#i know next to nothing about lolita

[solar-serpent]

Which one of your gifts can help you to manifest the life you want?🪄

Hello! I haven't posted a PAC in ages, so I am excited to share something different from the fs/so readings you can mostly find in my blog. Let's focus on you✨ and how special you are!🤗

I want my gals to be rich (or at least comfortable) and impediment💅🏻 so pick a witch and get to know the peak of your potential!

Pile I → Pila II

Pile III → Pile IV

🗝️Pile I🗝️

Conviction is your greatest gift. You can manifest any material thing thanks to your steadiness and stubbornness. You don’t need any sort of validation to keep pushing forward, you already believe in yourself and the extent of your power. You have a strong sense of ownership as you are willing to fight and defend what is yours. You are a creative person with clear and solid ideas. The only thing that seems to disturb you at times is your fear of failure or the intrusive thought you have accomplished almost nothing in life. You have the archetypes of the worker and the architect. Your special gift is the one of building, your love for creation will drive you to manifest beautiful and unexpected things.

Hi! I hope this reading was to your liking♡. I'm offering paid readings about this topic here.

🗝️Pile II🗝️

Your intuition is more powerful than you think. You can get in tune with the collective unconscious and predict the next trend that will be born. You started wearing lolita shoes and gothic accessories, and then everyone was wearing them three weeks later? It's not a coincidence, honey. You will walk into a room full of people, pick on the energies steering on the air and quickly deduce what's going on with each present group, right? Nothing escapes that third eye. Be quick and a real pioneer. You have the ability to leave everyone’s jaw dropped! Sometimes you can doubt yourself and overestimate your own gifts. You have the archetypes of the planner and the artist. You are ready to embrace success.

Hi! I hope this reading was to your liking♡. I'm offering paid readings about this topic here.

🗝️Pile III🗝️

Is it a gift or a life mission? You do not and will never lack material resources. Very often you find yourself in a situation where you have to make a decision involving the following questions: “what will you do with your resources? How can you receive more profit from them? Will you manifest something exclusively for you or for your community? Your archetype is the opulent. You can manifest things on a large scale, as well as employment for others. You are born a leader, altruistic in nature, the defender of your people or land. Others need your services, so one position will always open up for you wherever you go.

Hi! I hope this reading was to your liking♡. I'm offering paid readings about this topic here.

🗝️Pile IV🗝️

Your cleverness has led you to countless achievements. You have the soldier archetype! Your outlook on life is very simple and can be summarized like this: challenges, victories and defeats. You are tough, reckless and sometimes you believe yourself invincible. You will rise gracefully from difficult situations and finish the most complicated tasks to everyone’s surprise. You possess great strength, you are willing to ignore the shame of defeat or the pain coming from an injury to embark on your next adventure. When an idea has been set in your mind, you’ll turn restless until you succeed on manifesting it. Passions, love, the wish to impress someone can lead you to manifest with more intensity. Your life purpose is meting victory, you are not necessarily over-ambitious.

Hi! I hope this reading was to your liking♡. I'm offering paid readings about this topic here.

[jjkamochoso]

Hii again! Question, would you write requests for any other Hunter x Hunter characters? I know a lot of people (including myself) would prefer to only write for characters they like so I wanted to ask beforehand!! Anyways onto my request, could you write a Feitan x Reader who really likes 'cute and pretty' things, and ends up finding a boutique that specializes in sweet & cute gothic lolita fashion after a mission? Maybe on a walk back to the base, it catches her eye, and she just has to stop by while Feitan just sighs and follows along. Take your time and thank you!!(´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

Hello!!! So glad to see you’ve requested something else, I’ve been itching to write for Feitan some more and you always have the best ideas!! In regard to your question, I would definitely write for other HxH characters! I won't write for Killua or Gon but I’m open to Kurapika, Leorio, or any of the Phantom Troupe! I can’t guarantee they’ll be the most in character the first time I write but I’ll try my best :)

Thank you so much for your request, I hope you like what I’ve written for you!!! Much love🫶❤️

Girly Girl!

Fluff

Feitan Portor x f!reader

Warnings: small mentions of violence

You walked down the busy street, your fluffy skirt swishing against your legs with every bounce of your steps. Your companion was quietly striding next to you, his hands hidden away in his pockets and his mouth covered by his cowl. To everyone passing you on the street, you were sure you couldn't have looked more out of place, but that couldn't have bothered you two less. Your style was one that garnered attention everywhere you went; you were always adorned in things like pretty bows and sweet dresses that highlighted your equally adorable personality. Even as a member of the Phantom Troupe, your enemies seemed to frequently underestimate you because of your appearance, but that didn't deter you, especially when it was their blood splattered on the floor by the end of each mission, not yours.

"Oh my gosh, Feitan!" you exclaimed, gasping loudly. "Look at this cat! Isn't she the cutest?"

You picked up the small creature in your gentle grasp, holding it up to your face to get a better look at it as it pawed at your long and sparkly dangle earrings.

"Street vermin. Has fleas and now so do you," he stated plainly, his eyes blinking with boredom.

"Aww, you're no fun," you moaned, giving the cat a few scratches under the chin before setting it back on the ground. You continued on your silent journey back to base, stealing glances at Feitan every once in awhile. You had always found him to be extremely handsome and, as a self proclaimed lover of pretty things, what better way to spend your time than gazing at the prettiest man you knew?

"You stare too much."

"It's not my fault you're just so cute that I can't look away."

"Disgusting," he said, doing his best to hide any exposed skin under his cowl so you didn't see the blush reddening his cheeks.

"It's such a nice day out," you blabbered on, "with so many gorgeous flowers surrounding us. Did you see them?"

"Mhmm."

"Oh!" You tugged on Feitan's sleeve, an action he would gladly slice someone's arm off for—if they weren't you, of course. "Can we go in here? This bakery is just so quaint!"

"No." His reply was as short as he was.

"How about here? You can't deny that a trip to the bookstore would do us both some good."

"I no need more books."

"Everyone needs more books," you muttered, watching all the city's best shops pass you by. All of a sudden, you caught a glimpse of an extravagant window display and let out your second loud gasp of the day.

"I. Have. To. Go. In. This. Instant," you said, your eyes alight with wonder. Feitan furrowed his brow. You were practically salivating in front of a boutique that had mannequins dressed in gothic lolita outfits, much like the one you were currently wearing.

"What wrong with clothes you have now?"

"Nothing," you whined, trying to convince him with your best pleading eyes and pouty lips, "but I want to shop around for a few minutes. Please?"

Feitan was certainly no pushover, but there was no way he could deny you anything when you were looking at him like that.

"Fine," he grumbled, trailing after your cotton candy perfume that signaled you were already through the store's doorway, "you lucky I like you."

When your eyes landed on all the different racks of clothes and accessories, you had to fight the urge to squeal in excitement. Without any hesitation, you scooped up as many articles of clothing that your arms could wrap around and immediately ran into the dressing room. Feitan rolled his eyes at your childish behavior, but he was secretly interested to see how everything looked on you. He stood as still as a statue, his gray eyes locked on the dressing room curtain you had disappeared behind.

“Hello sir! Finding everything okay?”

One of the store’s workers had approached him, making him scowl. He hated socializing.

“Yes. Waiting for her.” He nodded in your direction.

“Great!” exclaimed the woman. “Let your girlfriend know it’s buy one get one 40% off on everything in the store. I’ll be happy to help if you need me!”

His fingers twitched with the urge to slit the worker’s throat for her nosiness and unwelcome assumption, but with much reluctance, he resisted and opted to nod in acknowledgement instead. He didn’t want you to be banned from a store that brought you so much joy.

“Okay! What do you think? This was my favorite out of everything,” you said, emerging from the dressing room in a black dress with white lace trim and a white petticoat peeking out from under the voluminous skirt. Feitan didn’t believe in gods or heavens, but he could’ve sworn he was staring at an angel.

“Tch. It okay, I guess,” he said, averting his gaze from your figure to focus on something to the side of him. He didn’t like the effect you were having on him in that new dress. His heart never beat that quick unless he was met with the tantalizing promise of torturing some poor soul; there was no reason for him to get so worked over some girl. The thing was, unfortunately, you weren’t just some girl to him; you were his whole world, his greatest treasure. He’d rather die a thousand miserable deaths than ever admit that out loud, but it was the truth.

“I’m gonna buy it,” you decided, yanking the curtain closed again. Feitan wanted to slam his head against the nearest shelf out of frustration; how was he supposed to focus on a mission if you were wearing that?

After you got dressed in your own outfit, you hung up the other clothes on the return rack and hugged the dress you chose close to your chest, giddy to have a new item for your closet. You raced to the check stand and before you knew it, you were a proud owner of a new dress.

“Thanks for letting me stop there, that was very sweet of you,” you told Feitan, the pavement of the street leading you back towards the base once more. He was seemingly ignoring you until he spoke up again a few minutes later.

“There was sale happening. Buy one get one 40% off.”

You scoffed, a frown appearing on your face. “Feitan! I would’ve gotten something else then, you should’ve told me.”

Much to your surprise, he procured something from his pocket. You were met with a new pair of gloves being thrust into your view.

“These free. Better deal,” he said, dropping them into your shopping bag.

You broke out into a huge smile. “You stole those just for me? You do have a heart beneath that cold exterior of yours, don’t you?”

“Say something else and they become fuel for fire tonight.”

You snickered, knowing he was bluffing. He could be crueler than you could ever imagine, inflicting pain and misery on whomever he desired, but not you; never you.

“How did you know I’ve been searching for those exact gloves all over the place?” you eventually questioned.

Because I pay attention. Because I know everything about you.

He shrugged. “I don’t know, I guessed you would like. You just like Phinks: girly girls.”

“And I know you love that about me,” you teased with a giggle, swinging your shopping bag without a care in the world. Feitan released an annoyed huff of air.

You were definitely right about that.

[ryuichirou]

Replies

I’ll start with some news.

I am currently locked out of my twitter account. We did everything we could to try to get it back, but no matter what happens, it will most likely take some time.

I don’t like bringing attention to this kind of stuff because we have tons of other things to talk about which are more important than some toddlers trying to obliterate us for 1000th time (frankly I would rather talk about the colour of Leona’s butthole), but this time it’s kind of serious and important. We don’t know what’s going to happen next, but for now I wanted to say that if we won’t get the account back in time or will lose it indefinitely, we will have to ask for your help. I am sorry for that in advance.

Also, if you were discussing/working on commissions with me via DMs there, please email me or contact me via any other platform as soon as possible. Just in case.

Mass-reporting is wild, eh?

I am rambling a bit, and I didn’t really want to complain, because I know for a fact it would give satisfaction to some people, but you know? I am going to complain: it sucks ass. It happened at the worst time possible and it happened over nothing (literally, the art that got it was a Todd/Wallace non-sexual piece that got too many likes for children’s liking). I don’t care if people don’t like us, I don’t care if they gossip with their girlies about us, all I want is for them to leave us the fuck alone and let us do our thing in peace. Imagine being so unbelievably boring and so incredibly unlikeable and unable to make meaningful connections not only with other people but also with any kind of media that you just have to go out of your way to ruin things for others because this is the only thing that makes your immature brain produce something that even remotely resembles joy. Because your own pathetic self is so deeply insecure and constantly frustrated at yourself that you just have to create an illusion of control over someone else to feel important. I can’t even call it a troll behavior – at least trolls are funny sometimes. This is just someone who hit a midlife crisis at the age of 16 and made it my problem for some reason.  

And yet, it’s okay. Even if we end up losing our account, it’ll be a huge disappointment and it will hurt us tremendously, it already did. And it’s scary to think about this scenario, and it’s difficult to talk about how, if it happens, that it’s going to be okay. But eventually we’ll get over it and build ourselves up again, just like we did before several times. And these clowns will still be boring, unlikeable, lonely and very likely shit at drawing.

So yeah. Take care of yourself and block everyone who seems suspicious on sight. It’s not a panacea, but certainly is helpful.

Alright, time to talk about Leona’s butthole (not really, but we will talk about SebeMal, and it’s even better) 💪

Anonymous asked:

Seeing Vanitas made me curious about something: did you ever read Pandora Hearts? I think for a lot of people that series went hand in hand with Black Butler as the main "victorian aesthetic mangas" from the late '00/early '10. Gothic lolitas really had it all back then..

Ohh you’re so right Anon, it was the ultimate late ‘00/early ’10 aesthetic! Boys in vests with bows/ties, crosses and rosaries and traumatic and problematic backstories lol I really miss it sometimes. What an era.

I personally haven’t read/watched Pandora Hearts, but Katsu did! But it was even before we met… So my only association with this title is that Katsu’s old username was “ozbezariusnya” 🥰 Oh, and that Gilbert (?) looks very cute, but let’s be honest, of course I would think he is cute.

nebula-ryuu asked:

Regarding my question, I mean if the Malleus and Sebek ship has a dynamic or a context 😅😅 a background or a story. I have a certain feeling about what it is like but I don't want to affirm anything hehe

I don't know if I made what I said better understood, in any case I can explain it again, no problem 🙏

Oh! Thank you for clarifying!

As for our background for shipping them, we just really really love loyal characters that are a bit unhinged about their loyalty and love/obsession. So we didn’t even have a choice, they stole our hearts… and Malleus is very interesting in his interactions with Sebek too; he is annoyed by him sometimes, but he tolerates a lot and teases him.

As for the ship itself, we tend to think that in addition to Sebek being loyal and obsessive with Malleus, he is also deeply in love with him ever since he was a child. He is conflicted because he really wants to be his lover, but also thinks that he isn’t worthy. Malleus is amused by Sebek and allows him to do much more than he probably should. Actually, I think I talked about their dynamic in this post!

I hope I understood you correctly. Thank you for your question! And if you have any more questions, please let me know.

