully, “Thank you, my love. You look most handsome... I greatly enjoy the outfit you are wearing...”

He laughed, “Oh? How much?”

Her green eyes clouded with desire, “So much that I am looking forward to having it off of you later this evening.”

Robin swallowed, not expecting her to be quite so forward before he grinned again, “I look forward to it.”

Giggling, she gave him a cheeky wink before he offered her his hand, which she immediately took.

“We make quite the karate couple, Star.”

“It appears we do.” She admitted, smiling sweetly.

“Right; let’s get out there.” Robin told her, earning a small agreeing nod from his girl.

He decided that cosplay and costumes  were more interesting than he first thought, after all.

[princettegil]

A long thing about happiness, gender, feeling like not fitting in, and Astolfo's positive impact on me (referring to Astolfo as 'he' here cause I originally wrote this for my therapist and figured she'd understand that better since she's not very up on gender stuff.)

I just wanna say how much happier I’ve been since pinning down my gender issues! Realizing more about myself and who I am has made me so much more content! But I do worry because I haven’t had the “typical” trans experience.

Growing up, I never disliked being a girl nor did I ever think about being anything else; I enjoyed the way I was. It wasn’t until the last few years that I started to think of my gender but it was only in a mild way like, “I wonder what I would look like if I was born male?” And then it became related to cosplaying male characters and trying to look more male when I was dressed as them. Eventually, around a year ago, I began to see myself as being two parts of a whole – a gay/feminine male side and a female side. This then lead to going back and forth between being female and agender (no gender) and then just deciding I was non-binary or genderqueer (identifying as both male and female combined) but now I realize that being considered a guy, especially a feminine guy, is what feels best.

I was likely already working towards this route but I was really inspired by a character named Astolfo from the Fate/Apocrypha novel and anime and the Fate/Grand Order phone game. This character is said to be biologically male but in earlier versions of his profile he had marked out his gender and wrote “le secret.” In the game, his gender is once again obscured ‘as per his request.’ Astolfo always dresses in female clothes, even swimsuits but doesn’t seem to really adhere to being called “male” or “female.” But, knowing his biological gender and how he presented, I finally felt like I found a place to fit. There was representation for me out there and I could be a guy who dressed like a cute girl! This was a thing! I could be this! It was okay to be this! I knew this before, in the news, but I had never really connected with it yet. I had seen similar characters like this and felt close to them because of this but they all tended to be against dressing as girls and just wound up in female clothes because of the story and not something they really wanted. And crossdressing never felt a right term, crossdressing made me feel like I was dressing as someone else that I’m not, that’s not what I want or how I consider it. Astolfo, however, never says he’s crossdressing or wants to be a woman, he’s simply fully confident in what he is and what he likes – he enjoys being himself and this is part of that. He is truly inspiring! THIS is what I wanted to be! This is how I feel! And I finally had someone to look up to in that; to strive for! That’s when I knew what I really wanted and what I really was. I’ve slowly moved a little more towards male since then but I know where I want to be now and though I didn’t realize it until recently, it makes me very happy to have found a place to belong.

But I still don’t feel like I’ve had that “trans experience.” I never hated my gender and my only dysphoric issue was with my body, more correctly, my weight – not my gender. Even then my weight didn’t bother me all that much. Sure, I couldn’t fit in some clothes I liked and that upset me but it’d move on after a while. Getting older and starting to order stuff online and finding punk and goth clothing rarely ever in my size, now THAT bothered me! But even more so was the fact that I couldn’t find Halloween costumes in my size! That was my main concern with my weight for years! Halloween costumes! Why couldn’t I fit in all the cool “teen/pre-teen” Halloween costumes! The adult ones weren’t as cute and why was there hardly any plus size ones? Why were the few that did exist so ugly!? *sigh* Sure, not finding cute clothes in the stores hurt but not finding cute punk/goth clothes online and Halloween costumes hurt most.

But the last several months, my breasts have become more of an issue to me than my weight and that is slightly related to gender (though having smaller breasts always sounded good.) I definitely want them gone now! I want a smooth, flat, boy-ish chest! No more breasts! But other than that happening recently, I’ve never had any other issue with my gender. I’ve thought for a few years that my body, face and voice didn’t match my personality but that wasn’t exactly gender related either but more of general body dysphoria unrelated to gender.

I’ve never felt, before the last couple years, that I was anything other than a girl. I didn’t grow up feeling uncomfortable in my assigned gender – I was fine with it actually. I had a lot of tomboy in me, having grown up in the hills with a super tomboy-ish mom, but was pretty girly too (choosing skirts during summer, dresses, cute hair accessories, “girly” colors, etc.) But I never felt that I wasn’t a girl growing up. I never desired to be a boy back then. I still don’t feel like I have been a guy all along growing up in a girl’s body. I was a girl. I was happy as a girl. But now I’m something else and that makes me happy too! But it does make me feel a bit apart from others in the trans community because, though I’m perhaps even happier identifying as a male now, I don’t hate, dislike, feel uncomfortable, or have any issues with me growing up as a girl. I was a happy little fluffy skirt wearing princess child! I enjoyed that! Still do! Except now I wanna be a little fluffy skirt wearing Prince--- err, Princette (a unisex/non-gendered version of Prince/Princess that I prefer)! And its things like this that sometimes make me question myself and where I really fit in. But I’m happy like this! I’m comfortable like this! And was comfortable in my childhood gender identity too! But it does hurt sometimes and makes me feel a bit disconnected…

But the reason I really wanted to write this is to express just how happy I’ve been since I’ve discovered more about my gender identity and started to identify as male/femmale/NB male. I knew I’d continue going by my nickname of Gil but now, having chosen a full new name – Gilraen Hime (+ my last name) and filling out the forms to legally change my name (and hoping I can get enough money to proceed with the change soon) I feel even better! The last few days have been so happy for me! My mental illness issues have lessened, my amount of happy days has gone up considerably and I’m feeling so good about myself! I hope to soon have my breasts removed and go through with weight loss surgery and I’m happily looking forward to both! But even as-is, I am so much happier that I can barely describe it! I don’t know how to express myself lately but I just want to go on screaming about my gender and name to anyone who will listen! (That also, makes me feel a bit odd in the community though, I see so many people go through stress and pain over this but it’s made me nothing but happy the entire way! Now, telling my family may be a different story but for now I am so happy!) I really just can’t calm down about this, I’m sorry if I keep posting like this and it gets annoying but I’m just so glad to have found another part of myself!

[stormyth-art]

tagged back by @suitcasesoffeathers​!!! (I’m also gonna answer my own questions in this post for @pilotpig​, thank you for being curious!! Haha

Also, sorry for all the long posts lately!!! (I just found out about the keep reading button so I’ll use that from now on!!!

1. If you could meet any fictional character in real life, who would it be and why? 

hmmm, maybe Hermione Granger? Since she could teach me all sorts of stuff about magic and tell me things that happened during the books that Harry was too oblivious of to notice. XD Hermione seems like she’d be more perceptive than him. 

2. If you could magically teleport anywhere (to a real location or fictional location), where would that be and why?

oooh, that’s fun, I’d go to Hogwarts for sure!! That would be so fun!!!

3. If you were in control of the world for a day, what would you do?

maybe just fire Trump and what’s his face vice president guy. lol, I think that’s the only thing I could do and not be scared of the repercussions. 

4. What’s the weirdest dream you’ve ever had?

I’ve had so many weird dreams lol. There is one in particular that was this whole story thing going on, but it would take too long to write the whole thing, so I’ll tell you my favourite part. So, there was this servant boy and he and the princess fell in love and blah blah blah, but eventually he took her to visit his parents in his village. He lived in this rock thing and inside everything was saran wrapped. Th counters, the couches, everything (apparently this was for easy cleanup). So eventually this bell sounded (like a warning bell in medieval times) and that meant everyone had to go and steal food from each other and it was only legal between the first and second bell. The servant guy went off to steal food and everyone was beating each other up and it was terrible and then suddenly servant dude comes rolling down this hill (the village was on a slope) on top of a giant armadillo. He just rolled the armadillo into a convenient sized hole next to his house and claimed the armadillo as his own. (I found it funny when I think about it, but typing it up sounds weird....but I guess that’s the point lol)

5. What do you do when you’re bored?

I usually just complain that I’m bored then rewatch videos I’ve already seen or watch old shows I used to like, or I’ll draw.But lately I’ve been sucked into those top 10 scary videos lol.