Anonymous asked:

would Lilia and Azul ever fight over who gets to have Idia?

Replied here! Thank you for your question, Anon.

[coeurcanelle]

☆Baby, the stars shine bright☆pt1

pt1, pt2, pt3, pt4,pt5

inspired by the 'kamikaze girls',♡ always had unconditional love for lolita fashion and nothing else but when she met ellie,an auburn haired girl whos part of a gang with a dad's fashion sense ,her love for clothes begins to compete with her growing feelings for ellie

strangers to friends to lovers,love-hate friendship,ellie is into reader♡ but reader♡ shows no interest (in the beginning),opposite aesthetics,early 2000s

fluff,wlw

Frilly pink dresses,strawberry cakes,sunny days,classical music and tea times made you the happiest being alive but again,your happiness only relied on external things because deep inside you felt rotten. But at least it was better than feeling totally empty right?

Everytime you felt horrible about yourself you'd think of your parents. 

Your dad was rejected by his gang because he could never hold a gun properly (he would cry in vain after shooting someone) and your mother heartlessly cheated on your dad with her gynecologist right after you were born.

Your mom had crossed boundaries and you assumed it was hereditary when you started to gaslight your dad for money so you could build your dream closet.

"My best friend is in the terminal stage of this very rare, deadly disease."

You looked away, pretending to drop tears, not just because of the act but also because guilt was slowly enveloping you. You continued with your fake emotional tone, "She's so young, but she looks so tired and sick. Fortunately, the doctors found a cure."

This statement made your father stop crying and cover his mouth in surprise. He believed every single word coming out of your mouth.

"And they have to perform a surgery that will cost-" It was like a reflex; your dad burst into tears again before handing you 2000 bucks. It wasn't to save your imaginary friend from the disease but to fuel your will to live. You covered your smile with your hand before taking the money and thanking your dad, already imagining the kind of dress you would buy.

The next day, you woke up before your alarm went off, not wasting a second to go to your favorite place.

You walked all the way from home, which was in the middle of nowhere in the countryside, to the train station.

You wished you lived in Tokyo because then you wouldn't have to add the cost of the train ticket to your expenses, allowing you to spend all your money on dresses. But going there once every month prevented you from emptying your wallet every day, so it wasn't all bad.

Relief hit you when you arrived at the train station early. You took a seat, but then you heard people screaming and arguing from afar.

It was your dad doing his 'new' job after leaving his gang. You thought you were good at gaslighting him, but he was certainly better. He was selling fake luxury brand clothes to a group of oblivious people, arguing with him to get a 90% discount. No matter how stubborn you are, you don't think you could ever fool an entire group of people. It made you wonder how your dad believed all of your made-up stories in the first place.

Little did you know, the dress you bought that day would be the last one you bought with your father's money. Karma got both you and your father, almost bankrupting him. The old gang your father was in denounced his actions, leaving him with no job and no money to fund your wardrobe.

When you looked at the fake luxury clothes in your hands, you wondered how people even fell for this. It was just basic white t-shirts with a brand name; not even your alter ego could like this.

But to your biggest surprise, the scam your father had pulled off hadn't reached everyone's ears. Luckily, you soon received a letter that looked like it was written by an 8-year-old:

"Hi, I saw your big tracksuits when I was walking by the city, but there were too many people buying everything. I was wondering if you still have some left for me. Wait for me at your house at 8 am."

And so you did. You stood at your front door, waiting for the child to arrive. You convinced your father to keep his fake clothes for whatever reason, so you could continue what he was doing in secret.

All you had to do was sell fake luxury clothes to afford your dream ones. With no gang to ever snitch on you, you could set your own prices and stop depending on your dad's money.

You spotted a motocycle and squinted your eyes when the person riding drove towards your home

Was it one of the childs parents ?

The person drove closer blowing some dust before parking their motocycle next to your home, they didnt even wear a helmet for security

You realised she was a girl when the dust disappeared but she didnt look like a mother at all

You didnt realise you were staring that long until the auburn girl came up to you and told you to stop

"hey, I told you im looking for the seller where is he ?" her deep commanding voice made you remind the letter, it wasnt an actual child's writing,she was just writing like a child !

"he's not here, but I'm taking his role,"you said the auburn girl looked you up and down inspecting your elegant lolita dress.She was blocking the sun, so you couldn't clearly see her facial features.

"are you messing with me?" You could see her features better when her face got closer to yours, attempting to intimidate you. She didn't believe you, even though she had no idea those clothes were fake. She turned her face away to spit on the ground, and you noticed golden writing on her large jacket's sleeve.

This girl was definitely part of a gang, you thought.

"stop spitting," you retorted in disagreement with her behavior. It was obvious she was doing all this to let people know she's not playing around, but still...

She raised an eyebrow at you, a bit surprised. But before she could do or say anything, you carelessly opened the front door of your home, which was about to turn into a place of business.

[derseprinceoftbd]

I realized I should say this first before my actual thoughts on the book; Please send me your favorite fanworks! Music, art, anamatics, fics (especially those), you name it! I'm ready for everything and immune to spoilers, and I'm getting this way before uA! Hahahahahahahahahahahaahhaahahahahahahahahhaahahah!!!!!!!!

So: Nona.

Certainly the one with the biggest, most fundamental, and most annoying flaws; slow pacing, too many characters with too little personality, convoluted plot (I still understand nothing about the convoy). And yet the highs were not just the highest of the series, but *21st century literature*. Seriously, the moment Nona clicked felt like turning the page and seeing the imprint of Tamsyn Muir having ripped her heart out and pounded it, still beating, into the page. And may I remind you, *I'm* using the *audiobook*!

Man, I *really* disrespected this series. Like in hindsight without my lenses there is genuinely not one TLT character that accurately maps onto any one Homestuck character, and TSG has just fuckall to do with anything, but I'm a fucking jackass who wants to feel like she knows everything.

On a similar note, *not YA*. I am a moron and should not be listened to. This series is not appropriate if you are under sixteen. Certainly I don't really think you'll *get* it.

Interesting that John is, at once, environmental destruction, death, child predation, imperialism, and religion, but not really actually *patriarchy*, and *explicitly not* capitalism. I'm the kind of person to be grateful for that last bit, even if it does seem out of place with the whole ethos, but really, am I just missing a dimension or should there be more gender commentary? I guess maybe it's an AFAB thing I'm too non-passing to have any social understanding of what Muir's trying to say.

EDIT: REDDIT EXPLAINED EVERYTHING I WAS MISSING TO ME, VERY SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY, BECAUSE I'M GENUINELY A STUPID PERSON.

Anywho, I don't have great confidence in Alecto-that is to say, in the idea that it will come next. I'm almost certain, in fact, that what would once have been Act 2 of Alecto will *also* be spun into its own book, to be released no sooner than 2025 and no later than 2030, and that this will be a 5-book series; I know not whether 4 or 5 will be Alecto, but the other will definitely be Kiriona. I'm willing to put good money on this. I'm not really willing to make any predictions beyond this-I might honestly jinx it if I do.

(Also John was wrong and the rich folks were 100% going to take everyone in later waves.)

So, yeah. Thank you for everyone who read along with me; I'm going to do The Unwanted Guest next, and after that, I'm thinking either Lolita or the Torah and Gospels, then the other, then The Magician's Apprentice, then a reread.

Oh, and I can finally actually subscribe to the fucking tags! Wooooohooooo!

Let's hope none of the talented people have blocked me.

[demonslayedher]

This is a bit of a throw-away idea, but I can't chase it away. But I also cannot produce my vision. This vision fits no where. Anyway. The vision is goth Butterfly Girls.

Was doodling and I wound up doodling Kanao in an article of clothing I had envisioned her before when I rediscovered some old photos with a particular article of clothing I used to own (and which I must had given to my sisters at some point because I rediscovered it while visiting home and I was like, 'yeah, I still love this').

It's a short sleeve black hoodie with a subtle butterfly pattern and lots of nice details like lace all over the inside of the hood and on the outside of the pockets. Yes, it even had pockets!! It was such a good, good thrift store find. A nice elegant touch of goth, but totally casual! I loved it, and Kanao would look adorable in it. But what goths would the others be? Well, if Shinobu as we know her in the majority of canon, yes, she'd pull off a fancier lolita quite nicely, but nooooo, not in this AU-which-isn't-even-a-proper-AU. If it's openly angry Shinobu who has an older sister who already dresses like an elegant goth anyway, Shinobu's going to accessorize and wear pants with so many chains that she jingles. (Did I base her outfit completely on a friend's signature look? Yes, absolutely. Also, that is the friend responsible for my having gotten into KnY. She has good taste. I also rediscovered a photo from a time she dressed me up in her usual clothes and had me pose in her posture. It was very, very odd for both of us.) She wears boots with very, very thick soles. She had hide a lot of knives in those. But did Shinobu go through a more hardcore phase with daily black lipstick and very very heavy eye makeup? Yes. Kanae teased her a little and after that Shinobu made it worse for a while, but she later toned it back down to a look that's easier to do everyday. Shinobu is no poser, she is committed. She also listens to goth music like an angry teen should. Kanae is the one who started all this. She just pulls it off with grace and looks like she's not trying very hard. Her style is long and flowy. She does tea party fashion get-togethers and stuff.

The first time Aoi tried it, it was because Kanae lent her an outfit and took her along. She liked how people appreciated the desserts she made, and she started getting creative ideas for what sorts of accessories she could make. Next thing you know, Aoi is someone who works very, very hard on each outfit and is very committed to an ideal loli-goth shape. She gets a little stressed out if the petticoats aren't working the way she envisioned. Despite all this effort, she gets embarrassed and doesn't talk much when she's dolled up. It's hard for her to walk in the shoes.

And the little girls? Yes, they want in on this too. Kanae would rather they be more mature before committing to a fashion scene, so they keep things simple with black dresses and tights.

So you got three little Wednesday Addams, and all the boys at the hospital are kind of freaked out by them. Sumi, Naho, and Kiyo change nothing about their tastes and personalities, yet they have mastered goth. No, I will not elaborate anymore than this. No, I will never have the patience to draw the sorts of elegant goth looks I love. No, you don't get to be as cool as I was in that lacy black hoodie. (I don't either, because I don't have it anymore.)

[polyhexian]

Murder drones pre-finale marathon begins. The new episode actually starts airing in two minutes but I wanted to wait until nightfall anyway. And also I want to be able to pause if like. I spill a drink or something. And my roommate left so now I have the house to myself. So it's time for a rewatch!!!

First thing is the same thing I always note when i watch the pilot again. It's incredible how MUCH the animation has improved over the last few years. And it was already great! I have also noted only the first episode has their eyes floating inside their visors rather than displayed on top, so when they turn their head to the side you can see both eyes. I definitely like the update.

The first episode also includes a lot of extra exaggerated subtle motion thats supposed to give it life but makes it look ever so slightly like motion capture rather than animation with intent behind it. The rigs improve so much along with the lipsync. And they were ALREADY good.

Tho, like future episodes, it can be a little too literally dark at times. That's why I want to watch it at night so badly; daytime screen glare really is a nuisance.

The humour is still perfect though. Absolutely incredible comedic timing. It's so SNAPPY and knows exactly how long to make a shot, how far to take a joke. And everyone's line delivery is positively incredible. Michael kovac is truly living for this role lol. He just sounds so delighted the entire time.

The score for MD is always great but they certainly have less diversity in episode one.

"sure. I love doing anything!" Is the single funniest line delivery I've ever heard in my life.

It's so funny seeing the v intro scene again because it's like. "Oh god, who are you?" Is so funny because. She can't see him. V knows exactly who he is because they've known each other forever. But she needs glasses lmfao. She's like oh god what the fuck who are you because he's a blob. Foreshadowing you don't know is foreshadowing!!

"I left an extremely dangerous we- excuse outside!" Fhjrjdjr

I love how n's legs look. They just have this extremely satisfying style the way they're designed. I actually like v and J's weird hips and legs but since there's only three murder drones anyway I think they should have given J something different. they fit V to a T but I think you could do something different for J that was more specifically her and offer some more design diversity! J should have feet. Maybe some smart Business Heels or something. Or, she's got kind of a very light gothic Lolita thing going on. Idk.

God I love when Khan abandons Uzi and even N is like damn that was fucked up wow.

Im hoping to get a bit of closure on this in the end but J's entire shtick is the whole business boss thing. But obviously we know now that earth has Exploded so. There isn't a company left sending orders. N notes SOMEONE was sending her orders and we know that was Cyn as Tessa and I suspect J does not know Tessa is Cyn, but technically that's not confirmed I think. But sort of. J's big ol business thing. I wonder if we may get further context on that personality trait.

It's VERY funny watching Doll in this episode like girl why ain't you doing anything

LOVE how N just picks her up like a cat and puts her on his shoulders. Just like it's nothing. Up you go, Uzi!

Love how the stinger at the end of uzi laughing maniacally about killing all humans never really comes to anything. Like it sets it up as if that's the plot, they're going to go attempt to do that. But no lol that's nothing

Next episode we go!

[yandere-wishes]

With who would you ship yourself in MHA? 👀

@yandere-romanticaa

Omg, it's been a hot minute since I dabbled in MHA… But let me crack open the vault real quick.

So first off, and this should be obvious…

Dabi! The reason I started the show in the first place!! This boy's Frankenstein aesthetic had me swooning from the moment I saw a GIF of him!! And unconventional colored flames that probably symbolize a deep-seated trauma!! YES!! I honestly think we would make a good couple, kinda like Frankenstein and his bride (in a romanticized way), we'd have the Goth BF x Lolita GF vibes which are a bonus. I also get the inkling we'd share the same taste in music (Chase Atlantic, Neighborhood, Mr.Kitty)

Shigaraki is next and tbh I don't really know when I feel for him. Just that at one point he was all I could think about. I think it's something about his twisted legacy and conflicting nature that has rendered him into a decaying amalgamation of hate and misplaced ambitions, that really gets a girl's heart beating out of her chest, you know? He was always like an odd species that I came across in the backyard one day and had to analyze under a microscope. Desperate to learn his fundamentals, to unravel his soul. Understand him in the same way an archaeologist longs to understand the past.

I think our love is something like that of an obsessive scientist and her new discovery. Chaotic and all-consuming yet so frail and feeble to onlookers. A tame fire that leaves one utterly devoured, yet still longing for more. I think we'd be pretty good for each other.

NINE! He appeared in one movie and I was SO obsessed with him!! I had a countdown for when his movie would release. I remember for my 16th birthday we went to the fancy movie theater in town just to watch this guy on the big screen. And then all my friends burst out laughing when he died at the end. Ultimately my 2 month long craze over him died in that dark movie theater. TBH I don't really think we'd make a good couple, maybe just a casual fling or some hookups when life gets tough/boring. Nothing serious yet still a fundamental part of each other's lives.

Finally, we have Bakugo, the love-hate relationship I had with this guy was crazy. I was so madly in love with him one minute and the other I just wanted to suffocate him!! IDK what it was he was just so irritating and lovable at the same time. Another relationship that wouldn't work out. I don't even think he'd notice me in school and I'd just be in the corner secretly hating him because he has the perfect life. Popular, lots of friends, good grades. Even if we were in UA together I still don't think we'd end up together. Maybe a slight nod of acknowledgment in the halls one time when he's in a particularly good mood. But that's about it.

Now that I'm revisiting my tween crushes, I got a fun little au for Bakugo.

Imagine being Pro-Hero Bakugo's mistress. Just his girl on the side. For whatever reason you can't be together in public, you'd ruin each other's images. I think the reader kinda wants to ruin Bakugo's life just because she hated him in middle/high school. But Bakugo becomes too infatuated with her to let her leave him. Somehow they both end up destroying each other's lives. Yet ultimately Bakougou couldn't be happier.

This was such a long awnser🤣🤣

[doloresdisparue]

I feel like nobody talks about Daniel Handler of ASOUE fame calling Lolita 'kind of sexy' (to be fair, he did say in another interview it would be horrific if it were happening in real life, but what makes even the idea of it so appealing to him?) and flippantly justified calling it a love story because 'love is quite crazy'. Even more so, no one talks about how one of his villains is named after Dolores (Carmelita = portmanteau of Carmen and Lolita) and reads like a bad caricature of how people see her, as this insufferably bratty and evil child. Sometimes, I can't help but wonder what else if it weren't a children's series.

Interesting, I know next to nothing about Daniel Handler aside from the mention that he recommended Lolita as his favourite book on the Lolita podcast. I'm also not very familiar with the ASOUE books I have only seen the Netflix adaptation. Though I firmly believe Count Olaf and his disguises stem from the trend the Kubrick movie established of having Quilty chasing them in elaborate disguises wherever they go. And he does try to marry Violet even if it is ostensibly for inheritance reasons the subtext is very much there for adults who can pick up on it. I'm not sure Carmelita is named after Dolly, since the "-ita" type suffiix is very common in Spanish but I also don't remember that character. From this ask it sounds like he had a genuine fascination with the novel on a technical level (the unreliable narrator and all that jazz) and clocked the reality of it slightly better than a lot of other old writer men (I say this only because the bar is in hell) but still not well enough to not put his foot in his mouth about it. But as I said I personally haven't looked into it him at all and read neither his kids nor adult books. Any Handler literate followers want to weigh in here?

[malixxxmizer]

HELLO, this is my first request and I'm nervous, I don't know if you accept orders either, but I have nothing to lose by trying. Can I request mana sama for a reader whose style is pink? I mean cutecore clothing or similar styles. Sorry if it looks poorly written, English is not my language

Note: Hello my love! I just realized that I never got a chance to see your request but here it is even if it is very, and I mean VERY LATE! so sorry about that but hopefully I made up for it with this!! Since Mana is known more for their gothic color palette I decided to make this more of an opposite aesthetic type of couple, hope you enjoy lovely!!!

Mana Sama x cutesy!Reader

♱ Mana definitely seems like the type of significant other to be obsessed with every single aspect of you and I see that happening a lot with your stylistic choices. They’re obsessed with the fact that you two never look like you’re going to the same places together, EVER! They dress in a more gothic Lolita fashion, and you in a more cutesy, cute core, kawaii style (possibly even Lolita) which mana finds hilarious when you stand next to each other.

♱ Mana is a fashion lover through and through, and their knowledge and impeccable clothing taste make for some killer couples outfits. I definitely see them deciding on a random Tuesday to take you both on a shopping spree for some new clothes and matching couple outfits (in both of your respective color choices of course). They most definitely know of some hidden gem boutiques hidden in the depths of Japan somewhere. They’re the type to drag you into a random alleyway in pursuit of the “perfect outfit” which of course you both found.

♱ Mana also uses their more gothic looking appearance as scary dog privilege. It brings them a sense of relief knowing that no scary men or people will approach your cute self when they’re around because normies won’t approach anyone who looks different from them. Even if you were approached by a man when out with Mana, I see them being a no-tolerance type of person so they’re so quick to shut down any unwanted advances from people. No one can approach their sweet little significant other, they just wants you all to themselves ;(

♱ You’re their cute little significant other and Mana can’t live without you by their side for even a second so they definitely take any chance they get to take you with them on tour or press appearances. Of course at any event you’re at with them, or even when out in public together you’ll be matching with them in your own cutesy pink color scheme and completely styled by Mana from head to toe.

♱ Mana is a romantic and they definitely worship the ground you walk on, they want to be the only person to style you from your clothing, to your hair, and to your makeup. This can definitely blur into yandere behavior due to their fear of losing such a cutie like you to another person, but with enough reassurance and kisses, they will be sure to calm down with the obsessive behavior.

♱ Mana loves being your protector and your other half. You’re the light to their dark, the sun to their moon, the golden retriever to their black cat, the cute to their spooky, and you guys make it work so very well. Every time you guys go out together whether it be to go run mundane errands like buying milk or shopping for clothes, you both always get stopped on the streets for compliments and people can’t get enough of how cute you look together.

♱ You already know that this feeds Mana’s ego beyond belief. They love being your significant other with the opposite aesthetic, it awakens some type of primal instinct within them and they love to flaunt how beautiful you are other people. They love to show you off, and even though I see Mana not being too big on PDA or just public affection, they definitely love to have your cute self on their arm all the time. They know how lucky they are to have you in all your pink glory and that brings out the most romantic parts of Mana.

♱ Mana’s imagine is a stoic, tsundere to anyone they meet, but they kind of have to be since it’s their image, their brand if you will. This totally dissolves and disappears when they’re with you; you manage to flip the switch and bring their walls down when you’re both together. Mana definitely knows where home is, and it’s in the comfort of your arms. Their life used to be so cold before you, so sad and lonely. You came in like a ray of sunshine after a rainy day and you restored their hope for love. You taught them that they were capable of feeling love, and being loved in general.

♱ Mana and You and the most iconic couple ever, and you bother make a powerful dynamic duo. I get main character energy from your opposing aesthetics that fit so well with each other. You guys manage to make people’s heads turn anywhere you go, you both electrify any room you’re put in. You know that jojo’s meme that’s like “the stand user could be anyone!” and then it’s literally a clip of you and Mana standing next to each other…… YOU BOTH ARE SO ICONIC TOGETHER!

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Note: I just went down a Mana Sama rabbit hole and I love them so much they’re so pretty and perfect GOOD LORD I LOVE MANA SAMA! Anyways, I hope you liked your request! I know it wasn’t much and I know it was a couple months ago (I’m so bad at checking my inbox I apologize) but I enjoyed writing this!! Have a great one and feel free to come back anytime!!!!

[mewmedic]

A Deal with the Devil

Someone on the Lolita fashion subreddit asked what we can do about newbies who do not know how to find clothes outside of (the well documented scam site) Devil Inspired. I wrote the following in response and thought it was worth cross posting here.

To be very blunt: most people are too illiterate to read pinned posts (even though that should just be basic reddit etiquette) and too lazy to move their eyes to the area of their screen where there is a link to a guide that answers their questions. You can't fix stupid at a certain point, once people get stuck in their ways.

Really, the only action we could do would be to change the subreddit banner image at the top to say "PLEASE DON'T BUY FROM DEVIL INSPIRED. READ A GUIDE ON HOW TO BUY FROM TAOBAO." We probably need a pinned post saying the same thing in the title, with an explanation of taobao in the body and links to some guides. That may be absurd, but I truly think its the only bullet we have left in the chamber. Even then, most people will ignore it. It really sucks that this subreddit has become the Devil Inspired Customer Service Hotline.

There are just too many people (some millennials but especially zoomers) who lack the ability to use the internet properly. With the "enshittification" of google, people now expect human beings on reddit to answer every single one of their lingering thoughts. But let's be real, the "let me google that for you" situation existed for a decade before google started to suck. Devil Inspired is the first result when googling lolita fashion because they pay to have good SEO and be at the top. Most people are not internet savvy enough to google "[store name] scam" or "[storename] alternatives" when they encounter a new store online. That's not even getting into Devil Inspired shoving sponsor bucks down influencer's throats so they can vomit advertisements back out onto their naive audience.

I understand why a normal western person would know nothing about taobao. However, anyone with intermediate internet experience should be able to tell that Devil Inspired does not manufacture the clothes they sell. No one makes that wide of a variety of styles that quickly, plus the wide variety in photography styles (and they sometimes forget to hide the original store's watermark.) Next, they should know to reverse google image search photos from Devil Inspired's catalogue. Their last resort should be to go to the "find this dress" pinned post on this subreddit. Then, if they discover there that the dress is from a taobao store they could just google "how to buy from taobao." But they don't do any of these things because the average internet user does not know they can.

Just a few days ago we had some one here ask to be spoonfed information about gothic lolita, something they could easily find themselves. When some one kindly gave them a link to the lolita wiki, the OP had the nerve to complain because they don't like Fandom wikis. I fucking hate Fandom and have a personal beef with them, but I wouldn't complain about being spoonfed information for free from there. That person will never comprehend why people created fandom wikis in the past and they definitely won't understand why it's very hard to leave Fandom wikis. I am including this recent experience to illustrate why Devil Inspired is not the only problem here, people's attitudes just plain suck some times.

TLDR: We are fighting an unwinnable battle against people's illiteracy, refusal to learn, and Devil Inspired's fat stacks of marketing cash.

[coeurcanelle]

☆Baby,the stars shine bright☆pt6

pt5

inspired by the 'kamikaze girls',♡ always had unconditional love for lolita fashion and nothing else but when she met ellie,an auburn haired girl whos part of a gang with a dad's fashion sense ,her love for clothes begins to compete with her growing feelings for ellie

strangers to friends to lovers,love-hate friendship,opposite aesthetics,early 2000s

wlw,fluff

wc:8k

loud scream was heard all around the house, immediately waking up Ellie. The bed was empty beside her, and you were nowhere to be seen in her room, so she ran to search for you.

Mars ran away from the bathroom door, using the chairs in the living room as her hiding spot. Ellie's eyes drifted from her cat to the bathroom door. She approached it, turning the doorknob while imagining the worst.

There she found you.

"wat's wrong with you? don't tell me you got jumpscared by a spider or something."

Mixed emotions washed over her: relief and confusion. She hated waking up to clock alarms, but your screaming was by far the worst. She was even more puzzled seeing you standing next to the large mirror, holding the same bonnet you wore yesterday.

"it's worse than that," your voice filled with sorrow, making Ellie furrow her eyebrows in confusion. Only her fear of spiders could make her scream like that. But when you clearly showed her the small holes in your bonnet, she didn't need any clearer explanation for your reaction.

Your ears quickly turned red when you saw Ellie raising one eyebrow at you; you might have overreacted. "sorry, but if you think about it, it's not entirely my fault."

Ellie scoffed. How was she to blame?

It was you who fell on your own that night you both left the casino. If you didn’t call her the names you did, she wouldn’t have chased after you. She didn't need to lift a finger to make you regret your words, not when gravity became your worst enemy at that moment.

"you're such a drama queen. Just get a new one. Besides, what's done is done. At least next time you'll watch your mouth before calling me stupid names." Her hand still reached to grab your bonnet, wanting to know if it was that badly messed up for you to react so negatively.

"you sure don't get anything in fashion. It was a limited edition, dumbass." You handed the accessory to her. Since it had gotten into a mediocre state, its worth was now reduced to nothing to you. It would finally meet its destined fate and be thrown in the trash.

Carefully, Ellie inspected your item and even tried to slide her fingers through the small holes.

"well, you're definitely not a smartass for wearing this AND trying to annoy the shit out of me." Her fingers swiftly passed through the holes; she wiggled them at you, doing a good job of pissing you off.

It was just morning, and you could already feel grumpiness sticking with you all day.

You snatched your bonnet out of Ellie's hands, earning a smug grin from her that you couldn't snatch away from her face. "you're so fucking immature."

All you wanted to do was to go home and start all of this over, wishing for a miracle and hoping to find the exact same bonnet in any nearby shops.

"you can't call me that too." Ellie crossed her arms and blocked the way out of the bathroom so you couldn't leave, even if you truly didn't want to.

You were for sure overreacting, and Ellie wasn't going to let you be all grumpy to her, not when she thought of a solution to help you and not when both of you spent a dreamlike night yesterday.

The clock was ticking 9 am, signaling it was her breakfast time, but the only thing she needed at the moment was that smile of yours to make a comeback.

So she suggested: '"you know what, I'll let that slide because you're-your hat's cute."

"bonnet" you corrected.