6. What’s the dumbest injury you’ve ever gotten? (could be from cuts/scrapes to broken limbs, etc.)

When I was maybe 7 or 8 I was playing a video game with my siblings. It was this super weird racing game on the N64 and I was really into it for some reason, and every time I made a turn I would lean my body in that direction. I was sitting on a wooden stool while playing so the stool would lean too and eventually it just toppled to one side and my head landed right into a stone fire place. It was not fun lol, I still have a scar right next to my temple.

7. Do you have anyone that you really admire/aspire to be like one day? If so, who?

hmmm, I think my parents. A combination of the two. lol, that’s kind of a boring answer but it’s true.

8. Is something that you really treasure that other people may think is dumb?

ohh, there’s this stick I have. lol, I found a stick in the woods when I was 8 and it was the perfect walking stick with a thumb hold and everything. I loved that stick and brought it with me to school sometimes. And when we moved houses I brought it with and I still have that stick in my room and I’ll probably never throw it away at this point. I don’t know why I like it so much. XD

9. What are some positive personality traits that you believe/other people say you have? (no need to be modest ;))

lol, mmm, my parents say I’m creative. My dad says I’m really, thoughtful and have interesting insight about different topics (which I disagree with lol). I’ve been told I’m empathetic and kind and all those things too haha.And every once in awhile I get that I’m funny. (which is cool since I’ve always loved making people laugh and making others happy is what I always strive to do)

10. What style do you usually sport clothes-wise?

mmm, that depends. I love dresses and skirts and girly clothes, but I also love the simple jeans and graphic t-shirt. and then there are days wear I just want to look all boyish and wear baggy pants and oversize shirts. My style is pretty non-existent haha.

11. If you could have a mountain of any food right now, what would it be?

lol! uhh chocolate probably, haha I’m always craving chocolate. I wouldn’t eat an entire mountain of it in one sitting of course though, but it would be nice to have a stash whenever I want some! XD

my own questions:

1. Are there any new hobbies or new skills you want to try/learn?

I’d like to learn violin again as well as get back into photography!

2. Do you believe in anything supernatural? (if you have stories please share, I find them fun to read)

I do lol, it seems no one I tagged does though, which is understandable. I believe in ghosts and aliens (though there is no doubt in my mind aliens exist, I don’t believe any have come to earth. The universe is just so huge there has to be another planet with life on it) I sadly don’t have any stories though.

3. What’s your favourite historical era and why?

I LOVE medieval times. The atmosphere is super cool and it was always my favourite unit in history class in grade school (in highschool when I took an ancient history course we didn’t have time for that unit and it made me mad lol) But I just love history in general so much! It’s so cool to learn about and talk about!! (This is why I’m going to write a time traveling story, since I get to do research about different era’s for it!)

4. What is one of the strangest conversations you’ve ever had?

hmm, this was like, weird for a couple reasons. This was waay back when I was in 9th grade and my friend was in 8th, so I’d go to her school after my school was done and wait for her sometimes. So at one point I was waiting in front of her class and this boy (who I’ve spoken to many times before and he was always fine then) Started asking me “do you like fairy of tails?” over and over and I was so confused what he meant so I asked him “sorry, fairy, of tails????” and he just....rolled away lol. The entire conversations he was rolling around on the walls, flip flopping from one to the other in the hall and then just rolled into his class room.

I later realized he meant the anime fairy tail, which he already knew I liked and cosplayed from so....idk what was going on with him that day. XD

5. Any inside jokes (not with me, just in general)?

‘Imagine this!’ *pretends to open cupboard*  (this one is with rieko lol, it would make no sense to anyone but us) 

6. What quote do you say the most?

the wombo quote from spongebob as well as various other spongebob quotes.

 ‘HE WAS THEIR FRIEND! AND HE BETRAYED THEM!...HE WAS THEIR FRIEND!!!’ from harry potter, I say that all the time lol

7. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

teleportation since that would be so convenient and I could go all over the world for significantly cheaper.

8. Favourite British drama, Korean drama and/or American drama?

British drama: ‘Merlin’

Korean Drama: ‘Good Doctor’ or ‘Hello My Twenties’

American drama: if ‘Stranger Things’ counts then that, if not ‘Once Upon a Time’, the older seasons.

9. Have you ever been in a situation that felt like you were in a movie?

All the time lol. I feel really surreal a lot. There was one time where me and my friend were walking at this park that had a farm on one side and forest with swings and slides and all that on the other (it wasn’t a super dense forest or anything, it was pretty open). We were walking at night and as the forest area came in view we saw a ton of lanterns lighting it up, some were on the ground and some were in the trees. It was weird because the day before there was nothing there. I promptly decided to do what anyone would do and force my friend to go into the forest of lanterns with me. My memories are all mixed up because for some reason I remember it being pitch black in the forest even though there were lanterns.....but anyways, eventually I saw a flashlight, I couldn’t see who was holding it but I could tell someone was coming towards us. I looked at my friend who desperately wanted to leave and I for some reason was feeling brave and wanted to talk to the person (I have no idea what compelled me to, I normally am not like that) When I turned back there was a second flashlight and then my bravery just drained and me and my friend just ran out of there. Next to the forest on the exit we took was a school so we stood in front of the school and then we heard a little girls voice say ‘what are you doing?’ and my friend screamed at the top of her lungs and scared the poor kid who went back inside the school and I laughed so hard and then we went home. lol, it felt like a horror movie but at the same time it was so fun! oh, and then the next day we went back and almost all the lanterns were gone.

10. Any funny things you did as a kid?

I also had elaborate plots for my toys. And I thought grilled cheese was girl cheese and only girls could eat it. I also truly believes ‘stupid’ was the s word. lol. Oh, and I had an obsession with toads when I was little and there were a ton in my neighborhood at the time so I would catch toads a lot.

11. Something you’re looking forward to?

when rieko is less busy and we can hang out and film and all that again lol. (even though was just went skating last week XD)  Also, I’m looking forward to the distant future when I have money and can pay to go to upcoming cons!!

[condomglitter]

"unf" //sets this down

Send me “unf” for your muse to pin mine against the wall.

     Of all the reactions she’d expected to her outfit, this had not been one of them. It had been too good an opportunity to pass up, though. So many of the events they attended called for such professional attire – suits and skirts and dresses that didn’t show near enough shoulder or leg. She did what she could with dress codes like that, but it still wasn’t her usual style. Or… well. She supposed that now it was her usual style, seeing as she was usually under the constrains of those expectations. At this event, though…

     Well. It wasn’t technically KaibaCorp business, now, was it? 

     Seto should have known what to expect, when he had known she’d gone off with neither his supervision nor any real ‘supervision’ at all. The bodyguards lingered, of course, ever present in their duties, but they had about as much control over Natalie as the general public did, when it came to her outfits. He was the one with any real sway – slim though that sway was – and he hadn’t been anywhere near when she’d left the house.

     No - he’d been called away to an emergency in the office, and she hadn’t been planning to go to the convention without him; but when Mokuba had asked if she would help Yugi, she hadn’t been able to refuse. She had seen him perhaps a handful of times, but he had always been polite, kind, and courteous. He was a good friend to Seto, too, whether he decided to acknowledge it or not – and she was not the sort to turn down a friend in need. If he needed ‘pretty girls’ (so said Mokuba, the budding marketing genius) to help at his booth, then she would step up and step in. 

     Yet still, when he appeared later in the day, causing quite a screaming scene of fans as he approached the Kame Games booth, he seemed startled and flustered by her choice of attire. She had greeted him with a sunny smile and welcomed him to the booth, opening a wide gesturing arm toward the wide array of rare cards and different games they had on display;; his eyes had not been on any of it, though.      Only her. 

     She had chosen it with him in mind, being completely fair to the poor boy. The torn jeans that stretched tight around her thighs were just as snug around her hips, accentuating every curve of her figure – and especially what she considered to be her greatest ass-et, pun intended. Her crop top of choice was an ice blue affair crafted of lace, a soft compliment to the stark white of her bottoms. Similarly hued heels encased her feet, lifting her four inches taller and delivering the gift that all heels gave to what was already an impressive rear view.      Most notably chosen for him, though, was the sheer shawl that ‘covered’ her form – draped upon her freckled shoulders, the design was less obvious when her arms were at her sides. Yet, as she lifted them up and moved around the booth, it was quite clear that she wore a dragon – his dragon – around her arms. The details were subtle enough to refrain from being a costume cape, but obvious to those who knew what to recognize. It was as close to cosplay as she would ever get; subtle, and yet still eye catching. 

     Quite like the last detail, shining around her throat. The little silver choker had been an indulgence, when she was out in such a public area, but… well. She was nothing if not Extra, and having his initials snug against her throat brought her comfort when she was so far out of her depth. 

     She wasn’t sure which part he stared at more. Her dragon shawl, which should have amused him, or the necklace at her throat, that made his eyes shine with hunger that he could not act upon. Or, perhaps, it was the entire package, a confection designed for the pleasure of his gaze. 

     While Yugi’s presence alone (and the cute women he had enlisted to assist him) had brought plenty of business to their booth, the crushing crowd that came from Seto Kaiba and the newer ‘King of Games’ both being in the same area put it all to shame. Security had their work cut out for them in the ensuing chaos, and it was a testament to their skill that they were able to get it under control. Still, Seto was whisked away; and as he disappeared, Natalie realized that she too was being ushered along by their private security. She managed but a quick apology to Yugi before she disappeared into the crowds, ferried off into the back areas of the events center. 

     She found Seto in what appeared to be a quiet office, turned for the moment into a private dressing room. For who, though, she wasn’t sure; and quite frankly, she didn’t care. Perhaps it was his, though he hadn’t been scheduled for an appearance, per say - honestly, though, why he had been placed there didn’t matter so much as the fact that he was there.     He was pacing around inside like a caged tiger, back and forth across the room in quick, sharp strides. His arms were clasped tight behind his back, and she noticed that he was holding his hands so tight his knuckles seemed white. When she stepped through the door, his eyes snapped toward her – and somehow, between her coy greeting and the door’s closing, she had ended up against the wall. 

    “Oh –”      She grinned as she was thrust against it, gasping in surprise as much as in excitement. He was too fast for her to stop, even if she’d wanted to, and his strength greatly outstripped her own. Bodily, he lifted her off of the floor, pinning her there with his legs and waist. She had a hundred quips prepared, but had no time to speak. She’d barely enough time to hook her suspended legs over his hips before his mouth was on hers, a husky growl vibrating in the back of his throat as he took her breath away. 

     She felt his fingers linger at her throat, tracing across the sharp letters that rested against her skin. His thumb swept across the logo, and his grip tightened upon her airway, constricting it for but a second before he let go. With a shuddering gasp, he pulled his mouth away from hers, raking his fingers through her hair and keeping her held prisoner against the office wall. 

     “What are you wearing?” He seemed incredulous. She was quite certain that the question he had meant to ask was why she was wearing it, but decided to answer his question as literally as possible, grinning like the minx she was.      “A crop top, Seto. And a shawl. Do you like it..? I thought you might – “     He cut her off with a threatening squeeze of his fingers that set her squirming against him, yearning for yet another kiss. Instead, she was treated to a frustrated groan, which was… almost, just as good.      His voice was touched by a growl hidden deep within his throat as he let out a breath that was barely restrained, his hands drifting away from her throat to explore the curves of her form. His fingers trailed down from the necklace and across her chest, cupping the gentle swell of her breasts and dancing down to hold her ample hips against his. He had to have known that she was readying to speak again – to taunt and to tease him – because as her lips parted his found them, muffling whatever quip she had with a kiss. Hungrily, his hands raked along her sides, squeezing and lifting her ass as his hips rocked against hers, pressing him hard - oh, definitely hard - against her. 

     She tangled her hands in his hair as his lips ventured downward, teeth scraping against the sides of her choker as his mouth slipped past it, his hands gripping her thighs like a vice. She tensed beneath his palms, relishing the dull sting that came as he curled his fingertips into her flesh, almost certainly leaving bruises in the shape of him upon her skin. 

     “Explain yourself.” He growled against her throat as his exploration of her body halted, most certainly teasing her as she had tempted him. He was torn now between fulfilling his own desires and punishing her for such errant behaviour, but either way, she won. She didn’t have to answer for him to know that this was exactly what she had wanted - it was clear enough in her self satisfied grin as she rocked her hips as best she could against his own. His grip on her only tightened, though, and soon she was immobilized – trapped against the wall, more than willingly defenseless to his whims. So, as one hand raised to hold her chin steady (and notably, away from his own lips) she whimpered her excuse.

     “It’s a convention. Mokuba said I should cosplay – and I volunteered to work at the booth -”     “You’re my employee, Princess.” His tone was harsh, and the possessiveness behind it made her shiver. Strange – she didn’t usually like that in a partner, and yet… Hearing it in his voice made her heart pound, nonetheless.      “I don’t believe we share a contract with that ‘game’ shop.”     “Are you saying I’m not allowed to help Yugi?”      “I have more important work for you here.” 

     He seemed sick of their banter, and tired of holding himself back. He paused only to ensure that the door was locked before his hands made short work of her jeans, dragging them down her thighs as he turned her to face the nearby desk. She had only a moment’s respite before his hands were lifting her again, spreading her before him as he folded her across it’s surface. She felt his fingers first, dipping inquiringly inside of her – confirming that she was drenched, and more than ready for him. Though he would willingly bruise her thighs, with hand and belt alike, it was gestures like that – the quiet care with which he treated her, no matter their games – that made her heart trill. 

     She didn’t have long to linger on his romantic gestures, though. As his fingers left her, his cock swiftly replaced them, fitting inside of her in one swift stroke. She gasped, loudly, but he was quick to reach forward and grip her mouth, muffling her cry with his palm.     “Shh… not a sound, princess.” His command was torturous, and as he pulled his hand away, she could not help but whimper.    “B-but –”     Her attempt at a protest earned her a savage SLAP that shook the cheeks of her ass, leaving a stinging print of his hand behind. Around him, she tightened, using her own hands now to muffle her cries of pleasure. His fingers dug into the hand print he had left upon her skin, gripping the ample flesh around her hips and using it to pull her against him - harder, and faster, until suddenly –    He stopped.

    Her whimper now could not be muffled by her hand or his, called forth by the sudden halt to her building climax. His hand reached forth and threaded through her hair, gripping her curls like a leash and lifting her toward him. Planting her hands against the desk, she bent herself as he desired, arching her back and curling her toes.      “Maybe I shouldn’t be rewarding you, though.” His musing murmur made her shiver and whine, quieter than before – but still enough for him to tweak her nipple with a savage pinch as his free hand dipped beneath her lace top. 

     “You think it’s so fun to tease me…” His grip on her breast tightened, and still, she waited on the crux of climax. She didn’t dare try to move, though. He was in control, and she had broken enough rules already for one day.      “Perhaps…” He continued, relinquishing his hold on her and rolling his thumb across her aching chest. “I think it’s time for you to beg.”    “P-please…” She didn’t hesitate, only too willing now to do as she was told. “S..seto, please, I’m so close – “      “Close to what?” He was like a cat with a mouse, toying with her now. The purr in his voice made it sound like he enjoyed it - and she hoped, honestly, that he did. “Are you asking to cum, Natalie?”      She whimpered and nodded, but that response didn’t seem to please him. His fingers tightened their grip once more upon her breast and she yelped, though did not let the word that would end the game come to her lips. She loved every second of what he was doing, and he KNEW it. 

     “Yes. Seto, please – “     “Please what?”     “PLEASE, let me cum.”      “I don’t know, princess… maybe you should go back out there. You volunteered, remember?”

     She could feel his lips brushing along her neck, sending shivers rocketing down her spine as his breath cascaded across her shoulders. His teeth scraped once more along the choker before he nudged it aside, nipping at her throat and quite clearly making his mark upon her skin. Her eyes widened as she realized his intent, cheeks flushing quickly pink as she attempted to separate him from her throat, but he was much stronger than she was and her attempts seemed futile.     “Someone will see it –” She gasped, earning a sharp nip for her efforts.     “Good.” Was his husky response, his breath warm against her skin. Ginger brows raised in surprise and he pulled back from her throat, pressing a kiss against the blooming purple circle he had left behind. Then, another, against the nape of her neck, and just behind her ear. A trail that rose goosebumps along her skin, though nothing like the shiver of electricity that ran through her as he growled in her ear. 