"whatever. Just give it to me. I don't know anyone around who can do it for free, so I'll try to fix it up."Her words were anything but convincing to you. "plus, embroidery is like stitching someone up except with fabric. I'm sure I can do this with my eyes closed." she sounded more confident until she saw reluctance reappearing on your face at the last sentence.

"It's fine"*you're going to mess it up even more* you carefully didn't add.

Ellie wanted to help, and she started to get desperate. Fashion wasn't something she was particularly interested in, but she was certainly interested in you.

The way your face would beam at the sight of Lolita dresses, the way you'd work hard (scam) to get money for the sole purpose of upgrading your wardrobe, and the way you looked in the clothes you liked didn't go unnoticed by Ellie,in fact,there was nothing else she liked more than seeing you happy.

It was at this moment she also realized your connection was so strong she started to match your emotions too, and the last thing she wanted right now was to feel sad because you did.

"just give me one chance," she said, letting herself get carried away by the waves of love and affection. It was undoubted that she would do anything for you. "and if it doesn't look fashionable enough, you can lock me in your basement and leave me dying of hunger and boredom."

Your lips curved into a smile at the inside joke. "you're lucky I'm not as unhinged as you", after debating whether or not you should let Ellie fix your bonnet, you reluctantly gave it to her to put an end to her persistence, but not without lessening your worries.

Ellie was thankful that you trusted her, and now that your bonnet's future was placed in her hands, with hope and determination, she would give it to you all fixed up to thank you back.

"damn, you can't take a joke, can you? I don't even have a basement and even if I did— i mean..do you see me doing this kind of stuff? thats just fucking crazy. What kind of psycho would do that just for getting scammed?"Her tone was exaggeratedly bewildered as if it was something morally unthinkable, as if she didn't joke about it last night.

"It doesn't sound that unbelievable since you did think about it." Your arms crossed and you straightened your back. You recalled Ellie's serious face from last night and how she easily sent shivers down your spine. Your opinion today hasn't changed; you still found her kinda hot. "trust me, those psychos think exactly like you. They're just a little more deranged."

A sigh escaped her lips as she inspected your item, using her imagination to figure out how to sew the small holes. But if you kept teasing her, she would start to reconsider helping you.

"you can play this spot-the-difference game and all you want. You could do the same with your hat and Joel's socks once I'm done fixing it."

Yesterday, when you passed through the kitchen, the open windows offered a view of the small garden outside. The hung-up clothes slightly moved back and forth with the wind, and a few holey socks were strongly attached to the cord.

Now you know who they belonged to.

"please don't."

☆°☆•°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°

With eyebrows pulled together, focused eyes, and gentle yet ineffective movements, Ellie’s determination wasn’t enough against her lack of experience. Many things that looked easy often revealed themselves to be the complete opposite.

Some stitches were too tight while others were too loose; Ellie had difficulty hand-sewing up the hole.

You both had left Joel's house to head to your own, not expecting to see your dad bringing people into the house too. It turned out he had finally found a job—something that wasn’t drastically different from what he used to do before but made him satisfied. However, you never imagined he’d once find money through being a fortune teller. But only a scammer like him didn’t mind looking absurd while predicting obvious events that eventually occur in everyone’s life.

You had led Ellie to your room at the end of the corridor and now you were sitting at the edge of your bed, with your face resting in the palm of your hand when you weren’t leaning over your desk, taking a closer look at what she was doing.

If it wasn’t for her kindness and how adorable she looked, you would have definitely taken back your bonnet already, not letting her continue her terrible job at pushing the thread in and out.

Since it was her first time doing something like this, she judged the uneven stitches to be fine, while you grimaced at the sight of them.

After finishing one hole, Ellie turned to you and held the bonnet up to you expectantly.

Your lips pressed into a thin line quickly formed an embarrassed smile.

You didn’t know what to say.

“is my work so good it got you speechless, or you don’t wanna say anything because you envy my skills?” Her grin was cocky despite her awful work. You had to do something about it (both her cockiness and her work).

“I’ll give it a 2/10 for effort and also because it’s your first try.” Your bluntness instantly made her cocky grin disappear, her lips pressed into a thin line instead.

“never meaner... and why not 3?” Ellie asked for justification. She had spent a hot minute trying to copy what you had shown her, but she couldn’t even get through the basics.

You wanted to laugh at her desperation. “maybe you’re right, I should reconsider...” You pretended to think as you put your finger on your chin, not surprising Ellie with your comeback, “1/10.”

“alright, for effort or first try?” she asked as if your answer was going to have life-changing consequences.

“whatever helps you sleep at night,” you shrugged your shoulders and tried to think of what to do with your ruined accessory. Now that Ellie had tried to help, you didn’t want it to end its life in the trash. “I’ll do it myself, I can’t stand seeing my bonnet like this.”

“then sit,” she didn’t fail to make you roll your eyes at her, smirking in return.

After giving it some thought—something Ellie is highly unlikely to do—you carefully removed the thread Ellie had stitched on the hole, throwing away 30 minutes of hard work and determination.

You told her you had another idea when you heard her dramatic gasp, and all she could do was trust the process.

As your hands were busy hand-sewing, your mind brought you back to a memory that still felt like a vivid dream.

The scent of Ellie on her clothes that you were wearing, her playing the melody of your favorite song, and her strong arms embracing you.

You slightly shook your head.

No.

One thing was in fact from a vivid dream.

At least you still got to wear her clothes, get her to play your favorite song for you, and even gaze at the stars while your heartbeats rhythmically synced.

However, you couldn’t ignore the painful pang in your chest when you remembered her embracing you with affection was just a dream.

You wanted her to hold you like this in real life too.

Once again, you shook your head to arrange your thoughts.

You were so crazy about her that the lines between imagination and reality uncontrollably started to blur!

Then 1... 2, and soon 5 petals were meticulously sewn around the hole. You had never thought of doing something so original before; maybe it was because you felt Ellie’s attentive gaze on you.

You made sewing look so easy while she struggled to get one stitch right.

Thoughts like "maybe if I'm better at this, I could make her like me more" resurfaced in Ellie’s head again.

At first, it was envy, but her admiration for you made her gradually seek approval from you, which wasn’t any easier.

Her mind was still filled with the newfound memories of yesterday: how good you looked in her clothes, the way your eyes would sparkle under the moonlight, and the sound of your uncontrollable laughter when she’d tell you something stupid. This was the recipe for making her heart melt. Words weren’t enough to perfectly describe how happy she felt, knowing she was the reason behind your bright smile.

One night wasn’t enough to satisfy her; she wanted to spend as much time with you as possible.

Maybe tonight you could hopefully recreate yesterday again, even better?

Caught staring at you, Ellie snapped her thoughts away and drifted her eyes away from you.

You had noticed Ellie’s devotion to proving herself to you, but you were against it, believing this whole comparing thing was pointless when you liked her just the way she was.

“there are about 2 holes left,” you stated, reaching your hand out for Ellie to grab your bonnet. “here, take the needle. I’ll teach you how to make flower petals instead.”

Ellie’s hand didn’t budge, and you saw the hesitation in her eyes. “bet you could do this with your eyes closed after some time,” you added before taking her hand to place your unfinished accessory in it.

She scoffed as her eyes glanced at what she was holding, the pressure to be successful coming back “I don’t think you actually want me to do that.”

“hey, you might be slow, but you’ll get the hang of it at some point,” you reassured her.

You always believed that humans were gifted with potential; they just tended to limit themselves.

Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to have something handmade from the girl you liked. “Also, my hands are getting sore.”

“so, you’re basically using me? didnt know you were like this” she exclaimed with a smirk.

“you literally begged to help me.”

"omg, I literally didn’t... why’d you—I wasn’t even that desperate.”

And the teasing went on and on until she started to turn her attention back to your bonnet.

☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°

Once again, getting attention was something you were used to by now. You've seen so few people wearing lolita clothes that you could count them on one hand, so it was a normal reaction for people to curiously stare at you. Hence, you brushed it off when you felt the employee from your favorite clothing shop's eyes on you.

"maybe it's been a while since she last had a customer," you thought.

Totally lost in your own world, you shuffled through the stunning dresses crafted with luxurious fabrics and adorned with intricate lace, pearls, and embroidery details that were to die for.

Since Joel didn't want to spend his time shopping at the convenience store, he had sent you and Ellie with a list of things that mostly consisted of food. But after you were done with the task Joel had given you, you couldn’t wait any longer to visit the Baby, the Stars Shine Bright shop nearby, which you judged to be the best shop to ever exist in the world.

After taking a quick look at their newest collection in their showcases, you didn't waste a single second and stepped in.

Ellie aimlessly followed you around, carrying the plastic bag containing your groceries with one hand and holding yours with the other, languidly dragging her feet.

After finding your happiness, you headed towards the cashier. Faint dimples appeared on both sides of her cheeks as she smiled, enlightened to see you again. You dropped Ellie's hand as you paid for a brand new white headband, and the same employee from earlier approached you, as pleasant as the cashier, but her staring started to make you self-conscious.

"is there anything else you need, miss?" she asked, her eyes not leaving your bonnet. You readjusted it a bit nervously.

"that will be all for today, thank you" you returned an awkward smile. The employee felt sorry for her persistent gaze, but she needed to take a closer look at your accessory.

"is this bonnet purchased from here?" The employee thought it was strongly similar to one bonnet from their previous collection, except it didn't have embroidered flower petals adorning it.

She received a silent response with a positive nod from you, and you suddenly became shy.

The employee rapidly called another worker, "regina, come here, you have to look at this!"

In just a span of seconds, you became the center of attention of the whole place. Everyone was looking and pointing at the details on your bonnet, still sitting at the top of your head.

They were women with taste, and you hoped the surprise painting their faces didn't mean something about the retouches looking horrendous.

A feeling of reassurance washed over you when they started to praise you.

"beautiful, beautiful!"

"did you make this yourself? You truly are talented!"

"i wish I was this creative and knew how to do embroidery as well," they all exclaimed enthusiastically as their eyes shifted from your creation to your face repeatedly, admiring your bonnet like it was a piece of art displayed in a far-famed museum.

You were far from accustomed to getting praises, and Ellie wondered why they were all acting so excited over an accessory.

But when you told them she had helped you fix your bonnet up, all eyes turned to her, flattering her with praises as well.

One of the employees managed to get the boss out of his office upstairs, leading him to you.

It felt like time instantly stopped.

You couldn't believe what was happening.

The CEO of your favorite clothing brand, walking up to you?

It must be a dream, right?

You were too busy trying to distinguish your imagination from reality to react when he asked if he could take a closer look, suggesting you hand your bonnet to him.

Your legs suddenly felt heavy, and your vision started to darken though you had your eyes open.

You weren't here.

"wow, this is beyond wonderf-" The man didn't even have time to compliment your work before you helplessly fainted on the floor.

Alarm bells went off in Ellie’s mind. Standing beside you, she rushed down to catch your head before it could harshly hit the 'white tile,' blaming your sudden unconscious state on the tall man.

"what a reaction for a burst of joy," she sighed as she slightly shook you in an attempt to bring you back to her.

☆°☆°☆°☆•°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°

It didn't take long to wake up, but wake up from what? Because right now, you could literally say you're living a dream.

Ellie's heart returned to its normal pace. "are you alright?" she softly asked, brushing a strand of your hair behind your ear to see your awakened face more clearly.

"yeah." The realization that you had fainted in front of everyone, especially the CEO of your favorite shop, made you extremely embarrassed. After a moment, you slowly stood up, cleared your throat, and turned to the girl who had just saved your life. "you?"

Your unnecessary concern for Ellie elicited a light chuckle from her. "thanks for asking, but you're the one who nearly passed out here."

The whole room was filled with awkward and short laughs. The feeling of embarrassment flashed across your face once again, and you refused to look ahead and meet the eyes of the man who had created the source of your happiness.

Your fixed bonnet was still held by his hands. His eyes darted from you to it, with many questions eager for answers popping into his mind.

Curiosity bubbled up inside him as he wondered how one's mind could go that far and how you and your friend had created such a wonderful replica of what you had just imagined. His mind was like bubbles of curiosity ready to explode.

He carefully approached you and Ellie, offering you praise and asking various questions.

Ellie's eyes never left your face, studying every single feature as you did your best to answer as clearly as possible. Her heart swelled uncontrollably with warmth when you'd mention her helping you a lot.

After what seemed like a lifetime to Ellie, he finished interviewing you both.

He just needed one thing from you.

The sight of his hopeful and impatient eyes made your heart burn with anticipation. You tried to control your breathing, which quickened its pace, refusing to succumb to the menacing fainting.

"with an imagination and talent like yours, it would be regretful for it to go to waste," he stated, reaching out to return your item. But he didn't hand it to you when your hands nervously grabbed for it. "I wish to hire you as an embroiderer. What do you think?"

Your mind was flooded with racing thoughts about working here.

It seemed like the ideal workplace, but was it truly your ideal job?

"I just love wearing cute clothes, not necessarily making them," you confessed after a moment of silence. The female employees exchanged glances, curiosity on their faces as they wondered why such a talented person would pass up such a fortunate opportunity.

Refusing to let this be your final words, Ellie gently touched your shoulder, encouraging you to step out of your comfort zone. "are you serious? Do you realize i know how to do embroidery thanks to you? me...someone who couldn't even hold a needle without shaking and pricking my finger" Ellie took your hand, squeezing it as she urged, "this is your chance, dont fuck it up"

Refusing wasn’t an option when such a suggestion came from the CEO of your all-time favorite brand, but hearing the desperation in Ellie’s voice made you accept right away.

Working in your favorite place, surrounded by stunning dresses and accessories, and earning money from it was literally a dream job. To you, it wasn't as if he was asking you for something but rather offering you a present. You told him you could work from 8 to 6, Monday to Friday.

His eyebrows furrowed in refusal, and he thoughtfully reduced the amount of work hours since you were currently on summer break.