     “You’re already wearing my mark… what’s one more?”   What was one more, indeed? He pressed another kiss against the mark that he had left, the brazen publicity of it all making her dizzy. She knew why they kept their secret – with the intent being to protect her, how could she not? Yet, still, she couldn’t help but wonder, at times, what it would be like. To be claimed publicly as his, to hold his hand in a crowd, and be more than his associate at events – This mark, hidden though it could be beneath the necklace that she wore, was as near to that as she supposed she would get any time soon. And lord, did the idea not make her swoon. Perhaps that was why she enjoyed that jealous tone.  (  She… wanted him to admit, to more than their family, that he… cared for her.      Wanted her.      Loved her. )

      His hands explored downward, holding her thighs as he eased away – slowly and steadily, pulling her off of his erection. She wriggled as he did, resisting how he separated them with a needy whine, but it did naught to halt his actions. In fact, her whimper seemed to quicken how he left her, pulling free with a quiet pop of finality. He had said to keep quiet – not a sound, if she remembered correctly.     (An unfair command, she thought. He knew she had a hard time with it.)

     As she turned to face him, she watched as he tucked his cock away, tying his belt once more around his waist and smoothing his costume with patient deliberation. A moment passed before he looked up at her again, her outfit in disarray thanks to his own hands. His eyes swept across her, and upon his lips, she spotted a small smile. 

     “Get dressed. We can’t have you giving KaibaCorp a bad name. You volunteered… and you shouldn’t break promises, princess.”     “Are –  you’re kidding, right?”     “You, of all people, should know I don’t kid about my company’s reputation.” He adjusted his cuffs, and shot her a dangerous look. “Do I need to tell you twice, Princess..?”      She met his glower with one of her own, tugging fabric back where it belonged – struggling to tease the jeans back over her hips, as he stood there and watched. When she finished, he reached out, righting the choker around her throat and running his thumb across the silver initials that rested but inches away from the mark he had made.

     “If you want me to finish what I started… I’m going to need you to do a better job, out there.”     “I’m an assistant – Not a sales woman.”      “You’re whatever I tell you.” He snapped back, holding her chin firm between his fingers. “And you still need to be punished for this… display. But maybe you can earn yourself some mercy by showing how obedient you are.”      In the space he left for her to do exactly that, Natalie was silent – but after a moment, dipped her head in a quiet nod, turning her gaze away from his.    “Yes, sir.”     “Good.” It was more acceptance than praise, but his fingers betrayed it as an act. They slipped along her cheek and brushed her hair behind her ear, and as she peeked up at him through her bangs, she caught sight of the love in his gaze. Stopping wasn’t easy for him, either – but it was all part of the game. It was fun, for them – and she knew that later, when the convention was over, it would make everything all the sweeter.

     “Go on, then.” His hand dropped away from her cheek, and as she turned, connected once more with the cheek of her ass. She hopped and smothered her laughter with one clenched fist, tousling her hair and straightening her outfit. She expected that to be the end of it, but as she reached the door, she heard him speak again. 

    “And, Princess..?”    “Yes, sir?” She glanced over her shoulder at him, watching as he raked his eyes along her again – still hungry, still appreciative… and still, warm and soft. Maybe it was a moment of pause in their game, or maybe it wasn’t; either way, it made the fact that she was leaving the room both better, and worse. Her hand lingered on the door, and as she moved to step through it – he smiled.      “I like your outfit.”

    The door clicked shut on her grin, and she shook her head as she strode purposefully down the hall, joining the two guards who waited at the end. Gray, her constant companion, stepped away from the wall as she approached them, and stuck near her side as they crossed the convention center to once again rejoin the work being done at the Kame Games booth. Distracted, now, it wasn’t easy to fall back into the rhythm of things – and certainly, hellish to try and do better – but then, she supposed that now, she had motivation. And, upon her throat, a second mark that claimed her as his.

    ( Oh… it was going to be a long day. )

[myaekingheart]

So I was watching youtube videos of former Disney cast members' embarrassing or horrifying work stories and it got me thinking about my own embarrassing or horrifying experiences not as a Disney cast member but as a Disney cosplayer because let me tell you, the weird interactions are not confined solely to the official friends of Disney characters. I've got a couple doozies myself that I now feel like sharing so I'm gonna put them all under the cut in case you wanna read them or in case you don't and don't want a potentially long post clogging up your dash.

Mmkay so the first horrible experience I had cosplaying was not exactly with a character interaction but just with the environment and my own experiences. I was at Tampa Bay Comic Con 2014 as Violet from The Incredibles and I was having a great time, it was a cool con even though I had to travel kind of far for it. I got a picture with this really cool Bucky/Winter Soldier cosplayer and he had an adorable little daughter dressed as Batgirl who hopped into one of the other pictures who seemed really delighted to see Violet and everything. Things seemed to be going pretty well until my morale plummetted significantly. I hadn't really eaten much that day and my heels were killing me and I just overall felt really sick and sweaty. Needless to say, things kept getting worse up until the point where I nearly threw up in a trash can and had to basically stumble to the bathroom to nearly vomit and change out of my costume. I never did actually throw up but I certainly felt like I was going to and it was awful. My best friend, who was with me, and I ended up sitting outside together waiting for my parents to come pick us up (which took, like, an hour) and I went through nearly an entire pack of Tic Tacs trying to calm my stomach down. Probably the worst convention experience I've ever faced, truthfully.

These other two stories are interaction-based and the second is far worse than the first. This first one was fairly recent, this past September, where I attended a con (again, with my best friend) as my all-time fave, Rapunzel from Tangled. The catalyst in this story is, ironically, the hair. The wig I was wearing I was at the time was my pride and joy, my 13ft long loose Rapunzel wig. This wig was a main goal of mine in my cosplay endeavors for ages so I was super pumped to have finally created it and worn it to a convention (even if it did get INCREDIBLY messy). So anyways, my best friend and I were walking around the convention, taking some pictures outside, you know, just having fun, and as we're outside in the courtyard of the hotel the convention was being held in, this family with three adorable small children comes over and asks if their kids can get a picture with Rapunzel. Of course I said yes and I jumped right into character to interact with them for a bit and get the pictures and stuff. The one little girl, who was most excited to see me, ran over and hugged me and she was just so super happy and it made me happy to see her so happy. However, this is also where the story turns. I had my hair in a small pile right beside myself and as the interaction was ending, I asked the two little girls if I could get a big princess hug before they left because that's what I do when I'm a princess. I turn on the charm and go full Magic Kingdom. Well, the little girl who was most excited leans over to give me a hug but then as she goes to walk away back to her family, she trips on the hair and faceplants into the ground. If it hadn't been for her hands, she would've got a mouth full of concrete and a bloody nose. I panicked and reached out to help her up but she got back onto her feet on her own...only to trip on the hair AGAIN. I paste a smile on my face and lean over to try and help her up again but inside I'm secretly DYING like oh my god how can I possibly live with myself knowing this little girl has now nearly hurt herself just from hugging her favorite princess??? How is she going to feel watching Tangled or meeting Rapunzel in the parks now after this??? Aaaahhhhhhh x_x She ended up being okay and the family wasn't angry or anything, thank god, but I still felt terrible. My best friend got the entire thing on video, too, so I can relive it whenever I want haha The interaction itself wasn't horrible, though, and I like seeing video clips of me interacting in character with small children so I can figure out what I like and what I don't like from a subjective point of view, the tripping part is just what gets me every time because I just felt SO BAD.