And just like that, you left the shop with the same smile you entered with, except it was slightly wider and brighter than usual. The realization that this dream-like moment was indeed a reality would hit you later.

You walked down the streets with ellie,both of you not knowing where to go and just mindlessly following each other.

"uh, where exactly are we going right now?" Ellie questioned, her eyes squinting at the bright sunlight directly assaulting her face.

"I don't know. I was following you." You stopped mid-track and tried to put your mind on pause. The scenes from earlier replayed in your head non-stop.

"don't freak out, but I kinda don't have a sense of direction when it comes to wandering in places I don't know." A tired sigh escaped from Ellie's mouth. When she turned around, she couldn't even recognize where you both had come from.

But this place wasn't more unrecognizable than you. It felt like your soul had left your body since you passed out, that it had stayed in 'Baby, the Stars Shine Bright,' and that you were now working on autopilot.

Ellie's eyes fell on the white summer houses around you. With such little details to distinguish them from one another, they all looked awfully similar.

Silence reigned over the avenue, unlike your mind, which was anything but quiet at this moment. "ellie," she directly shifted her gaze from the houses to you, more worried about your overwhelmed state than the fact that you were lost. "god is real."

Pure confusion replaced her worry in a split second. "what the fuck are you on? I told you, you should never try smoking."

"listen, I'm serious." Your hands found their way to her shoulders, an attempt to make her carefully listen to you. "I received his blessings, and since I'm blessed and you're my friend, it means you can be too."

If she wasn't sober right now, maybe she would have taken you a little bit more seriously.

"friend?" Her voice carried genuine surprise; she realized she forgot to ask you what you both were after last night.

"so I would be cursed if I happened to be your girlfriend?" She tried to hide her genuine surprise with sarcasm and get a possible hint from you.

Her delusional side convinced her you were her soon-to-be girlfriend, that you followed her around because you loved her, and that your love language was annoying her,secretly liking the way she looks when you succeeded.

"what? no, I mean—my point is..." Ellie's heart felt less heavy seeing you avoiding eye contact suddenly, her lips curving into a proud smile knowing the effects she had on you. "I'll help you find the founder of your gang. I can also sew your gang's name on your jacket sleeve."

At first, she didn't know why. But the pieces of the puzzle started to connect together as she realized she was your only friend.

"you don't have to look for some designer to do it for you," you continued.

It was like playing baseball with her being good at throwing the ball and you not knowing how to properly catch it.

When Ellie was openly affectionate to you, you didn't know how to receive it.

Ellie smiled a bit. "Are you sure you don't mind doing it? I mean...no pressure, okay?"

How could you know how to receive love when you didn't even know what it was to begin with?

Your parents separated when you hadn't even hit puberty, and no amount of romance novels could make up for the lack of experience of a strong and passionate bond between people in love.

For this reason, you never truly knew what that feeling was.

To make things worse, whenever you felt yourself falling for something close to love, you would unforgivingly push it and the person involved away.

Even though your mom had cheated on your father, she was still the one who had welcomed you to this world. The guilt has never left you when you chose to live with your dad over your mom, although he was a good and loving person.

You couldn't put a face onto the word 'love,' and it gradually became meaningless to you, an unfamiliar word you'd come across when flipping pages in a dictionary. But as time went by, you had rediscovered it and put clothes onto it that were also the definition of your happiness.

"I want to do it for you," you smiled back.

But if all of this was in a book, Ellie would be the major plot twist. Her definition of happiness was short and precise: you.

Ellie reached her hand out to take yours, giving it a gentle squeeze. " 'kay, if you're in, you have to promise me something."

Love hurts when one-sided. If her definition of happiness was you, she had to change your definition of happiness and add herself in it too.

If you've never learned how to receive affection, that's okay. She'd proudly volunteer to teach you and only you.

"promise me," her eyes bore into yours expectantly, "that you'll never leave me."

Because, from you, she's learned that it wasn't impossible for love to go with happiness and that pain could step out of their business.

At least, that's how she felt about you.

"of course, I promise." You stuck out your pinkie, but to your surprise, Ellie didn't.

Instead, she wrapped her arms around you before pulling you into her embrace.

Your warm hearts beat faster in sync by the second, exploding in affection.

Except Ellie's heart missed a beat when you hugged her back. She never knew she needed it until now.

Her hair smelled like vanilla, and her body felt so warm against yours.

Both of you stayed like that for God knows how long. You had lost the notion of time, and it was the least of your concerns at this moment.

Her arms were over your shoulder, a sign that she deeply trusted you.

Pulling you out of your reverie, a red Suzuki Wagon drove past the both of you. Your arms stayed on hers for a little longer, an unspoken and double-meaning promise that you'd never let her go even if she did.

It seemed the car came from the same place you both were, meaning you weren't totally lost.

So after turning on your heels, both of you started to walk your way out of the unknown avenue, hand in hand.

In the end, everything turned out fine, and you soon found your way back to Tokyo.

This time,despite the comfortable silence it was ellies mind who couldnt keep quiet.

Her giddy smile not leaving her face ever since she wrapped her arms around you,as well as the warmth in her heart.

For how long will she able to keep her feelings locked in her heart?

Though your hug meant an unbreakable promise bonding you two,she hoped it also meant something more.

She cleared her throat,when you both stopped at the train station,it was surprisingly sparse of people for such a busy time.

"so like...you have a thing for tall guys or...?"

The sight of the tall man holding your bonnet in admiration and you fainting right after this flashed before your eyes"oh my god shut up"you retorted,rolling your eyes at her whose eyes shortly sparkled with hope.

☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°

This time, despite the comfortable silence, it was Ellie’s mind that couldn’t keep quiet. Her giddy smile hadn’t left her face ever since she wrapped her arms around you, and warmth filled her heart.

For how long would she be able to keep her feelings locked away?

Though your hug symbolized an unbreakable promise bonding you two, she hoped it also meant something more.

She cleared her throat as you both stopped at the train station, surprisingly sparse of people for such a busy time. “so like… do you have a thing for tall guys or…?”

The sight of the tall man holding your bonnet in admiration, and you fainting right after, flashed before your eyes. “oh my god, shut up,” you retorted, rolling your eyes at her, whose eyes shortly sparkled with hope.

☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°

“…but still… you’ve never fainted like that when you first saw me.”

After stopping at Joel’s to drop off what you had bought before, both you and Ellie returned to your house, which was quieter than usual.

Your empty schedule became busy in the blink of an eye. With a brand new simple white dress needing final touches and the famous gang name to sew in under three days, there wasn’t a single second to waste. Not to mention that traveling across the country to find the mysterious gang founder was also on your ambitious list.

“why would I?”

Turning your attention away from the jacket sleeve, your eyes shifted to Ellie instead.

“maybe 'cause I carry a tremendous amount of swagger like nobody else can in this world,” her voice sarcastically filled with confidence. She said this like it was an obvious fact, and you couldn’t really disagree.

Someone who clearly doesn’t know what they’re doing but lets themselves be guided by adrenaline and curiosity. Someone who doesn’t mind taking risks as if their life could be restarted by passing a video game checkpoint. Someone who didn’t mind getting lost in the most unknown places as long as it was with you.

As much as you tried to think, no words could perfectly describe Ellie’s unequaled aura.

But you weren’t going to let her know that, not when you liked teasing her so much. “you’re still not the CEO of Baby, the Stars Shine Bright.”

“you’re right,” she started before looking away, gathering inspiration from her heart. “But I’m the CEO of making you smile.” You proved her point as your lips immediately curved into one, as if her words put a spell on you.

“It shines brighter than any star too,” she added with a playful wink, mentally cheering for having the courage to compliment you. It was a small, yet hopefully significant, step forward in what you both had.

Her words flew straight to your heart, coloring it red because of the blood but also because of your newborn love.

The transition from liking to loving Ellie had started the night you spent stargazing with her.

And now you could no longer carelessly brush off her flirtiness, not anymore.

Her compliments were seriously starting to make you feel things.

Ellie’s eyes didn’t miss yours trying to push away the effects she had on you.

“did you train yourself in the mirror say this one too?” you asked.

It seemed you dodged Cupid’s bow again. “why? Is it a crime to be a natural flirt?”

“It’s far from natural; it almost sounded scripted.” your voice dripping with sarcasm as usual

The truth is if you followed her, borrowing the path of truth, you’d end up either literally confessing your feelings or shyly stammering on your words and making her childish smirk come back.

And above all, teasing was more fun.

“your reaction didn’t seem like it followed a script though,” a soft chuckle followed her words. Before you could turn back your attention to the dress in front of you, she reached her hands out of her pockets to direct your turning chair towards her. “I think you just can’t flirt back, so you talk shit. Just admit I’m a smooth talker and you like it. It doesn’t hurt.”

There was a small gap between you, and when you turned to look at Ellie’s face, her kissable lips formed a smirk and her eyebrows waggled together.

Her sudden proximity made time stop, and the soft music playing in the background faded as you felt your heartbeat getting louder.

An unfamiliar feeling bubbled up in your stomach, something that seemed ready to explode as her gaze on you intensified.

Your body reacted before your mind, and her chest met your hand. Ellie understood she would cross the line if she leaned closer.

You kept her eyes on hers. "it does.it hurts my ego and pride." Ellie obviously understood your sarcasm—not because it's part of your nature, but because she also paints her buried feelings with jokes.

She took a few steps back before you could add another layer of satire, her eyes not leaving yours even when they looked away from hers.

"but objectively speaking, you're charming with your words."The honesty contrasting with your previous words made her snicker.

Today, at 5:36 pm, an hour when she usually lets herself be consumed by boredom, a new memory was engraved in her mind, and she wouldn't forget to write it down in her journal once back home.

Her heart would swell with joy as she'd quoe you calling her charming. Her stomach would birth butterflies as she'd remember this compliment coming from a pretty face.

But with a closed mouth to keep quiet and not make Joel think she'd gone crazy. Even though that was kind of the case.

"shut up, that's nothing but objective." Ellie scratched the back of her head, being the one avoiding eye contact now that your eyes peered at hers.

"don't your friends think the same when you flirt like that?" A natural flirter, smart and beautiful, kicking ass to do justice—to you, Ellie was an all-in-one, and you wouldn't be surprised to learn that she made other girls feel special too.

That you were just, hopefully not, one of her other friends.

"I don't flirt with them."

Whether it was the truth or a lie, a part of you wanted to believe her anyway. Maybe that was another effect, a result of her irresistible charm.

☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°

Overthinking was one of your worst habits, controlling your mind and replaying your most embarrassing conversations on a loop.

The best way you could have replied to Ellie complimenting your smile could have been simply thanking her and returning the compliment.

WHY DID YOU NOT THINK ABOUT THIS EARLIER?

You wanted to hide your face in your hands as unanswered 'whys' and 'hows' progressively took over your mind.

It felt like losing the 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' game over the most evident and unmistakable question.

Except you weren't losing money but Ellie's interest, but that's just what you thought.

Suddenly, the same girl you've been thinking about spoke up again. Ellie's voice was a remedy to your overthinking; it was seemingly curious since a hint of interest influenced her tone. "do you ever look at guys and get... i dont know, like you find them so attractive you want to hug and everything... maybe ki-'

With a swift move, you pulled one thread out of Ellie's jacket sleeve. The details on the dress were unfinished; switching up between sewing the jacket sleeve and the dress so you could finish them both by your deadline was much smarter and also because doing repetitive things bored you.

After hearing her words and the mention of men, you stopped sewing for a second. "ew, why?'

"just asking"she snickered when your first reaction was disgust.

He appeared again. The man selling most of the clothes you had in your closet. The same man who praised your job at embroidery and who now wanted you to work with him. You physically shook your head to mentally shake the thoughts of him away.

"I'm not into him, okay? It just felt like meeting a celebrity; it's hard to control your emotions,"you clarified. You loved his work, not him.

"but in general? does it ever... happen? Idk how to make it not sound weird" Ellie started to fidget with her fingers, her black nails painted by you. Her mind took her back to yesterday again when she'd admire you whenever your sparkling eyes were fixated on the moon, wishing you were thinking about her too.

"it sounds weird no matter how you put it. But no, I guess puberty came late to me."

" 'mkay."

Before turning your attention back to her jacket sleeve, you caught Ellie nodding, putting her hands back in her pockets casually, turning her face away to forcefully stop her lips from forming a smile.

For the first time in her life, she believed in luck.

"you?" The initial of Ellie's gang name started to take form as you repeatedly pulled the golden yellow thread in and out of the fabric.

"ew, no, I'm not interested either. Just thinking about it grosses me out."Her brutally honest answer made you chuckle softly; you weren't that much different after all.

"really? Even if I was a man?"you joked.

"yeah, plus you couldn't even get to wear those dresses and stuff. Just seeing you wearing formal clothes to fit in with everyone else would feel weird."

She tried to imagine you wearing casual clothes or anything not extravagant in general, and you laughed at her unpleasant expression.

"that's funny to think I'd finally look normal for some people,"you said between laughs, and Ellie joined you in your laughter.

Now that you think about it, it was a pretty rare occurrence for you to wear something other than lolita clothes.

You paused and put the needle down before turning to Ellie.

"do you want to see how I used to dress before? It doesn't look that weird, trust me."

After last night, the magical night you spent over at Ellie's, you can officially say things changed.

Your past self would definitely not recognize you now for trusting someone enough to have the courage to show a different version of yourself.

"my brain does that thing when it erases traumatic memories, so you're fine."you rolled your eyes at her teasing tone, her jokes getting more creative as time went by.

"that was backhanded, wasn't it?"

Ellie shrugged her shoulders as she smirked, her impatience growing stronger as she followed you out of your room.

"whatever helps you sleep at night.'"

In the corridor, you slid open a door, keeping the boxes of furniture inside, and tipped onto your toes to reach the medium cardboard box

The dust that had accumulated on top of it over the years, quickly flew away as you brushed it off, before opening what had been closed for God knows how long.

The "you" that was once buried to give birth to the "you" now resurfaced.

Ellie grabbed a few pictures before you could change your mind.

Smiling and chuckling at how different you looked compared to now, she carefully scanned all the pictures in front of her, noticing one thing that had never changed.

"I gotta say... you still look so fucking cute."

Your brain stopped functioning at her words.

Her eyes darted from the pictures to yours, not really expecting you to respond to her compliments, just admiring your flustered reaction.

You tried to think of a response that wouldn’t make you cringe when you overthought it later.

Those words, coming from someone infinitely prettier, whose eyes regarded you like you were a masterpiece belonging in a museum, whose arms made you feel like home, held significantly deeper and more impactful meaning. It was as if Ellie knew what she was doing to you and wanted your heart to explode just for her.

To her, it was just a matter of time before you completely let yourself fall for her, unaware that it was already the case.

"thanks,you’re cuter though," you smiled back at her.

But if time really isn't real, then she would learn to be patient, knowing you'd be timeless.

☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°

It was Ellie's turn to sleep over at your house.

Despite wanting to stay awake a little longer, both of you found yourselves surrendering to unconsciousness faster than last time.

Imaginations and dreams enveloped your restless minds, quieting them down.

The smell of breakfast was more effective than an alarm clock at waking you up.

Your body was as cold as the inside of a fridge since Ellie kept unconsciously pulling the covers over her.

After warming up with some tea and filling your stomach with fluffy pancakes, you and Ellie continued with your day separately.

After spending two full days with her, her sudden absence felt strange, but you decided to put this feeling aside and focus on your new job to avoid having a wallet as empty as Ellie’s absence.

Sewing fabrics here and there to train yourself before working on the actual dress and jacket sleeve.

Walking back and forth around your room thoughtfully.

You spent most of your time sighing in frustration, as creativity refused to show up at your door.

Staring at the unfinished project in front of you, without new ideas in mind, began to take an awful toll on you.

Roses, tulips, and other flowers floated in your thoughts.

If there was one thing you wished for right now, it would be for your imagination to be as abundant as the richness of nature.

So, you ventured closer to nature and away from your trapped thoughts, wandering aimlessly around the nearest park while trying to empty your mind and let creativity flow naturally.

After a while, with plenty of walking and silent contemplation, your watch ticked to 5 PM. It was almost evening, but the sun was still shining in the sky, illuminating the blue lake beside you.

Ellie once told you that the reason the sea looks blue is because of the reflection of the sky.

A few ducks flew above the water before landing.

Some ducks swam in another direction, leaving two of their companions alone. They didn’t seem to mind the others had left, focused on swimming their own path, just the two of them.

Eventually, you dragged your feet out of the park, leaving your energy behind. A place as energizing as nature had unexpectedly drained you because no matter what you did, you always thought of her.

Whether she was around or not, Ellie lived in your mind rent-free.

When you contemplated the sky,the moon wasn’t out yet, so you stole one last glance at the lake.

Maybe you shouldn’t give up now; doing so would mean your entire day would have gone to waste.

Not to mention,facing complaints instead of praises from the CEO of your favorite shop would surely tear your heart into pieces.

So you called her.

You took your phone and dialed her number, biting your lip in hope she would respond.

Desperation was overpowering you, and Ellie clearly noticed it.

“what’s wrong?” her voice slightly modified by her phone.

A moment of silence passed as you repeated in your head what you wanted to say.

"everything,” you look pitiful.

“nothing,” you're wasting her time.

“are you busy right now?” just go straight to the point.

“I miss you,” too honest.

Ellie patiently waited for you to speak up, leaning her arms on the railing of the bridge, eyes peering at the lake while inhaling deeply.

“I need your help.”

Her eyebrows instantly furrowed in worry; you usually tried to handle things on your own, and it was unusual for you to directly ask for her help. “where are you?”

You had been wandering away from the park for so long that you didn’t even realize where you were heading. The area you found yourself in was sparse of people, resembling an abandoned train station with overgrown herbs on the rails.

When you sat on a bench, you heard an engine roaring toward you.

Ellie saw you alone on the bench, and your face instantly beamed at the sight of her arrival.

She parked her motorcycle next to the entrance of the train station and carefully crossed the rails, making her way to you.

“I’m away for one day, and you’re already missing me?”

You didn’t even have the energy to roll your eyes at her cocky smile; her words were harshly true.

Suddenly, the temperature began to cool down, signaling that evening was approaching. Ellie locked eyes with you, intently listening as you ranted about your struggles with creativity. As an artist herself, she thought of creativity like a battery that often needed recharging.

The thing was, Ellie was your recharger. Talking with her and spending time together felt like a mental cleanse, refreshing your mind. Her absence felt so unfamiliar to both your heart and your brain.

Asking for her help made her smile blissfully, unable to describe how happy she felt to spend time with you again.

Without hesitation, she took your hand right after you finished your monologue, bringing you to a familiar place—the one holding your best memories. Among them, searching for your bag with Ellie was your favorite so far.

So far, because you believed the future held even more thrilling and joyful memories with her.

Most of the stores still had the "open" sign in their showcases, including "Baby, the Stars Shine Bright."

Unexpectedly, you refused to let your inspiration come from the clothing brand you were now working for.

"You said you're on a creativity block," Ellie said, her confused eyes meeting your self-assured ones.

The CEO of this brand had praised your work for its originality, something he had never seen before. "exactly, so we need to think outside the box."

To keep satisfying him and his expectations, you decided to remain on the same path, coming up with unimaginable and creative patterns.

The puzzles instantly assembled, forming a clear image of understanding in Ellie’s head, your words failing to prevent her from holding back her laughter.

You were picking up the same sarcasm as her.

"My jokes are better."

Clothing shop after clothing shop, going from bright to dark areas, and the excessive bright lighting contrasting with the dark hues of the blue sky outside, was overstimulating Ellie’s mind.

But she kept dragging her feet to follow you around.

You could tell her anything, and she would do it without a second thought.

So that’s what happened.

The faltering and desperate look in your eyes disappeared, replaced by bright sparkles and dilated pupils as you rummaged through the clothes.

Your imagination started to paint Ellie wearing the type of clothes you had grown fond of—clothes she would never dare to wear, not because they weren’t aesthetically pleasing, but because she thought she wouldn’t look good in them.

Yet here she was, looking at your cheeky smile as you scanned her in an extravagant lolita dress you pleaded her to try.

There was no doubt you felt immensely proud to make her wear lolita clothes.

To you, Ellie was still the cutest human being you’d ever seen; the lolita dresses only enhanced her cuteness, something she strongly disagreed with.

Sensing your eyes admiring her, adding makeup felt unnecessary with her naturally blushed cheeks.

A sudden urge to squish them in your hands settled in your core.

Ellie’s face reddened even more when her cold cheeks met your warm hands, unable to ignore the temptation.

"you’re so—" you started, but Ellie immediately cut you off, her gaze dropping to the floor, embarrassed.

"don't say it."

She knew what you were about to call her; it was the complete opposite of the image she wanted to project—a thick wall of intimidating and cold exterior she had spent years building.

Yet in just a few days, she’d allowed herself to let her guard down. This wall, carefully constructed to give her a good reputation among her acquaintances, felt totally useless around you.

"alright," you retreated your hands and let out a giggle.

It was like a fierce missile flying right at this thick wall, crumbling it down with such ease, allowing her to be cheeky, goofy, flirtatious, embarrassed, flustered, happy, and in love—allowing her to be who she truly was.

☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°

What is the common point in Ellie's loving smile, the stars at night, and her making you the happiest being on Earth?

It all puts sparkles in your eyes.

The inspiration you had difficulty finding found its way back to you like a lost pet, except it always came from one person and the things that made you think of her—which was a blessing when she was present but a curse in her absence.

So you desperately hoped this night would never end. It became a message the universe was now used to getting because when the clock ticks morning, that's when the magic ends.

And you wouldn't be peering at the horizon ahead of you anymore, sitting behind Ellie as she focused on driving across the city lights. Your mind filtering out her friends driving with you at midnight, only caring about the person you were holding in your arms, trying to bring her what she brought you: comfort.

To your surprise, this dreamlike feeling repeated itself again when you woke up with her in your arms once more. She wasn't listening to your heartbeat anymore, totally absorbed in whatever dreams she was in, so you decided to oversleep with her, hoping to appear in one of her dreams.

In one of her dreams, you and Ellie were traveling across the country on her motorcycle, often stopping at car stations when her gas was low and eating breakfast in local coffee shops working early in the morning.

Both of you were unstoppable, searching for the infamous founder of her gang, grabbing clues from door to door and heading to as many cities as you could.

Your world was so small until you hopped on Ellie's motorcycle and discovered new places, unfamiliar routes, and different types of vegetation.

Thinking back to the time you accepted to help Ellie, despite the bumpy and narrow path, today you didn't have any regrets.

Everything went smoothly. When exhaustion enveloped you, you would stay in a nearby hotel; when hunger crept its way into your stomach, you'd find a restaurant to fulfill your wishes; and when you needed more money for the road, you'd stop at the city casinos, always going for the pachinko machines.

But again, it was just a dream.

Refusing to let disappointment consume her as the alarm went off, Ellie quickly woke you up and got ready. The festival's date was approaching with big steps, and Ellie found the perfect partner to help her find Himeko.

Since the perfect partner was you, you threw away your usual routine for the next days, trying to make her dream come true.

Dreams and reality, when you're blessed with luck with many ups and rare downs, there's not a significant line separating dreams from reality. However, when reality turns to look somewhat closer to a nightmare than a dream, a dream is often an escape.

"Dream" is such a small word for its numerous meanings, but even if it can be a subjective term, both you and Ellie can agree that your current situation was progressively drifting away from the aspect of a dream.

"I can't," you said as your walk came to a halt, still holding Ellie's hand. If you could describe the word 'inseparable' in three words, you would say you and Ellie; however, it seemed circumstances were starting to change that.

"what? What do you mean?" She hoped she had heard it wrong, that the sound of engines and powerful winds had made her a bit deaf after traveling for two days.

"I can't go any further," you clarified, your eyes dropping to the floor.

"listen." Ellie's mind froze for a second; your expression was unreadable to her. You were just lacking a bit of sleep, tired, maybe a little demotivated, right? "we've come a long way, to Tokyo, down to Yokohama, just you and me alone. In just what, two days... we already have a clear destination, and it's not like people don't know her at all..."

She gently squeezed your hand, a gesture that always brought your eyes back to hers. "I'm sure we'll gather more clues on our way there. Just trust the process... trust me. I promise we'll find her soon enough."

Even when you tried to seek comfort in her words, your mind wasnt set on it, not after what happened in the last casino you stepped foot in. "I literally gambled all of my money away."

Noticing the exhaustion in your voice, Ellie reassured you, lifting your chin up to hers. Both of you had already talked about this. "You're not gonna be broke... I can lend you some, y'know it's not a problem."

You went silent, and Ellie concluded it as the end of the discussion.

She didn't want to stop here, not now, when you were midway to reach your destination, so close to finally make her dream come true.

But when you gently pushed her hand off your chin, she sensed this situation was more complicated than she had expected.

"you don't understand..."

It's when Ellie was brought closer to her dream that she would get pulled back into harsh reality, something closer to a nightmare now that she felt that you were going to break her promise.

[pyropsychiccollector]

Harem Deluxe: Night at Okinawa, Part 2

Rin: That's the last time I bet money against psycho goths. >////<***

Waruna: Eh? You lost a fortune, too? ಠ_ಠ

Rin: Oh, they got you, too did they? :P I should've known that bitch wasn't going just after me... But I feel a little bit better about myself if I pretend she did. ಠ_ಠ

Waruna: Meh. It's not that big of a deal. "Never bring more than you're afraid to lose," and all that. 'Sides. Yoshiko and Guillaume are working on winning everything back. The gothic lolita queen is toast. :P

Rin: >___> Yeah, well... I don't need no charity. *puffs cheeks, knowing Luvia is hitting the gambling tables now, just so Rin has to repay her for getting her riches back*

Waruna: Wouldn't dream of it. I don't even know you. Yuma's the overly generous dork between us. I make sure no one walks over him like a doormat. :P

Rin: Yuma? ಠ_ಠ Who's that, your brother?

Waruna: Uh, ew? No? ಠ_ಠ Yuma's my boyfriend.

Rin: >////////////////<*** Wh-Wh-What the hell are you doing talking to me about your bf?! Are you an exhibitionist!?

Waruna: What's that supposed to mean?!?!?! (╬≖_≖) Do you want a kick to the gonads?! (╬≖_≖)

Rin: I bet next you'll talk about your long walks together!! The sweet gifts he gives you!! What a chef of a man he is!!! >/////////////<*********

Waruna: How is that dirty or perverted?! Every girl should brag about their man. (╬≖_≖)(╬≖_≖)(╬≖_≖)

Rin: Y-Y-Y-Y-You're shameless. >//////////////////////////<*********** D-Dirty slut.

Waruna: (╬≖_≖) ... You're too shy to talk about your man, huh?

Rin: Shiro has nothing to do with this!!!!!!! ٩(๑ `н´๑)۶

Waruna: ≖‿≖ Shiro, eh.

Rin: ........... Sh-Sh-Sh-Sh-Shut up you ch-chattering skank. >//////////<***

Waruna: I am going to slug you, bitch. (╬ಠ益ಠ)

Rin: Bring it, hussy. (╬ಠ益ಠ) I'll dish out way more than you can give!!!!!!

Shiro: (✿◠‿◠);;; *was on his way back to Mitsuzuri with her drink* Why does Rin have to make a scene now...?