This last one is probably the worst just because it is, what I consider, the creepiest and most out of line out of every cosplay experience I've had. So, because I cosplay a lot of Disney characters, I consider it the closest I can get to being an actual Disney cast member and official friend of the characters and therefore I like to uphold Disney's policy of character integrity. I will never tell a child at a convention that I am not the real Rapunzel or the real Ariel or the real Belle or Alice or what-have-you unless they know I'm not really them and I know they know because if a small child sees her favorite princess at a convention and runs up to her for a hug and a picture, you've gotta make that moment the most magical it can possibly be because for all you know, this kid might not get to go to Disney a lot to meet the real Rapunzel or Ariel or Belle or Alice. I tend to be way more lax with this with the adults because, let's face it, if an adult is at a convention nonetheless cosplaying, they know the deal and it's not a problem. However, that doesn't mean I'm standing around giving out personal information like my real name or something to these people. I'll hand out my cosplay pseudonym, of course, so people can find me on facebook if they like my stuff or whatever but I will never be so stupid as to give strangers my real name when I'm in costume. It's just a personal policy of mine that I refuse to abolish. That's where the story comes in. I was at another convention as Violet and things were going really well, my dad was with me this time which is always fun because we both like to nerd out together but at the same time, he is my personal designated body guard and that is always a necessity when I'm Violet. More than anyone else (except maybe Ariel-- I've never actually attended a con as her before so we'll see what happens when that ship sails), Violet is always the one character who gets a lot of questionable stares or murmured comments as if you don't think I know about that dark portion of the internet that houses all The Incredibles porn. Believe me, I've seen your comics of Violet sucking her dad's dick. No, I don't enjoy the incest. Enjoy what you want in your own spare time but don't think I'm going to indulge in your fantasies like that. Because Violet is such an underdog sex figure in some communities, though, cosplaying her can get a little nerve-wracking because you never know whose going to be checking out your ass in that spandex or trying to score with you. My guard is always up tenfold when I'm Violet like invisible forcefields everywhere, people. But anyways, I was at a convention as Violet one time and I mean, things were going well so far, I was getting pictures with a lot of really cool cosplayers and we were complimenting each other's costumes and everything and it was overall jsut this really positive environment at first. Then this one guy came over to get a picture with me and I was a little wary at first because he seemed a little...off. I wasn't sure if he was just a little mentally disabled or if something else was going on but this made my dad very on edge. But anyways, so we get the picture, it's all fine and well, but then this kid starts trying to drum up a conversation with me and insistently asking for my name-- my real name. As stated above, I have a very strict character integrity policy when it comes to cosplaying so this was kind of a test of my moral strength. Even though this guy was an adult or at least a teenager, I still didn't feel comfortable answering this question so I tried to throw him off with in-character excuses like "I can't really say. My identity is my most valuable possession, after all" and stuff like that but THIS KID WOULD NOT GIVE UP. He was like hardcore desperate for a name so I finally just sighed and was like "Okay, fine, it's Violet" and then kind of just hustled away with my dad who then went on to talk to me after the con about how he didn't like that interaction and something about being on guard and safety and stuff like that, which are all things I already know but I was still grateful he was lecturing me about them and even more, that he was there and prepared to jump the guy if he tried something. I still kind of shudder when I think about it, though. I mean, obviously the situation could've been way worse but at the same time, it was a stressful experience that I really didn't enjoy having to go through. Listen, if you're at a convention and you see a cool cosplayer, respect some boundaries. Get a picture with them if you like but don't ask them for their real name because chances are they might not be comfortable giving that out. Instead, compliment their work and ask them if they have a cosplay page you can follow or something instead. That way, if they have a cosplay pseudonym they'd prefer to be known by in the cosplay community, they can give you that instead rather than you hounding them for their real name and trying to score. That's not okay and we don't like it regardless of how much spandex we do or do not have on our body. So to anyone reading this, let this be a lesson to you.

[kuwaiti-kid]

Unmasking the Armorer: Emily Swallow Talks About The Mandalorian, Fans, and Set Life

Emily Swallow has appeared on both stage and screen, lending her talents to roles on The Mentalist, SEAL Team, Castlevania, and most notably as “Amara” on Supernatural and as “The Armorer” on The Mandalorian. 

Maggie Lovitt (ML): When I told a couple of friends that I was going to interview you, they got super excited because you’re from the DMV like we are. Are you proud to be from this area?

Emily Swallow (ES): I am! When [my husband and I] were driving down to Florida we drove by the sign for Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which is where I was born, and I pointed it out to my husband. I love Virginia. I loved going back there for school. I mostly grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. We moved down here when I was seven. I went back up there for the University of Virginia. 

ML: How did you get into acting? You initially went to college for something entirely different, right? 

ES: UVA was where I made the decision to pursue acting as a career. I did theater in middle school and high school, and I also did community theater. When I was at UVA I was a Middle Eastern Studies major and I thought I was going to go into the foreign service. I was also very heavily involved in the drama department and I’m so grateful that the drama department there is so open to non-majors, because it meant I could do both things. Then I had a really wonderful acting teacher who encouraged me to think about pursuing acting. He helped me work on auditions for grad schools and I auditioned for several. I got into NYU and I knew it was a good one, so I figured I should take advantage of that opportunity. I’m so glad that I did. 

ML: How did you get your SAG card?

ES: You know, I was asked this question in another interview recently and I’m not entirely certain what my first SAG job was. I was trying to look back on my member page to see when I became a member, but it didn’t tell me. I think it was a movie that I did called The Lucky Ones a few years after I was out of NYU. I mostly did theater and then I did a little bit of TV. I feel like the television work that I did at first was back when SAG and AFTRA were two different unions. I think some of the work I did was AFTRA work. 

ML: Did you grow up as a fan of Star Wars? 

ES: I was a fan, but I don’t think I had any idea of the depth and the breadth of that universe. I definitely remember the movies being part of my childhood. I remember Ewoks dolls and I absolutely played Princess Leia in reenactments with my friends. I had seen the other movies since then, but the whole world of the Mandalorians was pretty new to me because I hadn’t seen The Clone Wars or any of the animated series. Now [that] I have gotten to watch them, I think they’re just so fun. Star Wars was something that was such a big part of my childhood, but now being reintroduced to it and getting to learn so much more about it has been cool. 

Photo credit Diana Ragland

ML: Supernatural and Star Wars which both have massive fan bases. What has that experience been like?

ES: It’s such a gift. One of the things I miss when I’m doing film work is the connection to the audience. It’s part of theater that’s just so immediate. It’s so wonderful to get to feel that connection that so often you miss out on with TV. Doing these conventions and getting to meet these fans and find out what kind of impact the shows have had on them, what moment stood out, and what they like or don’t like about your character has been really cool. 

I feel that the Supernatural fan base is just beyond anything I had ever experienced before and now, getting to meet the Star Wars fan base, it is another level beyond that. Star Wars has forty years of fans and you get entire families that watch it together. I love that. I will say that there is this incredible feeling of joy that I’ve experienced from all of the Star Wars fans. They’re just giddy with happiness to get to cosplay characters and get to meet the different actors. Both communities really watch out for each other. I love the community that they have built. 

ML: A fan created a custom-made Armorer helmet for you, didn’t they?

ES: Yes! I didn’t get to keep mine because they’re holding onto that for future use. A fan who does his own stuff for cosplay and makes things for other people showed up at this convention and handed me the helmet. I was like “Wow, this is incredible!” and then he told me it was for me. I just lost it. I couldn’t believe it. I was just so excited. I brought it down to Florida with me to show my nephews. This is the only thing I’ve ever done that they’re actually interested in. 

ML: It seems like a great time to have an Armorer mask.

ES: The Armorer was just setting the trend before it was even necessary. 

ML: Both Pedro Pascal and Gina Carano have mentioned that they were sort of handpicked for their roles. What was the process for you? Did you have to audition? 

ES: I did audition. This was one of the characters that they didn’t have a specific actor in mind for. Actually, when they were first looking for people they were auditioning British women in their fifties and sixties. I am not either of those things. 

It was incredibly lowkey. I knew that it was something to do with Star Wars, but I knew so little about it. I didn’t know if it was a big deal or not. The audition itself was just me in the room with the casting associate and a video camera. I just had the scenes that they had given me and very little information because it was so secretive. 

ML: Did they tell you that she was masked? 

ES: They did. Which influenced my audition a little bit. But since I wasn’t actually wearing a mask in the audition, it didn’t really change the way I did it too much. I think I paid more attention to how I moved my body and communicated more that way. 

ML: Is that where the British accent came from?

ES: It was the casting associate that suggested that I do it with a little bit of British accent, because they had been seeing Brits for it. We just did it a few times and that was that. Then I got the call from my agent. I was still so unsure about what the show was. I didn’t know how many episodes I was going to be in. It was very shrouded in mystery. 

ML: Were you provided with any information about the Armorer’s backstory? 

ES: I wasn’t given anything specific about where she came from or what her origins were. It was mostly about how she functioned within this clan of Mandalorians. The function that she served as their spiritual leader, the one who keeps the history, and obviously the one who makes their armor. 