Yuma: *a few feet away* ಠ_ಠ If it's not Pucci, it's Waruna. *sigh*

Shiro: Hmm? Is that one yours? (✿◠‿◠);;; S-Sorry about this. Rin doesn't mean anything bad, she just.... sometimes doesn't want to express her feelings...

Yuma: (✿◠‿◠);;; No, no. Waruna has this habit of teasing and prodding people, getting them worked up.... I'm pretty sure I should be the one apologizing.

Shiro: ಠ_ಠ *thins lips* Nonsense. I take full responsibility for this oversight. I could never ask anyone else to shoulder that burden. ಠ_ಠ

Yuma: ಠ_ಠ *thins lips in return* Yeah, no. You're better than me in every way. And I don't even know you. This is all my fault. ಠ_ಠ

Shiro: ಠ_ಠ I'm going to make this up to you and your girlfriend.

Yuma: ಠ_ಠ Not if I make it up to you and your sweetheart first.

Shiro: ಠ_ಠ

Yuma: ಠ_ಠ

Rin: Why are you the one apologizing for me, Shiro?! What the hell?!(╯°□°）╯It's this bitch poking her nose where she doesn't belong!!!

Waruna: Yuma, you gotta stop putting yourself down like that!!! (❋•益•❋) This tsundere is the one who can't or won't accept her true feelings!!!!!

Rin: Excuse me?! I'm not tsundere!!!!! (❋•益•❋)

Waruna: You shitting me?! You look up a definition in the dictionary, and there's a picture of you right next to it, bitch!!!!! (❋•益•❋)

Rin: >///////////////<*** Your boyfriend is a dwarf.

Waruna: >///////////////////<*** And yours is some boyband reject.

Rin: Boyb...?! Shiro would never be that shallow or put himself out like that!!!!!!! I bet your dwarf is looking up all the girls' skirts, though! :P

Waruna: (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑) You sure? How many girls does he got lined up?

Rin: . . . J-Just the two of us. >_____>***

Waruna: (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑) Oh, so you're monogamous? Reallyyy...?

Rin: I-I meant me and my sister, you bullheaded jerk!!! >///////////////<***

Shiro: ಠ_ಠ Rin, I know you don't like the others, but you know there's you, Sakura, Mitsuzuri, Illya, Luvia, Reines, Saber, and... Taiga-sensei. ಠ_ಠ

Rin: . . . D-D-Don't just broadcast your love life like that, you idiot!!!!!! >////////////////<*********

Waruna: (╬≖‿≖) Eight of you, huh. Yuma's much more restrained~

Yuma: ಠ_ಠ Uh. I'm pretty sure counting Shinigami there's eight of you, too, Waruna-chan. You, Yoshiko, Kurane, Kurumi, Pucci, Fubuki, and Guillaume. ... And Shinigami.

Rin: (╬≖‿≖)

Waruna: Ughhh...! Why'd you give her free ammo like that?! (╯°□°）╯

Shiro: I'll leave you guys to hash this out. (✿◠‿◠)* I'm gonna bring some complimentary drinks. On me.

Yuma: (✿◠‿◠)* Nonsense, they'll be on me... *speed-walks to the bar with Shiro*

Rin: Ugh... Why do boys have to be such idiots?! ಠ_ಠ

Waruna: I think it's sweet they're such gentlemen. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

Rin: >______>*** You eyeballing Shiro now, skank?

Waruna: Guys can be gentlemen even if you're not dating them. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑) You're oddly possessive for someone who's so quiet about their love life.

Rin: (⊙▂⊙✖ ) That's not...! I'm not...!!! >________>*** Just shut up. Shut. Up.

Waruna: I betcha a mil that I can propose to Yuma before you do. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

Rin: What kinda wager is that?! Σ('◉⌓◉’) Shiro would be devastated if he's not the one proposing to us...!

Waruna: Is that your excuse? (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑) Shiro's gotta juggle eight of you, so you're just gonna let him do all the legwork for your marriage? Suuure, that sounds fair and proper. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

Rin: (人◕_◕) . . . . . . . . . Are you calling me a lazy-ass?! (❋•益•❋)

Waruna: Well, I'd never invite you over for dinner. Freeloader. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

Rin: (❋•益•❋) You bitch!!!!! I'll give Shiro the awesomest wedding ever!!! You'll be the dirty, rotten cheapskate eating my dust!!!!! (❋•益•❋)

Waruna: (❋•‿•❋) Good thing I have real friends to depend on~... I'll do a joint proposal with Yoshiko, Kurane, and Kurumi. (❋•‿•❋) That one mil is mine.

Rin: W-Well, I'll...! . . . ;;;>______> **I know Sakura will help me out... Maybe Mitsuzuri.... But if I start talking with any of them about wedding stuff, I know Illyasviel, Luvia, and Reines are gonna conspire against us...! And Taiga-sensei and Saber will just butt in!!! Ugh...**

Makoto: ಠ_ಠ *at the bar with Sayaka, watching Shiro and Yuma try to outdo each other with their orders* ... *opens his mouth*

Sayaka: *clamps his mouth shut with one hand* Makoto, don't you dare take responsibility for their girls' shenanigans. (✿◠‿◠)***

Makoto: ಠ_ಠ But I can help...?

Sayaka: I said no. (✿◠‿◠)***

[taito-division]

Contestants/Couples (1/2)

Of course, we couldn’t forget about the main event! We’ve searched high and low throughout Japan to find the very best, the crème de la crème of each and every Division had to offer and we certainly weren’t disappointed with the line up we have and something tells us you aren’t going to be either once we reveal who our couples for this competition are. The couples and contestants for the 2024 Mr. and Mrs. HypMic Couples' Pageant are...

1. "Introducing first, both hailing from the sunny beaches of Los Angeles, California, they are widely-known as America's Sweethearts, who have been together longer they any couple in this competition. Perhaps their long time dating one another will give them a heads-up against the rest of the competition. Give it up for the American Pretty Boy, himself, Ace "MC Patriot" Douglas, and his popular and highly-stunning model of a girlfriend, Evelyn "SPIRIT" Rose, from Okinawa!"

America's Sweethearts

2. "Introducing next, they are two of the most artistic individuals Japan has ever seen. While one is making herself known online and in art galleries as an established painter, the other is mesmerizing both men and women of the world with his enchanting voice. Please welcome highly-talented artist, Kureha "Eclipse" Koizumi of Saitama, and her partner, the first-ever winner of the Mr. HypMic Pageant, the most-talented and sexiest man in 2023 and highly-acclaimed rock star, Ren "Vox" Nakashima of Kobe!"

The Dark Canvas

3. "This next couple is, without a doubt, perhaps the most promiscuous pairing in this competition. Needless to say, they've got a number of winnings under their belts, so to speak. Will their experience and success rate be enough to have them win? We'll see! Please welcome Japan's Self-Proclaimed "Strongman", Karada "Nike" Kessaku of Aoyama, and the Goddess of Beauty, herself, Lola "Aphrodite" Takahashi of Saitama!"

The Deities

4. "This next partnership is perhaps the scariest pairing we have in this competition. Despite their young ages, these two young men aren't afraid to get their hands dirty and paint the environment red if they have to, or if the need should strike them. If I were you, I'd best proceed with caution around them! But who knows? Perhaps their infamy will somehow resonate with the fans. We'll see! In any case, put your hands together for the popular Lolita model, Kaiji "Jinx" Sano of Kobe, and his partner, Japan's Most Notorious Serial Killer, Touya "MC Darling" Kisaragi of Katsushika!"

...Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to let these two in this?

Angelic Facade

5. "These next contestants are perhaps living proof that 'money is equivalent to success!' Standing at the top of Japan's hierarchy because of their wealth and status, this power couple, who is due to be wed in just a few short months, might I add, will stop at nothing to trample over their competition, no matter who or what they may be! So give them the respect they deserve and welcome, none other than, the heir to his prestigious family, Tomi "High Class" Chōten of Aoyama, and the CEO of one of the most powerful conglomerates in Japan today, Miho "Iron Maiden" Kobayashi of Shinagawa!"

The "Power Couple"

Let's wish these lovely contestants the best of luck!

@kobedivision @saitama-division @aoyama-division @katsushika-division @shinagawa-division

[salora-rainriver]

the lily orchard thing is weird because the primary callout for her that i've seen comes from a youtube channel with absolutely no sense of proportion, putting "wrote a shock fic years ago" and "featured as a character in feral furry porn" right next to "actually groomed minors" as though these are all equally bad and worthy of scorn. it makes me realize that even when we're right that someone is a bad person, we can still fall into transphobic ways of framing it

Okay full disclosure: i don’t know what youtube vid you’re talking about. I did watch A Videos on Orchard.

So first off I get the point about proportionality, theres absolutely a difference between writing stockholm and that whole stint where she encouraged a teen and an adult to “breed”, and I do agree that any callout should make the difference in severity clear,

But im not sure that, in this case, someone failing to make that distinction clear is A Transphobia. And that’s because… I’m not convinced Stockholm was intended to be a shock fic. I can definitely see where one may draw such a conclusion, I just personally feel otherwise, I feel like Stockholm is itself morally wrong. I feel the same way about it that I feel about “lolicon” art, and asking me to not mark the fic as a slight against Orchard feels odd to me, because I would be uncomfortable with Butch Hartman writing material like that. I would want to know that he wrote this, feels no remorse for writing it, intends to make media for children while having written that.

People draw their personal lines in the sand in different places, particularly when it comes to fictional depictions of That Shit. Someone’s Lolita (a harsh and uncomfortable work thats clearly not glorifying the act once you sit down and engage with it fairly) is going to be another’s [idk insert literal fucking CP here], and the wide diversity of art makes it nigh-impossible to be able to draw a line between Acceptable and Unacceptable.

And for what it’s worth, the above ^^^ is why Im frustrated with the binary framing of the pro-ship and anti-ship discourse. It just doesn’t work, even the most ardently pro-ship person is going to draw their line somewhere, and even the most ardently anti-ship is going to look at someone else’s judgement and go “but theres nothing wrong with this”. And ultimately, the two camps of pro and anti… don’t actually exist. Ask me honestly which camp I fall in and I genuinely wouldn’t be able to tell you, and if you interrogate your personal moral values and feelings about various dubious media honestly, you’ll realize that you can’t, either.

Sorry. This is a ramble. I’ll summarize:

- I think it’s important to know that Orchard wrote Stockholm, and to allow people to judge her for writing that, because many believe that works like these are morally wrong, period end of, and it’s not transmisogyny for one to judge this fic the same way they judge similar works from cishet writers.

- despite having that opinion, I do agree that the real grooming is much worse than the fic, and agree that making this distinction clear is important.

- I also think its dangerous to discuss the morality of fictional media from an all-or nothing binary framing, because the truth is we do not genuinely hold such extreme positions in real life, we all have a limit somewhere on the spectrum in either direction, which is my main frustration with pro-ship and anti-ship discourse, because you can never fully belong to either camp. Your position on the issue will be a mix of both. Pro some ships, anti other ships.

I hope thats clear? Thanks for the thoughtful ask. Also, mandatory “pls be gentle I’m the birthday girl”

[viperpoisondark]

Dolled Up

Look, I don't know who’s going to read this, or even if anyone will, but I need to write what is happening, so it can help someone in the future. You may think that I’ve gone mad when I wrote this or that I’m making it up, and I would not blame you for it, but believe me, everything in here is completely real and I don’t even know how to explain or where to begin…

Ok, I’m going to start on the day that I’m sure it all started and when it all went to shit, but I’m warning you, nothing good will happen’ and if you value for your sanity and good sleep, don't read this, but if your already doing it, I imagine that something is already happening, good luck and may God help you. Well, here’s the first day: 

“It was a summer day in the city, a really hot day to be precise, and I was in the cafeteria of the school waiting for my friends, since this is the only day that our schedules match enough. While I was waiting, I decided to finish a resume in my notebook, until I got scared by the noise of someone hitting a book on the table that I’m sitting on. I looked up and saw a woman with dark skin and dark orange hair, my friend Noelly, smiling and holding a big book.

-Good morning ‘Elly - I said, a little irritated. 

-Good morning James! How are you on this wonderful day? - The woman asked while sitting in front of me. 

-I was good, until you gave me that scare…

-Haha! I’m sorry, but you were so concentrated and I couldn't help it! 

-Anyway, you are way over excited for a wednesday at 9 am. - I said while putting my books and materials in the backpack. 

-Well, one of us has to be, right? - Noelly shrugged - And also, we are finally meeting Arthur’s secret girlfriend! 

-Damn, I forgot about that… - I said a little surprised, now remembering that our friend sended us a message yesterday asking if he could bring his new girlfriend, who he hadn't stopped talking about for months, but never introduced to us. - Now I’m a little curious too.

After a while of just the two of us talking, we heard a car parking and when we turned around to see, it was Arthur’s, and speaking of him, on this day, he was normal, with a soccer team tank top and shorts jeans, with him was a woman, she was very different from the normal around here, she had dark purple hair, very curly, in two side ponytails and was dressed in those “lolitas” dresses, but all black, I was surprised of how much layers she's wearing in this heat, but what really got my attention was her clear skin, almost white, as if she has never seen the sun before, almost sickly. The two of then got closer and then they were right next to us: 

-Good morning guys! Sorry we’re late! - Arthur said smiling - Well, this is my girlfriend Delilah! - He pointed at her, with a silly smile, I even wanted to laugh. 

-It’s a pleasure to finally meet you all! - Delilah smiled and waved her hand.

-It’s a pleasure to meet you too Delilah! I’m Noelly and this is James! - The red hair said, then got up to hug the others. - Come, sit with us! - The two of them sat in front of each other, with Arthur by my side and Delilah with Noelly. 

Everything got a little quiet, since no one knew what to comment, so I decided to say something:

-So, Delilah, it took a while for us to see you in person…

-I’m so sorry about that! I was doing an exchange in London and only came back this week! - She answered smiling, while holding Arthur’s hand above the table. 