Jon Favreau mostly talked about images and the feeling of a lot of old [Akira] Kurosawa films. How the Mandalorians were like a samurai order of warriors. [He discussed] the formality and the regal feeling that some of those characters have. It felt like the Armorer needed to move very simply. He described her as a very zen-like person. She’s someone who has a lot of authority but doesn’t need to put it on display, which I really liked about her. 

ML: Did you come up with a backstory to work with? 

ES: This is not confirmed by anyone else in the production, but in my mind I felt that she knew Din Djarin when he was younger. So she knew a little bit about his origin and the path that he had been on. How he’s become this lone ranger. How he’s really lost touch with where he comes from. I feel like when he comes back to see her in that first episode, it’s like he’s coming back to his roots and starting to step into who he really is. 

ML: Do you think we might eventually get the Armorer’s backstory?

ES: It’s entirely possible. But there’s so many parts of the story to tell. 

ML: With so many of the roles on The Mandalorian requiring actors to wear full armor, what was that like? Did you all bump into each other a lot? 

ES: Oh my gosh, yes! It was ridiculous for those of us that were in the Mandalorian helmets. You don’t have a lot of peripheral vision. We realized very quickly that any extraneous movement was distracting because when you can’t look at someone’s face to see what they’re expressing, you find yourself looking that much more closely at their mannerisms. So anything extraneous took away from the story we were trying to tell. Just walking across a room, you can’t look down to see where you’re walking. That had to be stepping forward on faith that you weren’t going to fall on your face. But then in between takes, when we were trying to get situated and get into place, we were bonking heads and tripping over things. I would drop all of my tools for my welding and my forging. 

I keep saying that I hope they’re going to release a blooper reel because I think it would be pretty entertaining. 

ML: Watching the Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian program, it really showcased what a fun and creative set environment the series has. 

ES: I think that Jon [Favreau] and Dave [Filoni] really set the tone. Everything was very well communicated; the feel of the story and the overall arc of the story. Jon really encouraged the directors to lean into their own styles. There was such a feeling of trust. I feel that it relaxed and inspired everyone to work really hard to do their best. 

Everyone working on the show has so much love for the Star Wars world. All of us felt like this was our childhood dream come true. I was amazed every day at the level of artistry in my forging tools, all the little details in the sets and costumes. In my experience, it was a really joyful place to be. My work was limited to my forging studio and I’m sure it was a lot more physically exhausting to do some of the stuff in the desert settings. But everyone just gave it their all. Everyone was willing to pour their hearts into it and that just absolutely came across. 

ML: You have done voice acting on Castlevania, did that help you prepare for the Armorer when all of the dialogue is done with a mask on? 

ES: I think so. I think that it did come in handy. The voice is one of the first ways that I am able to connect with a character. My background before acting was in music, which might have had something to do with it too. My preparation for a voice acting character isn’t dissimilar from my preparation for other roles. I’m still trying to connect to the characters. Having that physicality, even if you’re only going to hear my voice still informs my voice. But it’s really fun to be in a voice-over booth, you have so much freedom to move how you want. You can do anything you want to do to connect to the character.

ML: Did you have to do any of the combat for the scene where the Armorer takes on the Stormtroopers? 

ES: I did a very little bit of it. I wanted to do it so badly, but the level of skill that the woman who did do combat was not a level that I could achieve in the time we had to film it. But I did train in a martial art style called Kali, which is what a lot of the fight was based in. I did some of the ends and outs and some of the transitions. The coolest parts of it were someone who is much more skilled than I am. I have to give credit where credit is due. That also was a moment that, even though I knew what happened in the scene, when I watched [the episode] it was just so incredible to see. 

ML: What were your favorite scenes to shoot? 

ES: I loved shooting the scenes prior to that one, where I get to reveal that The Child is in the line of the Jedi warriors. There was something so cool about getting to say “Jedi” and introducing that to the story, since it hadn’t been mentioned before that. It gave me the shivers. I like that scene for all of the action in it. Din finds out that he’s in charge of this child-being. I love getting to give him the jetpack. So many cool things happen in that scene. 

ML: That puppet. What was it like seeing the Child in action? 

ES: I didn’t realize just what an impact the Child was going to have. I didn’t get to read all of the scripts. I had the scripts for the episodes I was in and I also got to read six or seven. I didn’t have the entire story. I didn’t realize what a huge role he had. I was getting to experience a lot of the story at the same time as everyone else was watching it for the first time. I knew so little when we were shooting the series. It was really fun to get to be an audience member. 

ML: If you could choose your own sigil, like the Mudhorn sigil the Armorer crafted for the Mandalorian, what would you choose?

ES: Oh man! I think it would probably be my dog Norma. She would look pretty good. She’s half French Bulldog, half Boston Terrier. She’s got these incredible ears. I think her silhouette would look pretty good as a Beskar seal. 

Photo credit Disney/Lucasfilm

  ML: How heavy was the armor? 

ES: The armor wasn’t so bad. It was leather and a kind of canvas material. The leather was pretty supple, so it moved fairly easily. I wouldn’t say that I would love to wear it every day of my life, but it was very easy to move around in. The one thing that was challenging was the gloves that they made me. They looked great, but they were too big for me. It was very challenging to handle my welding tools. What turned into these beautiful forging sequences, were anything but that when we were filming them. I had trouble picking things up and I kept dropping things. I couldn’t tell if I was holding things right. That’s one of the times where you’re glad that you’re doing it on screen. They can just edit it to look great. You can’t do that in theater in front of the audience. 

ML: As a second teamer myself, I would love to know if the stand-ins ever had to wear pieces of the armor during camera rehearsal or just stunt doubles.

ES: We didn’t really have a lot of rehearsals outside of shooting. Most of the time we were dressed and ready to go. Especially for Pedro [Pascal] there were a number of stunt doubles and body doubles that were dressed up in the full Mandalorian armor. Most of us were just hanging out in our armor all the time, which was a great bonding experience. 

ML: Now, I thought I’d ask some fun questions. What is the earliest call time you’ve ever had?

ES: I don’t think I’ve ever been called before 4 AM. I was on the CBS show SEAL Team for a lot of this last season and most of my scenes were first up. Most of my mornings there started at 5:18. 

ML: What was your longest day on set? 

ES: I’ve had some sixteen and seventeen-hour days. I had some really long days on the set of Supernatural. Not the season eleven finale, but the episode before that. I was involved with fighting these angels and demons. My character got really beat up so I had a lot of prosthetics and make-up put on for blood, scarring, and burns. I had to get there early to get all of that put on, then there were long days of shooting, and it took awhile to get out of it [after wrap]. 

ML: I love Vancouver. It's one of my favorite cities.

ES: It’s a great city. I had never been there before I started working there. It’s my favorite place to go to work. I just love that it’s so easy to get out into the mountains or to the beach. It’s just beautiful up there. 

ML: I always joke that I got into acting because I love set catering. Which set had the best catering?

ES: Oh no! I think Supernatural. That might be because it’s the most recent in my memory, but the guys who cater for them have been there for years. First of all, they’re so kind. They’ll make you whatever you want. I’m somebody who likes to have a big creative salad and they always had great salad fixings. 

ML: What is your greatest weakness at crafty?

ES: Doritos! It’s so simple. 

ML: I bet the wardrobe loves that. 

ES: You can’t really hide when you’ve been eating Doritos. 

ML: There’s a great debate on sets about which is the best sparkling water. La Croix, Bubbly, or another brand? 

ES: I’m a fan of La Croix’s pamplemousse. It’s the grapefruit flavor, but it’s so much more fun to say “pamplemousse”. 

ML: What is something you always need to have with you in your trailer? 

ES: I always live in fear of having nothing to do on set, which is sort of ridiculous because there’s always something to keep you occupied. But I like to bring a book with me. 

I always bring my journal because if I have to wait a long time after hair and make-up, it helps me keep focused on the character and the work I’m doing that day. I love having good music in my trailer. One of the things I dislike about film is how much time you spend in your trailer. It’s a tiny space without much to do. I like to have some music in there. 

We wrap up the interview by discussing the uncertainties of this new world we’re living in. Her husband, Chad Kimball, is part of the cast of Come From Away on Broadway, where there’s a question about when they’ll return. 

“We can worry and fret, or we can assume that things will work out for the best. We might not know what the future looks like, but sometimes when things fall apart they might come back better than they were before.” 

The post Unmasking the Armorer: Emily Swallow Talks About The Mandalorian, Fans, and Set Life appeared first on Your Money Geek.

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[templeofgeek]

This week’s featured cosplayer is someone that we wanted to feature for a long time! Her name is Waifutella and she builds some of the most impressive cosplay but if you as her, she will say she is just the world’s okayest cosplayer. Temple of Geek has reached out to Waifutella to chat about her cosplay to which she graciously accepted. Continue on to learn about her cosplay, her fandoms, and her love for Nutella.

(Danniel Slade) Can you start off by telling me a little bit about yourself?

(Waifu Tella) I’m afraid there’s not really much to say! I’m a lot more boring than people give me credit for. I’m a full time student, cosplayer, and huge hecking nerd.

Photo by Emmy Mrozowska

(DS) Okay, I need to ask. What does your cosplay name, Waifutella, mean and how did you come up with it?

(WT) Waifutella is a combination of two words- the first being “waifu” (a term that anime fans know well). A waifu is a character who is so perfect you would snatch her up in a hot second and marry her if you could. The second word is nutella- anyone who follows me knows how much I adore it. It’s a bit of an addiction actually- I eat it straight from the jar, on the daily.

  (DS) Why do you use the subtitle “world’s okayest cosplayer?”

(WT) *burts out singing Ingrid Michaelson’s “I just want to be okay”

I don’t do well with compliments. I’m a vending machine, compliments are a wrinkly dollar bill- it’s just really frustrating and uncomfortable for everyone involved. When I wore my first real cosplay (Bucky Barnes) to a convention and later posted pics on Instagram, people were complimenting it left and right, and I would insist that my work was at best okay. One of my friends joked that I was the “world’s okayest cosplayer” and… it just stuck ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Photo by Ernie Jay

(DS) What fandoms are you into?

(WT) Marvel (cinematic and comics) is definitely my go-to, particularly Captain America, Captain Marvel, and both Hawkeyes. I also adore Blizzard Games, (Overwatch/StarCraft II/Diablo III) No Game No Life, Welcome to Night Vale, the Tolkeinverse, HP (hufflepride!), The Witcher, Doctor Who, Legend of Zelda and Kingdom Hearts.

  (DS) When did you get into cosplay?

(WT) My friend and I went to our first con together-SDCC- and all of our information about conventions was gathered through Tumblr posts. They made it seem like everyone there cosplayed, and I didn’t want to be the only person left out, so I brought along my Halloween costume. When we got there, it seemed like hardly anybody else was dressed up, but I had a lot of fun! So I kept doing it, and I’ve found it to be a really great and diverse creative outlet as well as a great way to make new friends. Excluding Halloween costumes, it’s been a little over two years now!

  (DS) How do you choose what you are going to create for cosplay?

(WT) I’ve actually recently changed my entire approach to this. I used to make cosplays for characters that I liked well enough and weren’t a huge financial burden to make (textbooks aren’t as fun as cosplay, but they’re definitely my priority.). Nowadays, I need to be a hardcore fan of the character and the design. I’m tying to put a lot more craftsmanship and technique into my work; so I try to choose characters that I love enough to spend repeated all nighters working on. It means I haven’t had a steady stream of new content, but I’m a lot more excited to show everyone what I’ve accomplished!

  (DS) In total, how many costumes have you created over the years?

(WT) Oh heck. Definitely more than seven. Ummm… I’ve done quite a few, and about half of those were so awful that they’ve never been shown to the internet (and they never will)

Photo by Michael Benedict

(DS) Do you have a favorite costume that you want to wear over and over?

(WT) I would love nothing more than to wear the winter soldier over and over again, but last time I was in it, I broke the elbow! So, sadly, it will have to wait until I can make a new arm.

  (DS) What was your easiest build?

(WT) My easiest build was definately the punisher. I grabbed my gun, shoes and shorts from the winter soldier, roughed up and old pleather jacket, added paneling to the sleeves for aesthetic, and painted his logo on a T-shirt. That, plus wig styling, took the better part of an afternoon.

Photo by Michael Benedict

(DS) Now on the flip side, what was your hardest build?

(WT) My most difficult build- I would have to say it’s a tie between two characters. I’ve been working on Captain America and on Twilight Princess for the better part of a year, but every time I finish, I put it on and decide it’s not good enough to represent them properly. So I’ve remade them each at least six times. I think I’ve got them pretty much set this time around, though, so hopefully I can show the final versions off soon.

  (DS) What is your favorite convention to cosplay at?

(WT) I think it’s going to be Blizzcon! Last year I went for the first time, and I didn’t really cosplay for it but it was such an amazing convention, it felt like home. I’ve got big plans for Blizzcon 2018, I’ve been working on the cosplays for months now- they’re definately my hugest builds yet.

  (DS) Do you have a funny or embarrassing story that you are willing to share that happened while in cosplay?

(WT) So, my second time wearing my Winter Soldier cosplay at SDCC, it got a lot of attention. I was being stopped for photos left and right. Since people may not actually know you, they have a tendency to shout out your character’s name to get your attention (as its a lot more effective than shouting out “hey you” or “cosplayer!!” in a crowded con) I kind of got into it that year, whenever someone would shout out “Bucky” I would turn around and reply as best as I could in character, “Who the h*ll is Bucky?” People loved it. In the evening my friends and I went out for dinner- still in cosplay, and I was still getting pressed for photos left and right. I was waiting at the bar to get a drink and when I heard someone say “Bucky” I grabbed my airsoft rifle, turned around, gave the guy my best winter soldier deadpan and delivered my line, hand resting on the trigger. His face drained and he stammered out “my girlfriend..” turns out he was on a business trip and he and his friend were just grabbing dinner after a day at the office and he was telling his coworker about his girlfriend Becky. He had no idea what Comiccon was and had never even heard of my character. I felt awful! I ended up buying him and his friend a drink as my way of apologizing and reassuring him I wasn’t going to pelt them with airsoft bullets.

Photo by Hino Ben

(DS) Are you affiliated with any cosplay groups?

(WT) I’m not with any official groups, but I’m part of the @Cosplay_And_Babes Instagram family! I’m also a page model for @Hotandgeeky (also on the Instagram), and I’m definitely an advocate for @butternut_gouache’s #ForceAgainstCyberBullying campaign.

  (DS) Looking back at your early cosplay years, is there anything you would tell yourself that you know now that you didn’t know then?

(WT) I’d tell myself not to wear a cosplay that I’m not 100% passionate about. There was a really brief period where I’d make a new costume for the sake of new social media content, and eventually I started getting pressured into wearing specific cosplays because “it would get you more Instagram followers” or “your followers would like that more.” The moment I let that last one start to effect me I had to take a break from cosplay and think about a few things. And honestly? It’s ridiculous that it was even pressured on me to do so. The people who advised that were 100% trying to help me out in their own way and I don’t harbor any resentment towards them for it, but catering to strangers on the internet isn’t me. I’m not getting paid to do this, I don’t have a Patreon, and I’m not here to try to get famous. I’m here to dress up like fictional characters and have fun with my friends, and I shouldn’t let anything influence that.

  (DS) Do you have a cosplay that you consider empowering to wear?

(WT) Definately steve.

  (DS) What is on your cosplay bucket list?

(WT) I’d love to cosplay every version of Captain America, Bucky Barnes and Peggy Carter one day.

  (DS) Outside of cosplay, what do you do for fun?

(WT) I never have fun I’m too focused on my GPA! But okay, I also do archery, play video games and collect vinyl records.

  (DS) Are there any other cosplayers that inspire you?

(WT) My best friend Mikky (@mikkydyer on the Insta, Internet do your thing) is a huge inspiration for me. I actually adapted my pants for Captain America and my new version of HydraCap and my upcoming Captain America cosplay from her work. Mikky is absolutely amazing, the craftsmanship and attention to detail she puts into each cosplay astounds me. As someone who never learned how to properly sew (I usually just put fabric in front of a machine and pray it doesn’t fall apart as I’m wearing it… yes that has happened before.) it’s really amazing to see people who put in proper technique and methods into their craft. Besides, she’s not just an inspiration to my cosplay, she’s an inspiration to my daily life, she’s without a doubt one of the best people I have ever had the privilege to meet, and the honor to call my friend.