-How fancy! What do you study? Did you exchange at which institute? - Noelly started asking, which I was happy about, because I didn't know what else to say.

-I study fashion! The institute is a very small one, not well known haha! - Delilah said laughing, moving her hand, like she was trying to shoo a fly. 

-So cool! I study History and James does Criminology - The purple hair girl only agreed with her head, to say she was paying attention and looked at me for a while, before changing her attention to Arthur. 

-How did you both meet? I don't think I remember Arthur telling us… - I asked, because I really didn't remember anything like this, it's like a part of my memory was missing. 

-Well… We met… - Arthur started, but Delilah interrupted him. 

-We met on a dating app, not a real exciting story to tell haha! 

-That's right! I looked at her picture and was like: Wow! That's a girl I’ve never seen before! - Arthur laughed and pretended to hold a cellphone to make the scene, making me and Noelly laugh. 

  We stayed like that, talking, until it was almost noon and we said goodbye so we could each go home and eat, until we heard all our cell phones beeping and a strange notification written: “A body found on campus, in the middle of the trees.” This gave me a shiver, I looked at the others, Noelly and Arthur were also looking at their cell phones scared, I looked back at mine and opened the notification, the rest was text talking about the exact location where the body was found and other things, but one thing I remember like it was yesterday was the way the body was killed: “Authorities believe that the body was hanged, the victim has dark bruises around the neck and on by the side of the body, a porcelain doll identical to the victim was found nearby.” And just below, photos of the victim… Saying that the person was strangled doesn't do justice to what appeared, his neck was completely broken, it looked like he was crushed with great force. It made me dizzy. I've seen bodies because of my college, but this... It was horrible.

Noelly suddenly threw her cell phone away and put her hands over her eyes, Arthur just hung up the phone and sighed, Delilah seemed shaken, but was trying to comfort Arthur. After a while we calmed down and looked at each other and started talking about what happened. (I would like to write the full conversation here, but the truth is that I don't remember almost anything about it, just how scared we were and how strange it was). Later, Arthur gave us a ride to our homes, he left each one and said to message if anything happens. (I should have sent that message…) When I arrived at my apartment, I saw a box in front of my door and a note saying that it was from my great-aunt. That's weird, it's been a long time since i've heard about my great-aunt, I entered the apartment and put the box in the tiny kitchen table, I went looking for something to open it, I found a pair of scissors and when I looked at the box again, I noticed that there was no sticker or tape, I shrugged my shoulders, I mustn't noticed that, when opening the box there was just a small porcelain doll, with a soft body and brown hair. I got goosebumps when I looked at it and left it in the box, I had a feeling of déjà-vu, but I ignored it again. Why would my great-aunt send me this? (Now I know it wasn't my great-aunt)

Classes were suspended for a week due to what happend and after that everything went back to normal, our lives continued. Noelly and I didn't see Delilah anymore, Arthur said it was because her classes started again and she was very busy. 

In one of my classes, we had to do a family tree and check if we have any interesting family history. Luckily, my family lives in the same city as me, so I went to my parents' house to ask something.”

I had to pause the narration for a bit, I think I heard someone coming…

It's her! She was here! I’m sure of it! I think I’m really going crazy… I’ll have to write this more quickly and with less details…

Where was I? Oh right, in my parents house…

“When I got there, I saw my mother with some boxes and asked what she was doing, she said she was throwing some old things away. I helped her as we talked about our family and she said that my Great-Great Grandmother came here from London with her baby son after her husband died, and that was where she met my Great-Great Grandfather and stayed.

I found the story interesting and asked if there was anything else, but my mother said she didn't remember and that my grandmother would probably know more. After a while helping and talking about other things, I left and went to my grandmother.

She lives in a big house, it's not quite a mansion, but it looks like it, and this house has been in the family for generations and it's always the eldest child who keeps the house. The house has three floors and is made entirely of dark wood. As soon as I arrived I rang the doorbell and waited for a while, my grandmother opened the door for me and let me in. We talked for a while and she offered me coffee and cookies, after that, she took me to the third floor of the house (which looked more like an attic) and showed me a box with several old photos of the entire family, until she showed me a black and white, almost faded, photo of an elderly woman and my grandmother said that this was my great-great-grandmother, and that her story is very sad.

My great-grandmother, Angeline, had to flee London because of the murder of her husband at the time, in 1839, which ended up leaving her a widow and a single mother of a baby who hadn't even been born yet. Upon arriving here in Brazil, she met her new husband, Pedro, and with him she had a normal life.

I was moved by the story (I just didn't know that this wasn't the whole story) and asked to keep the photo of my great-great-grandmother, my grandmother gave it to me and said to take care of it with care, I promised I would. After a while, when I was leaving the house, I remembered my great-aunt's gift and asked my grandmother about it and she said that her sister came these days, but didn't take anything with her.

-What did she give you, my dear? 

-Just an old porcelain doll - When I said that, my grandmother turned white as snow and I was sure she was going to have a heart attack, she held my arms tightly with both hands and looked at me scared.

-That doll has brown hair? And a crack in her face? 

-Y-yes… How do you know? Grandma, you’re hurting me… - She was becoming increasingly distressed and her grip on my arms was getting worse and worse.

-Listen, listen clearly James, I need you to listen to me - She spoke with seriousness and horror, I nodded, to show that I was listening. - Bring the doll here and no matter what happens, do not talk to her or take her out of the box, you didn't do any of that? Did you? - I answer that I didn't and that I only opened the box to look, but I didn't touch it - Ok, good, good. Now go! Bring me the doll and I will call your aunt… - She let me go and I ran to my apartment.

As soon as I got to my floor, I saw Noelly standing in front of my door, scared and crying. I called for her and she came running to me, hugged me tight while she cried on my shoulder. I asked her what had happened, and she told me Arthur was dead.

I was profoundly shocked, after that, everything was on autopilot and I felt like my ears were ringing the whole time.

I entered the flat along Noelly, she told me she tried to call me, but I told I didn’t have my phone at the time. She explained what had happened and told me he was murdered the same way as we saw that day (From here on things only get worse, quit reading while you can and believe it was all a dream). He was strangled at his own house and had a porcelain doll by his side. I asked Noelly how she knew that and she told me Delillah called her on Arthur’s phone, the woman seemed desperate and like she was crying her eyes out. I asked Noelly where she was now and she was at the police station giving her witness statement. In my appalled state I didn’t mind asking anything else. I just sat there, crying while Noelly hugged me and cried as well.”

I should have asked more! I should have suspected it! But… Fuck… I’m sorry Arthur, I really am… 

“Suddenly, me and Noelly were scared by my phone ringing, it was my grandma… That’s right, I should go give her the doll back… I explained the situation to Noelly and she told me she’d go with me, she didn’t wanna be alone at that point and neither did I. I got the box, made sure the doll was inside it, and left.

At my grandma’s house, my great-aunt was there as well. They let us in and we sat in the living room, the box sitting at the coffee table. The two started to tell me that my great-aunt was sure she didn’t take the doll neither to her house nor mine and my grandma is sure she didn’t see the other leaving with anything. (They both did it all, but they don’t remember). And they explained to me one more thing: when I was still very young, I was messing with some old things in the attic when I saw the doll and decided to play with it. My great-grandmother, who was alive at the time, quickly took it from me and pushed me away, making me fall from the stairs, which made me lose that specific memory. I was finding it all very weird, what was up with this doll? Why were they so scared of it? Noelly held my hand, a bit scared, letting me know we should head to the funeral.

-What funeral, my darling? - My grandma asked.

-A friend of ours was murdered… earlier today… - I said quietly, feeling like there was something in my throat.

-That sounds awful, I’m so sorry - The old lady put her hand on my shoulder.

-What happened to him? - My great-aunt asked.

-Zélia! This is not the moment to ask these things!

-It’s okay… He… - I started to explain what Noelly told me and the two women exchanged terrified looks. They both got up on a whim and started walking and whispering among themselves: “This should not be happening… after so many years… why now???” I asked them what they were talking about and they gazed at me like they had just seen a ghost. When my grandmother was about to answer, the whole house went dark, all the doors and windows were slammed shut and the only source of light was now coming from the fireplace, which wasn’t lit before, since the weather’s been warm. 

They both screamed and pointed to something behind us. When we turned around, we saw Delillah, but she was different: her lolita dress was ripped and dirty, her hair wasn’t tied anymore and it was huge with big curls… But… the worst was her face… Her face was white, white like… like porcelain and with a crack in the middle of her face, her eyes were completely black with only a yellow light inside them.

I got up in a hurry to ask what was going on, but I got a shock when I saw Delilah's hair moving and coming at me, I immediately dodged it and…(My God… My grandma…) And I saw that what she really wanted was the two ladies, the woman... No, that thing grabbed them both by the neck and squeezed them tightly, they both died almost instantly, hanging…

Noelly screamed and that woke me up, I grabbed her arm and ran to the second floor. When I looked back, I saw her taking two porcelain dolls like the old ladies out of a pocket in her dress and placing them next to them.... This has to be a nightmare, I thought, (I didn't know how wrong I was) we both ran up stairs and hid in a room, locking the door and putting a cabinet in front of it, we didn't know if it would help or not, but that's what we had … Noelly asked me what was happening while crying and I couldn't answer, because I didn't even know��� Then we heard a voice coming from outside:

-Come on guys, there's no need to be scared, I'm not going to hurt you... If you promise not to tell anyone what happened here... After all, it's the least I can do as a thank you to my nephew for freeing me... - The voice wasn't the same one of Delilah that we met a few weeks ago, this one was deeper and seemed almost mechanical.

-What are you talking about?!?!?!? What nephew?? Why did you do that?? What are you?? - I screamed while crying too, I was so confused and desperate.

-Come out and I'll explain everything... - We heard footsteps moving away from the room we were in and everything became quiet. I looked at Noelly and she knew what I was thinking and shook her head. - We need to... We have no other way... And I need to know what's going on - I approached the door and took the cabinet out of the way and put my hand on the doorknob, Noelly put her hand on my arm and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, so she closed it again and walked away.

I opened the door slowly and looked outside, everything was dark and when I stepped in, I felt something soft under me, I looked closely and it was hair... Purple hair, everywhere, on the walls, on the floor, on the doors, I almost threw up, but I moved on with Noelly right behind, we went down the stairs and arrived in the living room, where Delilah was standing, her hair was now everywhere, like spider webs and when we arrived, she opened her eyes and they followed us.

-Okay, we're here, now talk... - I spoke loudly, trying to seem like I wasn't scared, but I was shaking. Noelly held my hand and arm tightly at my side.

-Of course… I said I would… Where to begin? - That thing spoke while it moved forward, getting closer to us and I saw a spider coming out of its eye and going into its hair.

-What are you…?

-I’m a ghost… Delilah’s ghost, that can never rest…

-Why did you do that to my grandma and aunt?

-They would tell my secret… They would break their promise…

-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??? - I screamed at her, I was frustrated, scared, angry, disgusted, all the worst feelings I could have were here and I didn't know what else to do or say, I just wanted it all to end soon.

-The murders... It was me, all of them... I killed Angeline's, my niece, first husband... And after that I continued... I just didn't kill her, because she promised to keep me a secret... But she betrayed me... Just like her husband... So, I went after her son... But they plotted against me... And he killed me... One shot right here - She pointed to her own chest, where the heart would be - And I swore to return... And torment her descendants... And you freed me… - A strand of hair caressed my cheek and I moved away - You found my doll… And you freed me… But I was weak… So I waited… Until the right moment and I had enough strength…

-Ar-Arthur… Why him? - Noelly asked, almost like a whisper. 

-He wasn't in the plans... He was kind to me... But he saw me... He saw my body... - Only at that moment I looked closely and saw that her joints were like a doll's - And I asked... If after all, I'm not lovely? - For the first time her expression changed, she was extremely angry - And he said no... That I'm a monster... So... I killed him... After all, he didn't love me... - Her features relaxed again.

-You are a monster… - Noelly whispered and started crying again. 

-What are you going to do with us? - I asked, weakly, we have no choice, we have no way to escape.

-I'll let you two go... If you promise not to tell anyone... - She said, smiling and putting a finger in front of her mouth. 

-I promise! I promise! This secret will be buried with me! - I spoke quickly, just wanting to get out of there.

-Me too... I promise... - Noelly also spoke, almost without any strength. Delilah smiled and started pulling out all the hair that was around the entire house to her, making her hair curly again.

As soon as she told us to go, we heard the sound of several sirens on the street and police officers saying several things. Delilah seemed surprised and looked at us, I looked at Noelly and saw her with her cell phone in her hand... She had dialed the police number... (It was a good try my friend) The ghost (Doll?) screamed in fury and several strands of hair went towards Noelly, so fast that I couldn't stop it and they squeezed her neck, she... too... she too... (I can't don't even write this...)

I looked at her and screamed too, going at her, but she held my wrists with the strands of hair and approached me, getting very close, I smelled a sweet smell, like rotten fruit and I almost vomited, she held my face with great force and I felt that she had no skin, she was entirely made of porcelain.

-I don't have time to kill you anymore... - I heard the police officers trying to break down the door - But you won't get rid of me...

She threw me down hard, making me very dizzy and everything was dark. When I calmed down and my vision cleared, I saw the worst scene of my life…

…

I can't even write it… 

Noelly was beneath me, dead and my hands were around her neck, there was blood on my hands and her eyes were empty and cold... I looked to the side and there was a porcelain doll just like her... 

After that, everything was a blur… The police took me away and the court sentenced me… I don't even know how many years…

Now, here I am… They agreed to give me this sheet so I can write something to my parents… They won't believe me… Not even I know if I believe…

But… That's what happened to me… And now… Wait… There’s something here…

NO! NO! PLEASE NO! NOT THA-