Photo by Michael Benedict

(DS) What is your next convention that fans will see you at?

(WT) I really only go to one or two conventions a year- between school and finances, it gets rather difficult to do more than that- I’ll be at Blizzcon this November, and after that the only thing that I guarantee is SDCC 2019.

  (DS) What would you say to someone who might want to build their first costume but don’t know how to get started?

(WT) Research the heck out of it! You can never find too much information on how to do something. Look at tutorials for characters with similar designs, different tutorials for the same pieces, research the materials you use, try to see how a bunch of other people have done it and use their methods to find what works best for you! And be sure to hit up your local thrift store (I’m partial to goodwill) and see if they have any pieces you can buy for your costume. There’s more than one way to make a cosplay. I started writing a series on my Tumblr page about cosplay research and building.

  (DS) How can our readers find out more about you?

(WT) On Instagram @waifutella, On Twitter @waifutella, On Tumblr at waifutella.tumblr.com and on Kofi (bonus content) ko-fi.com/waifutella!

  GALLERY

Photo by Square Noodles Film & Photography | IG @square_noodles

Photo by Ernie Jay | IG @yo_ernie

Photo by Ernie Jay | IG @yo_ernie

Photo by Michael Benedict | IG @michaelbenedictla

Photo by Bill$ Costello | IG @billscostello

Photo by Square Noodles Film & Photography | IG @square_noodles

Photo by Ernie Jay | IG @yo_ernie

Photo by Ernie Jay | IG @yo_ernie

Photo by Michael Benedict | IG @michaelbenedictla

Temple of Geek's Featured #Cosplay - @Waifutella #Marvel #CaptainAmerica #WinterSoldier This week's featured cosplayer is someone that we wanted to feature for a long time! Her name is Waifutella and she builds some of the most impressive cosplay but if you as her, she will say she is just the world’s okayest cosplayer.

[ftm-elliot-blog1]

Introduction

Hey I’m Elliot and I’m 22 years old. I love comics and video games. 

I’m making this blog because I want a place to vent about any gender issues or thoughts I may be having. A place where people from my life can’t see or judge. I guess I’ll type up how I got to this point:

I was dfab and had two brothers growing up. My younger brother and I are close in age and would always play together. Whenever we would play pretend, even as small kids, I would be a boy. When I was 7 I dressed as Dracula for Halloween and one of his new friends thought I was his brother. I didn’t mind.

I was very much a “tomboy” growing up. I begged my dad for DBZ action figures when I was five, I’d dig up worms to go fishing, exclusively play kickball at recess. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy some “girly” things as well. I was picky about dolls but I loved Barbies. In fact, my mom spoiled me rotten with as many girly things she could get her hands on. At one point I had an entirely pink princess bedroom. At that age you don’t really care. That stuff made my mom happy so it made me happy too.

Anyway, I moved to a new state in first grade. I had a really hard time making friends because I was really shy back then. Eventually I made a friend named Kevin. At recess we’d set up obstacle courses on the playground and time ourselves on how fast we completed them. Like when Goku trained I guess, I don’t know haha. 

3rd/4th grade rolled around and for whatever reason the genders became very segregated. Particularly at lunch, there was a “girls table” and a “boys table”. 90% of my friends were guys and I had a crush on this kid named Colby so I always sat with them. The boys didn’t care but the girls would make fun of me a lot. 

Shortly after that, puberty hit. I swear, with every stage that happened I broke down in tears. I refused to shave when I started growing hair. My mom got mad at me and made me shave after realizing I was “growing a forest under my arms”. I cried when I got boobs because I just plain didn’t like them and I couldn’t go shirtless anymore. Plus sleeping on my stomach was suddenly uncomfortable. 

And of course, getting my period. Thankfully it was at home and my mom was there to explain everything. After I asked all of my questions I burst into tears. My mom consoled me but I remember her puzzled face. She tried reassuring me that this meant I was healthy. I was pretty upset. 

I had begun to dress myself around this time. I stopped wearing dresses in 1st or 2nd grade because they were inconvenient. My parents didn’t have a whole lot of money but I pretty much stuck to the t-shirt and pants thing. My mom tried to make a deal with me to wear skorts, those shorts that looks like skirts, but nah. 

I have a few distinct memories of watching kids get on the buses and thinking “I wish I could switch lives with them for awhile.” I would fantasize about it for too long. What I didn’t want to admit was that the kids I wanted to switch lives with were all boys.

In middle school I tried to be as girly as possible. I wore makeup as often as I could, grew my hair out super long and wore tighter clothes + pushup bras. This is around the time the emo/scene thing was trendy and I wanted to be an emo boy so bad. I tried to reason with myself that I just didn’t like the hairstyles that the girls had. I was also getting pretty depressed about my appearance around this time. All that hair and makeup was time consuming and not worth it. I didn’t feel as great as I thought I would have. In fact, I was never satisfied with the way I looked. My hair in particular would be hard to work with, people would ask if I even brushed it or call it sex hair.

I got my first boyfriend freshman year. It went well for awhile but it turned into a huge shitstorm that went on for too long. I came out of that and felt like doing some things I wanted to do. I shopped at Hot Topic to be the pseudo emo kid I always wanted to be. I dyed my hair and cut it. Not short, still about bob length. 

I got a job and things seemed to be okay. Then I started getting those “I wish I could switch lives with him” thoughts again. At this point I admitted to myself I preferred boy’s clothing. So I would explain these thoughts by rationalizing that I didn’t want to actually be a boy I just wanted to look like one. I would take my little brother clothes shopping and have way more fun than I’d have shopping for myself.

Prom arrived and I dreaded it. I had worn dresses for special occasions but my mom was all excited for prom. She grew up in Europe so she never had a prom. Honestly? My prom sucked. Even in the photos my mom took, you can tell how uncomfortable I was. For putting me through that ordeal, she promised that she’d allow me to cut my hair short after graduation. I did it right after the last day of school, before the graduation ceremony even happened.

For once in my goddamn life I didn’t feel ugly. It was a euphoric feeling. To this day I’m asked if I’ll ever grow it out again and the answer will always be no. I also started exclusively shopping for clothes in the men’s/boy’s section and slowly got rid of all my bras. I’ve had my own job since high school so I ordered a binder. I said it was for cosplay and my mom would wash it for me and stuff. This is what I looked like around that time: 

That next year I realized that someone I knew from high school changed their name on skype. It went from a girl’s name to Ethan. I wasn’t particularly close with this person in high school so I didn’t think much of it. Later on I found out Ethan was transgender. I guess I thought it was a little weird but I didn’t put much thought into it. 

When I started community college, Ethan’s brother was in my class. He asked if I knew his “little sister... well, sorry, brother now.” And even though I didn’t know much of anything I felt really happy that he was accepting of it. So I went home that night and decided to message Ethan, using his brother as an icebreaker. We talked for awhile and ended up spending Halloween together.

I met him at a restaurant and I was so shocked by his voice. Apparently he’d been on T for a year. It was shocking since I met him back in middle school but it was also kind of cool? I didn’t know hormones could do that.

Anyway, we ended up going to a horror movie at the end of the night. After the movie I went to the bathroom and he asked why I used the girls bathroom. I was confused. The thought of using the men’s room hadn’t really crossed my mind. Then later he mentioned that my voice was a lot more feminine than he remembered. I think he was trying to figure me out, which was unsuccessful because I had no idea who I was. 

Long story short we ended up dating and it was the best relationship of my life. I regret how things ended and honestly I’m avoiding him right now. However, now that I feel I’ve been adequately educated and have been thinking about it, the gender question is eating away at me. Sometimes my brain will be quiet for a little while and then it won’t shut up for a straight month. I’ll feel dysphoric and wear my binder every day. I get angry when strangers assume I’m a girl. 

But every time I think about taking ANY kind of step -- coming out to one person or finding a therapist, I freeze up with anxiety. I just can’t stand the possibility of my life falling apart over this. Sometimes I feel like it’s just something I can ignore but other times it’s overwhelming, like tonight. I got my period today and I know I’ll be bothered by this consistently over the next week. 

Anyway, I’m going to leave with a picture of what I look like currently. For the most part I want to remain anonymous because I’m still terrified of anyone finding out so this may be the only picture I post for awhile. (Same necklace btw, ey)